News

Wallonia's public broadcaster, RTBF, has launched a radio program for Ukrainians who fled to Belgium to escape the Russian invasion. RTBF Ukraine – Україна can be heard in French-speaking Belgium and Brussels via DAB+ and the Internet. The Ukrainian-language RTBF program is intended to support the integration of refugees from Ukraine and provide them with practical information.

The first session of the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2022 included a presentation by Lindsay Cornell, Principal Systems Architect, BBC Digital, Chair, WorldDAB Technical Committee. He outlined why DAB+ is establishing itself as the core future platform for radio in Europe, well established in Australia, and DAB+ deployments going on in South East Asia, North Africa and Middle East. Highlighting the energy efficiency aspect of DAB over analog broadcasting, he said it’s 33 percent more efficient than FM. For broadcasters, it preserves the core strengths of traditional radio. It’s free to air, there are no gatekeepers, no one is controlling access to information and it’s reliable in times of emergency.

Three out of four Swiss people listen to radio programs digitally. While the use of DAB+ and radio via the internet increases, FM continues to lose importance. DAB+ and internet distribution are now equally strong and each account for a good third of total radio usage. The radio industry has agreed to switch from VHF to digital broadcasting via DAB+ by the end of 2024.

The radio offer continues to grow for Germany's radio listeners. March has seen the addition of two new state-level DAB+ stations - ByteFM now available in Berlin, and Oldie Antenne now on DAB+ in North Hesse and Rhine/Main regions. There are now a total of 300 digital radio programmes that can be received across different regions, 100 of which are exclusively digital.

"Hear what you want, but hear it right. With the new generation of radio.” This is the key message of the next nationwide campaign when ARD, Deutschlandradio, private broadcasters and other members of the Digitalradio Deutschland association jointly advertise the digital radio standard DAB+ from May 16th to 29th. The cross-media campaign elements used during the campaign include TV spots, nationwide radio spots and program trailers as well as image motifs for use in print and online marketing, for example on social media platforms. Training courses for electronics retail employees in over 1,200 stores and shelf branding in the DAB+ PoS brand design round off the multichannel communication.

At 11:15 a.m. this morning, the TDF group carried out an exceptional technical operation to install, at the top of the Eiffel Tower, a new radio antenna six meters high, intended for the broadcasting of digital terrestrial radio throughout Ile-de-France. Carried out by helicopter, the spectacular operation is unprecedented. Indeed, the Eiffel Tower had not grown for 22 years and this is the first time that a helicopter operation has been carried out for the installation of new equipment on the Eiffel Tower.

Roberto Sergio, director of Rai Radio, spoke to Italia Oggi: "Both I and the top management of RDS believe that the time has come to push decisively on switching off the FM and strengthening the DAB. We are proposing the start of the shutdown of the plants starting from 2025, to arrive at a complete switch off to digital in 2030. If we give up the towers, the traditional systems, we will have crazy savings in the electricity bill, we will consume less energy, we will pollute less without all those towers."

Media Broadcast is expanding the transmitter network of the first national digital radio multiplex. In seven federal states, new transmitter locations will ensure better reception of the nine private and four Deutschlandradio programs in 2022.

Commercial Radio Australia Chairman and SCA CEO Grant Blackley today announced the appointment of Ford Ennals, currently CEO of Digital Radio UK, as the peak industry body’s new CEO, replacing Joan Warner who steps down at the end of March.

In Brussels the first channel of the local DAB+ for Flemish Brabant went on the digital ether on Friday evening on block 10B. Eight local stations are carried. The second channel (Leuven) in the same ensemble will follow on Wednesday.