News

From September 2024, all local radio stations in the Netherlands will be able to broadcast via digital airwaves (DAB+). Currently, a number of local radio stations broadcast via temporary licences. To enable the broadcasting of all local broadcasters in the Netherlands via DAB+, consultations had to take place with neighbouring countries for the necessary digital frequency space. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, these negotiations are now largely complete and the frequency space can be definitively filled by 1 September 2024. A consultation has now been launched for this purpose.

In the future, it will be possible for event broadcasters to broadcast over digital airwaves (DAB+). This is according to the consultation for the new distribution of DAB licences for local digital radio broadcasting and of FM and DAB licences for non-national commercial radio broadcasting. "As in the FM band, event broadcasting will also be possible in the 174 - 230 MHz frequency band. A licence is possible for the purpose of an event or business support service," said Micky Adriaansens, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, in the consultation.

With just 122 days to go to Christmas, Devon has a new radio station! Radio ExeMas has gone on air exactly four months ahead of the big day, to bring happiness and joy as the nights drawn in, children return to school and Santa starts getting his act together. The station, from Devon’s Radio Exe, broadcasts on DAB+ in Exeter and the surrounding area, as well as being streamed on its own website and on the Radio Exe app and website too. As well as being available on Exeter’s DAB+ network, Radio ExeMas will launch on Torbay and Plymouth’s forthcoming digital radio networks when they go on air before the big day.

House Party Radio has launched on the small-scale DAB multiplex in Warrington, Widnes and Runcorn. The digital service started three years ago by Station Director John Beddows, also known as Johnny Bee, who has been hosting a radio show of the same name for over 15 years. John commented: “We are extremely excited to bring House Party Radio to DAB across Warrington, Widnes and Runcorn from the 18th August. With thanks to David Duffy and the team.” The station says Warrington is just the second small-scale DAB+ multiplex it is planning to appear on in the Northwest, after launching in Blackpool in December last year.

Skärgårdsradion (Archipelago Radio) has received one of the seven new national DAB+ licences. This means that the station, which broadcasts on FM and DAB+ in Stockholm, will soon also be heard in Gothenburg, Skåne and Gävle. "It's kind of fun that perhaps one of Sweden's smallest radio stations is now getting a national licence," says founder and owner Martin Loogna."We believe in DAB radio as every new car and boat now has a receiver and we will try to work on expanding the network together with the other players."

The Czech Telecommunications Office plans to divide the upcoming auction of frequencies for private multiplexes into four phases. The regulator announced this in its August Monthly Monitoring Report, published on Tuesday. The first phase will include auction blocks suitable for nationwide networks, the second phase will include auction blocks for networks covering several regions and the third phase will include auction blocks allowing coverage of individual regions only. In the fourth phase, auction blocks not awarded to any of the participants in the previous phases will be offered without any restrictive conditions.

DAB+ radio continued its successful course in the first half of 2023. The use of DAB+ stations is growing, while network expansion continues regionally and nationally. Broadcast launches in Lower Saxony, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein bring more choice for listeners. According to ma 2023 Audio II, 52 million people use radio services daily (Mon.-Fri.). In the current study published by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (agma), DAB+ radio is holding its own with some growth: DAB+ is listened to by 28.6 per cent (ma 2023 Audio I: 28.5 per cent) in the "widest listener group" (WHK) segment. According to agma, it is also the services broadcast nationwide via DAB+ that are recording increases in listener numbers. For example, the "Absolute" radio programmes: With a growth rate of 21.4 per cent in listeners in the average hour, the stations are achieving new record values.

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Honourable Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has officially launched the trial phase of the Digital Audio Broadcasting service in Ghana. With the launch, Ghana becomes the first country in West Africa and the fourth on the continent to deploy the DAB service. The DAB platform in Ghana is being implemented by the National Communications Authority (NCA), and involves 18 stations – 11 based in Accra and 7 in Kumasi. With the commencement of the trial, listeners in the two cities will be able to access any of the stations using DAB+ receivers. The initial trial is expected to last six months after which the NCA will review and decide the next phase of its deployment.

The Swedish Press, Radio and TV Authority has announced seven new national and one regional licence for digital commercial radio. The licences include Arabic radio and sports radio. Malmö-based Mad Men Media has been granted five national licences. DB Media in Staffanstorp receives a national licence for the new channel Dansbandskanalen Klassiker. DB Media also receives a regional licence in Skåne for Guldkanalen Country. Skärgårdsradion, which already has a regional licence in Stockholm, can now broadcast nationally. The licences are valid from 1 September to 31 July 2026. 21 national licences and three regional licences have already been awarded in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Skåne.

Swedish media regulator MPRT has announced further licences to broadcast in the digital terrestrial network. The broadcasts will include a mix of music, news and weather, as well as sports and community programmes. The licences are valid from 1 September 2023 to 31 July 2026. In addition to the commercial radio channels, Sveriges Radio and Utbildningsradion also broadcast on the digital terrestrial network. These channels receive their licences from the Government.