News

Market share of digital radio in Flanders, currently at 41 percent, will not exceed 50 percent until the end of 2024. At the end of 2027, when existing FM licenses will expire, digital share will probably fluctuate around 60 percent, compared to still 40 percent for FM. It is crucial that by 2025, when negotiations will take place, the share of digital radio exceeds 50 percent. This evolution is of course highly dependent on how actively Flanders further promotes DAB+.

Pure has launched an innovative suite of new products for the iconic Evoke range that are built on Frontier’s leading Venice X platform, offering the benefits of SmartRadio to their customers. Every model of the new reimagined line is a SmartRadio device and therefore combines the reliability of FM and DAB+ with the choice and flexibility of streaming Internet Radio, Podcasts and Spotify Connect.

The association Digitalradio Österreich has a new managing director. Thomas Pöcheim, founding chairman of the platform in the past, took over the agenda of the operational management at the beginning of February. Together with the Management Board, he wants to continue on the path of increasing programme variety and market acceptance of DAB+ and the growing number of listeners.

In the German state of Saarland, the second transmitter for the state-wide DAB+ multiplex has gone into operation, with 16 private radio programmes. 70% of residents in Saarland can receive DAB+ programmes at home, and 80% have mobile reception.

The Council for Electronic Media (VEM) has awarded the first concessions for DAB+ digital radio in Croatia. The national concession was awarded to Nacional News Corporation and the concessions for northwestern Croatia and the City of Zagreb to Radio Tvornica and My Power Station. Nacional News Corporation is one of the most influential political weeklies in Croatia and they have six months from signing the contract to start broadcasting.

Bauer Media Audio is expanding its presence to Portugal. The UK-based company has acquired Media Capital Radios, the radio assets of Lisbon-based Media Capital Group. The move is part of Bauer's strategy to consolidate its authority as Europe's strongest commercial radio group, and in addition to a presence in the U.K., the group is also expanding into Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, as well as Slovakia, Ireland and Finland.

Radio is the most used medium in Germany, with almost 75 percent of daily use. The daily reach from Monday to Friday is more than 53 million people and the daily length of stay is more than four hours at 260 minutes. 92 percent of all households in Germany have at least one reception option. Digitisation is progressing steadily and 45 percent of German households already have a radio with digital reception and more than 46 million people in Germany also receive their radio programmes digitally.

TWR live has published detailed information on its website regarding the costs associated with access to the DAB+ platform. "The current time seems to us to be optimal for entering DAB. On the one hand, this platform is already widespread in the Czech Republic, on the other hand, it is still relatively easy to access (easy to obtain a license, free capacity on transmitters). We want to take advantage of the current opportunity, which may not be permanent."

The Slovak regulator has granted frequency allocations to Towercom for two new DAB+ transmitters. Public broadcaster Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS) aims to achieve similar coverage when medium wave is switched off. RTVS switched off a medium-wave transmitter in Rimavská Sobota at the end of January, with transmission from Nitra and Čižatice still in operation. "These are contractually bound until the end of 2022. We are considering their shutdown and partial replacement of DAB+ networks. For this reason, we are tentatively counting on investment in the DAB+ radio network", confirmed Stanislav Čačko, PR manager of RTVS.

Belgian regional radio station RBS started as an event radio around the music festival "Lokerse Feesten", and is now taking a new step in its growth, and since 1 February can also be heard via DAB+.