News

The Occitanie region has been covered by the DAB+ radio network for several weeks now. This technology offers better sound quality, simplifies the search for stations and avoids interruptions in the car. It is also more environmentally friendly than the traditional FM band. "This is the first time in a long time that we have had space on the broadcasting bands," smiles Arcom's Hervé Godechot.

There has never been more radio in North Rhine-Westphalia. Now the next market expansion is on the horizon: The State Media Authority NRW is preparing the tender for an additional state-wide, regionalised DAB+ multiplex ("DAB+-Regio"). And you can help us to adapt this tender as well as possible to the needs of your industry. All radio broadcasters who are interested in broadcasting one or more radio stations via DAB+ in North Rhine-Westphalia are now invited to participate in Medienanstalt NRW's Call for Interest. The DAB+ Regio call for tender is planned for the fourth quarter of 2023.

Today, Thursday 9 March, TDF is making official the large-scale deployment of digital radio in the south-east of the Occitanie region, at its Montpellier-Bionne broadcasting site. In total, more than 60 digital radio services have been launched by TDF. In each of the urban areas of Montpellier, Nîmes and Perpignan, the population can receive up to 26 radio stations in digital DAB+ quality (grouped into two DAB+ multiplexes) via TDF transmitters. TDF is commissioning DAB+ broadcasting at its sites in Montpellier-Bionne (Hérault), Nîmes-Capitelles (Gard), Perpignan-Cabestany (Pyrénées-Orientales), Ille-sur-Têt (Pyrénées-Orientales) and Villefranche-de-Conflent (Pyrénées-Orientales).

Hervé Godechot, member of Arcom and chairman of the "Radio and digital audio" working group, took part on Thursday 9 March at the Montpellier-Bionne transmitter site in the press conference for the launch of digital terrestrial radio in Occitania organised by the operator TDF. "DAB+ is now rolling out an extended offer in Nîmes and, above all, is making a massive entry into the radio landscape in Montpellier, Perpignan and the surrounding area. Listeners in the region are joining the more than 45% of French people who can listen to digital terrestrial radio in mainland France. Arcom will continue to support the deployment of DAB+, which combines the best of both worlds: the quality of digital radio and the resilience and free access to FM radio," said Hervé Godechot, a member of Arcom's board.

After two years of virtual events, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s Digital Broadcasting Symposium is back in person from today, at The Royale Chulan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On the first day of the four-day event, over 150 delegates from the Asia Pacific region and beyond packed the room for the WorldDAB workshop: “Economics, Environment, Emergency – driving the case for DAB+.”

Registration is now open for WorldDAB Automotive 2023 in Paris on June 15. The event is from 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. CET at Maison de la Radio, Radio France, 116 avenue du Président Kennedy. It is also online. The event will allow attendees to discover the latest initiatives broadcasters and auto manufacturers are working on to enhance the radio listener’s experience in the car. Leading car brands and radio broadcasters will share their vision of the opportunities and challenges presented by connected cars and why DAB+ remains essential for radio’s future.

Radio Bremen is planning a third transmitter for DAB+ digital radio in addition to the existing sites in Bremen (Walle telecommunications tower) and Schiffdorf (for Bremerhaven). This is the result of an enquiry with the Federal Network Agency. The ensemble in channel 6D is also to go into operation at the NDR site in Steinkimmen in Lower Saxony. This would improve reception in northern districts such as Farge or Vegesack. Conversely, NDR has been using the Bremen-Walle site to broadcast its ensemble on channel 8D since 2021.

Radioplayer has launched in Luxembourg with mobile apps for all national RTL brands, public service radio 100,7 and Eldoradio. It brings the total number of countries in the Radioplayer partnership to 19, and follows the recent news that Finland, Greece and Cyprus have also launched.

Until now, to receive Radio Alliance Plus in Nîmes, you had to go to FM or connect to the website. From now on, this Protestant cultural radio association, like its cousins Lenga d'Oc (Occitan culture) and Aviva (Jewish culture), is present on DAB+, while remaining on the FM band. If DAB+ was adopted late in France, it is already very present in many European countries and could in the future relegate FM to the dustbin. Norway has already stopped using the FM band. "We had to seize this opportunity," say Redouane Es-Sbanti and Bruno Cécillon. "If we don't jump on the train, we'll stay on the platform."

On 16 February 2023, the Government issued a new decree amending the 2006 decree on the Fund to support local radio broadcasting (FSER). It introduces a new support for dual FM-DAB+ broadcasting. "The mechanism provides for the application of a coefficient for increasing the operating subsidy by 5%. The majority of eligible radio stations will receive a bonus of between €1,700 and €2,000, i.e. approximately one third of the costs of broadcasting on DAB+", the Confédération Nationale des Radios Associatives (CNRA) said.