News

The latest results of the Radioprojekt listenership survey for the first half of 2023 showed that listening on DAB+ receivers and DAB+ car radios has increased, with 17% of people using this technology. At the same time last year, 14% were using DAB+, and by 2021, 11% of listeners claimed to be using DAB+. DAB+ now has a comparable position to listening to radio on mobile phones (also 17%) or on computers (16%). Of those who can listen to DAB+, 40% listen daily and 28% listen several times a week. On average, DAB+ listeners listen to radio for ten minutes longer than owners of conventional receivers.

In the first of our series of short interviews with WorldDAB members exhibiting at IBC2023, Hermann Zensen, Head of Sales and Marketing at DIGIDIA says they'll be showing the FlexiDAB multi multiplexer and multi-encoder.

Since 4 August 2023, France Bleu Normandie Seine-Maritime et Eure has had its distribution channels extended with the commissioning of two new DAB+ transmitters. The station can now be received on DAB+ digital radio by just over one million people. On 1 August, France Bleu Isère's DAB+ coverage was also extended to the Rhône and Ain regions with the commissioning of two new DAB+ transmitters.

The Radio and Television Corporation has launched the third generation of radio broadcasting, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+), to provide media services that keep pace with modern technological development. The Radio and Television Corporation is expanding the use of digital broadcasting to increase the number of broadcasts by using only one transmitter instead of 16, which opens the way for broadcasting new licensed services, and it is also preparing to increase digital broadcasting areas by around 44 digital frequencies after launching three frequencies in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.

The digitisation of radio reception is progressing steadily. According to the current CE industry compass by ZVEI and Deutsche TV-Plattform in cooperation with GfK, for the first time in the history of radio in Germany, more than half of the radio devices sold are digital and receive DAB+ (1st HY 2023: 52 percent or 0.5 million units). This represents an increase of nine percentage points since 2019. Since 2010, a total of around 16 million DAB+ radio devices (all radio categories) have been sold.

The Saudi Broadcasting Authority announced on 7 August the launch of the third generation of radio broadcasting, digital audio broadcasting, and the inauguration of the Radio and Television Corp. Training Academy. Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthy, CEO of the Radio and Television Corp., said that the technical team was “keen to develop the digital radio broadcasting service so that the Kingdom would be among the first countries to activate the DAB+ technology.” Digital broadcasts offer several advantages over traditional AM and FM radio, providing more broadcasts on the same frequency, requiring fewer operating costs and offering a 35 percent increase in coverage area. The Radio and Television Corp. said it is expanding the use of digital broadcast areas by about 44 digital frequencies after launching three frequencies in Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah.

His Excellency the Minister of Information, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Radio and Television Corporation, Mr. Salman bin Yousef Al-Dosari, will inaugurate on 7 August the Radio and Television Corporation's Training Academy, in addition to launching the DAB+ digital radio broadcasting service. The CEO of the Radio and Television Corporation stated that the technical team was keen to work to develop the digital radio broadcasting service so that the Kingdom would be among the first countries to activate the DAB+ technology, which will contribute to providing high quality sound and crystal-clear reception, which also contributes to improving the experience of listeners. This technology will also help in exchanging data and reducing operational costs and electricity consumption. and energy.

The terrestrial DAB+ networks are still being built. New transmitters are about to be switched on in several federal states. We summarise all the news. The DAB+ network of private stations in Baden-Württemberg (channel 11B) is to be further expanded by four locations. Südwestrundfunk (SWR) also wants to expand its network.

rbb is continuing its DAB+ network expansion and has put another DAB+ transmitter on channel 10B into operation at the Forst location. The new transmitter closes a coverage gap in south-eastern Brandenburg. Since 1 August 2023, all rbb radio and the COSMO station can be received digitally via an aerial in the best quality. In the coming years, further small transmitters are planned to close the remaining white spots in Brandenburg's digital radio coverage.

Germany’s broadcast regulator — Der Kommission für Zulassung und Aufsicht (ZAK) — has issued radio SAW, a private radio station covering the north-central state of Saxony-Anhalt a DAB license that effectively allows it to “poach” in neighboring states. As Saxony-Anhalt’s first private radio station, dating back to 1992, radio SAW is an established FM brand. Its programming already reaches beyond the state’s borders courtesy of a powerful 100 kW transmitter on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz mountain range. The DAB+ license that ZAK issued radio SAW on 26 July officially allows the station to extend its reach via multiplexes in neighboring states.