News

The small-scale DAB multiplex for Derry/Londonderry will be launching soon and the operator is looking for more stations to join. Foyle DAB Ltd has been working behind the scenes and plans to have the multiplex up and running by the summer. Foyle DAB’s Manager, Richard Moore said: “We are getting very excited at this stage. it will be the first small-scale DAB service to be launched in Northern Ireland and we are delighted it is in the North West.

Under the new label "ZOUND1" , the first two offers from touricast GmbH in North Rhine-Westphalia are to start on May 2nd as web radios and via DAB+. The programs with the following working titles have already been announced at the end of October 2021 Feelgood Radio NRW (touricast GmbH) – Relaxed sound for that good feeling from the age of 40 With ENERWE HITRADIO, the ensemble's 16th program has also now been set. The offer of the organizer touricast is aimed at the younger target group of 14-35 years, who have their center of life in NRW.

On the website design-dein-radio.de everyone can now design a digital radio according to their taste. The project was developed in cooperation with Bayern Digital Radio and implemented by the company nexxoo Apps & Internet GmbH. The Online Radio Designer is available for design on both desktop and mobile devices and can be operated intuitively. Various colors, pens, emojis and the option to upload your own pictures are available, with no limits to imagination and creativity.

The European Radio Show is changing its name. It is now the Paris Radio Show. Like every year, the Paris Radio Show is free for professionals working in the Radio, Digital Audio or Podcast sectors. Whether you are a simple volunteer, technical director, artist, big boss or podcaster, the Paris Radio Show welcomes you and gives you access to the exhibitor area and conference sessions dedicated to the Radio, Music and Podcast sectors.

At the "DAB+ in Dialog 2022" event held yesterday in Berlin, federal and state governments reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work alongside public and private radio broadcasters and other market partners on the switch from FM to DAB+. Stefan Raue, Director-General of Deutschlandradio, said: "We need to agree on criteria that define the switchover from analogue to digital. Uniform criteria will give all market participants planning security, which in turn will create trust. This confidence enables the rapid digitization of radio."

Several DAB+ multiplexes have gone on air across several regions in France, in the Grenoble and Isère region, and including local muxes in Grenoble (158,000 inhabitants), Chambéry (59,000 inhabitants), Annecy (130,000 inhabitants) and Annemasse (36,000 inhabitants). In April, the expansion of the regional and local muxes in France is to continue with the conurbations of Orléans, Tours and Poitiers.

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.