News

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson together with an invited audience at Leicester Square are celebrating digital radio in the Capital this morning. Guests at the gathering at Global’s HQ include Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, national press, Digital Radio UK and Global management. Londoners can receive up to 65 stations on DAB digital radio ranging from national stations such as Classic FM, LBC, BBC Radio 6 Music, Capital XTRA, Kiss and Absolute Radio, to local stations including language stations like Polish Radio London, Voice of Russia, French Radio London, Sunrise and Panjab, as well as specialist music and speech stations including Fun Kids, BFBS, Jazz FM and Gaydio, among many others. Much of London can also receive local DAB stations from the Home Counties.

London leads the world in digital radio with over 60 digital radio stations, the most of any major city in the world, it was announced today by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. The Mayor joined forces with Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, at the Global studios in London to celebrate the diversity of London digital stations and to announce the launch of 3 new London stations and a new national station. (Digital Radio UK)

Global Radio will launch a second Smooth branded station in the new year to complement Smooth Radio. The new sister station will play “Your Refreshing Music Mix” from December 27th, on the slot currently used by Smooth Radio on Digital One, at 80kbps in mono. Smooth Radio will continue to be broadcast on 38 local multiplexes, plus AM & FM, following its removal from Digital One.

A GfK report reveals that for the first time in Germany, revenue made from the sale of DAB+ portable radios exceeded that made from FM devices.

View Quest announced the launch of their new designer inspired website which reflects the brands ethos of Sound & Style with vivid product and lifestyle imagery. The innovative British DAB receiver manufacturer enjoys a growing reputation in the UK, Europe and increasingly worldwide, with this redesigned website an important step to continuing the rise of View Quest.

The tender for the regional DAB+ network in South West Netherlands has been won by station operator Broadcast Partners. The aim is that by May 1st 2015, the entire network is operational. The DAB+ network in South West Netherlands is the first of a total of five regional DAB+ networks to be rolled out in the Netherlands.

The version of Smooth Radio carried nationally on DAB radio multiplex Digital One is to be replaced by seasonal station Smooth Xmas on 15th November 2014, which in turn is to be replaced by a new service from 27th December.

At the 20th WorldDMB General Assembly in Rome, Fr Federico Lombardi, the Director of the Holy See Press Office spoke of his hopes to use DAB digital radio to extend the coverage of Radio Vaticana beyond Rome. Speaking to the audience, Lombardi said, "...it has become possible for us to extend coverage to most of the Italian territory... This is of course facilitated by the possibility of transmission multiplexing unlike in the past. We hope that rollout of the DAB technology continues to grow in many countries."

Eklipse Sports Radio is to be re-branded in January 2015 Following the sale of a majority shareholding to new investors including the owners of Hamilton Academicals FC by founding Director Spencer Pryor. The station, which broadcasts in Central Scotland on DAB digital radio, is to become RockSport from January 2015. 2.7 million listeners live in the station's DAB coverage area. The station first launched in DAB in May.

The East Midlands version of the easy listening station, which also broadcasts on FM 106.6 across the region and 101.4 around Derby, has until now only been carried on DAB digital radio via the Nottinghamshire local DAB service.