News

View Quest is announced as a speaker at the 20th WorldDMB General Assembly. Known as a global industry forum for digital radio, this prestigious event provides manufacturers across Europe with solutions and advice on all aspects of the digital switchover, licensing, technical trials, marketing and digital radio content.

The 20th WorldDMB General Assembly will take place this week in Rome, bringing together over one hundred delegates from Europe, Asia and Australia as well as the secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development with responsibility for Communications, Antonello Giacomelli and NRA Commissioner Antonio Martuscello. During this event the development of DAB+ digital radio and it's performance will be discussed. Topics will also include the automotive industry, where in Italy it has responded well by proposing this technology in about 120 models. The national operators who have launched the Digital Radio is the public broadcaster RAI and the Italian company Consortium Club DAB and EuroDAB grouping Radio Deejay, Radio Capital, m2o, Radical Radio, Radio Maria, RDS, R101, Radio 24, RTL Radio Italy Radio Padania and Vatican Radio . The service is particularly strong in South Tyrol where you can get 98 different programs and additional services such as warnings of civil protection.

Today and tomorrow, the WorldDMB Forum on Digital Radio will take place in Rome where more than a hundred delegates from Europe, Asia and Australia are expected to attend. The event brings together key stakeholders in the public and private radio broadcasting industry. (Daily Media)

Another 12 national-network DAB transmitters have been turned up in the U.K., bringing the total number to 278. This network now covers 95% of the U.K. population. The new transmitters are part of the plan to provide coverage to 97% of the U.K. population by 2015.

Germany’s public broadcasters are continuing the expansion of DAB+ coverage in their regions across that country. In Hesse, Hessischer Rundfunk is set to expand as a new transmitter at Hardberg will come on-air next summer. In the central part of the country, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk is on the verge of a major re-organisation of its DAB+ networks in Saxony, Sanksen-Anhalt, and Thuringia. In the southwest portion of Germany, Südwestrundfunk (SWR) is available via channel 8D in the south portion of the state and on 9D in the northeast portion.

Most people instinctively think that DAB is only for digital radio. In some ways they are right. But they are also forgetting many important possibilities. To think of DAB as solely an audio distribution method is like buying a Leatherman multi tool and then only using the knife or the pliers.

June statistics revealed that sales of digital radio in Italy have tripled. This is good news but the total number of sales is still small. Recent sales are optimistic and extending digital radio in Italy will be the focus of the upcoming WorldDMB General Assembly, which takes place in Rome.

The BBC has launched a further twelve national DAB transmitters bringing the total number of transmitters to 278 and covering more than 95% of the UK population. This is part of the current phase of their digital radio network expansion plan bringing a further 2 million people into the coverage area and increasing coverage from 93% to 97% by the end of 2015. The roll out is not only adding new areas into the coverage of the network but also improving reception for existing listeners in certain areas.

Radio operator Norkring has plans to bring a DAB+ network on air in Brussels. The network would be a trial with two stations in the Belgian capital to encourage commercial radio stations get interested in digital terrestrial radio.

In Hamburg the media authority MA HSH has granted the digital radio platform to Media Broadcast. This is nationwide for the first time an entire transmission capacity of a DAB+ radio has been awarded to a platform operator to broadcast private radio programs.