News

More German listeners will be getting their radio through DAB, as a number of companies are expanding DAB offerings in different regions.

The digital switch over has led to fierce sales of DAB+ radios and adapters for cars at Elkjøp, the largest consumer electronics retailer in the Nordic region. The increase in sales of DAB+ products has been enormous across the different regions of Norway. From January 2017 to the present, the increase in demand for DAB+ car adapters is on average at 1000 percent, while DAB+ receiver sales have increased by 600 percent.

The top-spec Tekna models now come with Bose speakers, adaptive turning headlights and heated seats. You can also get more luxurious leather, in tan or cream, range-standard DAB radio, and a thicker, flat-bottomed steering wheel.

In a major upgrade to their existing Factum Radioscape DAB Head-end System, UPC, a Swiss cable network operator has deployed Factum Radioscape’s software as a multi-ensemble virtualised DAB+ head-end on one server for cable networks, including the migration from DAB to DAB+ audio encoding.

According to Kantar TNS 'official figures, 82 per cent of households across Norway have one or more DAB receiver. Also, people want the new channels - every day 1.2 million Norwegians listen to channels that would not exist without DAB.

Nicolas Curien, has confirmed that he CSA is looking to move into a higher gear with its strategy for the deployment of digital radio across France. The focus on the major cities of Paris, Marseille and Nice, has been extended out to Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon, with Rouen and Nantes having now put out the call for applications.

Bauer Media is launching another Magic pop-up service, with the addition of Magic Christmas this year. The station will broadcast on DAB radio across most of the UK via D1.

Standard spec includes: dual-zone air con, cruise control/speed limiter, front/rear park distance control, rear-view camera, auto rain/light sensors, drive modes, elec/folding mirrors, 7ins TFT cluster display, Connect 8.8ins 3D nav/infotainment system, 8 speakers, DAB radio; electric/heated sports seat/perforated leather inserts/side bolster support; gear-shift paddles on steering column, bi-xenon headlights/LED DLRS, dual tailpipes.

Onkyo revealed two new network stereo receivers at IFA in Berlin earlier this month. The TX-8220 and TX-8250, both have DAB+ and will be available from October 2017.

In the UK, the Minister of State for Digital, Matt Hancock MP, has said that all new radio receivers for sale in the country should include a DAB digital tuner. John Lewis, a large UK store group, has confirmed that it is planning to phase out the sale of analogue-only AM/FM portable radios from its stores and website.