News

Commercial radio rivals Magic owner Bauer and TalkSport parent UTV Media have joined forces in a bid to succeed where Channel 4 failed with a joint application to run the second national digital radio multiplex. The radio groups have teamed up with transmission business Arqiva for their application for the licence to run the second nationwide digital audio broadcasting (DAB) platform, which will be home to around 10 new national radio services.

Arqiva, Bauer Radio and TalkSport owner UTV have come together to bid for a licence to launch a second DAB multiplex – the first having reached full capacity. The companies have formed a consortium to apply to regulator Ofcom, which first invited companies to apply for a licence for a new, national radio multiplex service earlier this month. A new radio multiplex would open up the capacity for 10 more digital radio stations.

1.67 million DAB radios receivers have been sold in Norway, and 45% of Norwegian households report having at least one DAB radio. 12% of households report having car DAB radio.

DAB network of local radio stations in Hedmark is expanded. You can now you listen to local radio Solor radio, Solor radio + and Elverum radio in Grue, Åsnes, Valer, Elverum, Rauland, Whitstable and Strange on digital radio.

Every day, 47% of Norwegian radio listen to a digital radio. This is an increase of 2% since the previous quarter, and means that 1,390,000 Norwegians use digital radio every day.

"This initiative is useful because it allows new radio equipment to receive different radio standards, which not only radio users, but also broadcasters, trade and industry would benefit Europe," said Willi Carpenter, CEO of New Wave.

In-car radio accounts for a large part of the daily European listening figures and the dashboard is changing. Apple's CarPlay, Google and Microsoft’s connected cars of the future, all have the power to disrupt radio's long-held captive audience.This session will focus on finding some answers and look at the steps that the industry need to take to ensure that radio maintains its leadership position for in-car entertainment. Read the session details in full.

This new German study, “Analysis of Radio Transmission in Bavaria Through DAB or LTE — Comparing the Costs of Supply” concludes “providing terrestrial radio exclusively via LTE would be around 40 times more costly than transmission via DAB .”

Aigner warns however: "We must ensure that the digital distribution DAB + will be significantly increased..."

Today, RAI announced the launch of three new DAB+ services: RAI WR6 will be dedicated to speech, while RAI WR7 and RAI WR8 will be host a selection of music from pop to rock.