News

Today (Wednesday 26 November) further transmitters for the Now Digital Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire multiplex were launched. The addition of Chepping Wycombe and Hemel Hempstead to the four existing transmitters will significantly improve the coverage of the local multiplex in High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Amersham, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Kings Langley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted, along with sections of the M25 and M40 motorways.

The industry Christmas radio campaign for digital radio kicks off this weekend on commercial radio and BBC Radio. The “If you love radio, give digital” heavyweight campaign will run on around 100 major national and local commercial radio stations from Friday 28 November. The campaign will encourage people to buy a digital radio for their loved ones for Christmas.

Germany radio director Dr. Willi Steul welcomed the clear commitment from the ARD for accelerated expansion of DAB+. At their meeting in Hanover, representatives of the ARD called on the legislature to create the conditions and increased incentives for switching from analogue to digital radio DAB+.

Digital radio will play a significant role in a Bavarian campaign to celebrate the Christmas season. A newly launched Digital Radio Germany marketing campaign in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg will feature on digital radio and will be supported by print and online advertising. Michael Reichert, Head of ARD Project Office Digital Radio, SWR said. "We want to draw attention to Digital Radio. Buoyed by latest GfK figures, digital radio is the largest driver of growth in the segment portable radios ". Press release (German) attached.

The Südwestrundfunk (the regional public service broadcaster of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate) continues expanding its DAB+ coverage: Over the next weeks, until the end of the year, new transmitter sites will be commissioned successively in the SWR network

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is likely to adopt digital audio broadcasting (DAB) technology for digital radio in Thailand. DAB technology is used for radio broadcasting in Australia and several European countries. DAB+ is the latest version, and a study by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said DAB+ was a realistic option for Thailand.

In car entertainment specialists Celsus have completed a successful first MECHANEX Show at Sandown Park – in the same week that the car digital radio tick mark was launched by Digital Radio UK (DRUK).

The requirements for a digital radio switchover in Norway have now been met, and Norway is now set for FM broadcasting to end in 2017... The number of nationwide radio stations on air has increased from 5 to 22, there are auto service centres offering to fit DAB radios in over half of Norway’s municipalities ... and the latest Gallup survey shows that 51% of listening to the radio is via DAB

Listeners in parts of North Wales will be able to receive five extra stations on DAB digital radio from December, when a new local multiplex serving the area is due to go live.

Gérard Larcher took a favourable stance towards DAB+ when he was a guest on the monthly radio political show, "L'Invité des Indés Radios – Metronews – LCI", saying that digital radio "can reach places that are difficult to cover using other technologies... Fear of competition is the real reason why some radios are not adopting DAB+, while competition has always been healthy for radio".