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Ford Ennals, CEO, Digital Radio UK, said: “The launch of the Channel Islands digital radio network is great news for listeners as it brings over 20 further stations to the Channel Islands on DAB+ for the first time. Radio station brands such as Virgin Radio, Heart, Smooth, Capital and Nation are among the very best broadcasting in the UK, while local stations BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, Channel 103 and Island FM have their finger on the pulse of life on the Islands today. This is a great time for Islanders to buy a new digital radio or smart speaker to make sure they don’t miss a thing from the great new line up of stations now on air on digital radio in the Channel Islands.”

The Channel Islands has DAB digital radio from today following the launch of the new commercial multiplex from Nation Broadcasting. Over 20 radio stations are available, all broadcasting in DAB+, making it the first multiplex to launch without standard DAB services.

Around 30,000 people belong to the ROCK ANTENNE community in Austria: The daily range from Monday to Sunday has increased by 50% compared to the previous year. In the target group of 14 to 49 year olds there are 24,000 listeners (+41%).

Find out why WorldDAB Project Director Bernie O’Neill urges radio to pursue a multiplatform strategy with DAB+ as its digital backbone in an interview in RADIO WORLD's latest 'Trends in Digital Radio' e-book.

One thing remains clear; although internet connectivity is improving around the country, there simply isn’t enough access or bandwidth for everyone to move from FM onto streaming. We need something else and DAB+ is a viable candidate that shows great promise.

DAB+ launched in Germany on 1 August 2011 in Germany, providing a solution to the shortage of FM frequencies. From the original 27 radio transmitter towers, a digital transmitter network has been created in just 10 years with 149 radio towers throughout Germany. Up to 29 programs can now be received across Germany via DAB+. In addition, there are many regional and national public and private offers: with a total of 270 different programs available, 70 of which can be received exclusively via DAB+. Initially public broadcasters Deutschlandradio and ARD were the drivers of DAB+, but many well-known private broadcasters are also now relying on digital programme distribution.

From October, thanks to the activation of additional transmitters, the broadcasts of Polish Radio via the DAB+ standard will reach 80.1% of the population of Poland.

Wrightington Hospital Radio has recognised its community of interest goes beyond the hospitals themselves, as outpatient services have expanded significantly over the years. Small scale DAB gives them an opportunity to broadcast to their wider community and develop their service not least in the provision of positive health messaging.

A warning system developed by Fraunhofer IIS called EWF (Emergency Warning Functionality) for DAB+ digital radio devices could have warned people of disasters, even if the radio was switched off. If mobile internet fails, warning messages can no longer be received via smartphones.

42% of the population have access to DAB+ and more than a quarter listen to digital terrestrial radio on average from Monday to Friday. Compared to last year, access to DAB+ (+7.8%) and daily use (+6.1%) have increased significantly. Together with DAB+, digital listening via DAB+, internet, cable and satellite is now also at 42% (up 5%) with web radio in second place after DAB+ at 16.8%. FM listening fell to 58% (-8.8%).