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A three-month experiment in Brighton has proved that Digital Audio Broadcasting can be cheap and easy to transmit, opening the way to community and local stations – and perhaps a pirate or two. The experiment was carried out by Ofcom broadcast specialist Rashid Mustapha, though in his own time and at his expense. Despite that, the regulator has decided to publish the results as a demonstration that low-power DAB broadcasting can be done at very low cost, and without interfering with existing services.

An experimental DAB multiplex was set up in central Brighton between 14 September 2012 and 27 January 2013, using open-source software to transmit DAB signals, rather than the hardware used for larger scale radio transmissions. The results of this trial successfully demonstrated that it is feasible to deliver DAB in small areas at much lower cost than currently required for equipment to deliver wide-area coverage.

DAB listening hours have reached a record 246 million, up 18 percent year on year, representing two thirds of all digital listening hours.

MG 3 now include DAB as standard in all models bar the entry-level range.

The Volkswagen Tiguan Match now features additional equipment which includes navigation, park sensors, iPhone connectivity and DAB.

A whole new tier of small-scale radio stations could be launched on DAB digital radio, new research from Ofcom suggests.

Ofcom has today published a research paper investigating the potential of small-scale Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) transmissions using new lower-cost software defined radio technologies.

Pure has introduced the Evoke F4, an FM/DAB/Internet radio with integrated Bluetooth.

Poland’s public radio broadcaster Polskie Radio will join the digital movement October 1st, said president Andrzej Siezieniewski. Ten national channels and two local channels will be available on DAB+ multiplexes in Warsaw and Katowice. “Today the cost of (receivers) in Western Europe is about €80 to €100,” he said. “As the digitization process unfolds, in three or four years, these prices should be around PLN 100 (about €25).”

DAB represents 24 percent of all radio listening hours, reaching 18.4 million U.K. adults weekly. DAB listening hours have reached 246 million, and 45.7 percent of the population now has a DAB digital radio.