News

The big winner in the latest audience grab is Radio 4 Extra, the digital network formerly known as Radio 7, rebranded in 2011. It has posted 2.17 million listeners, an increase on last quarter and on this time last year. It is now the biggest digital-only station in the UK. Why?

Simon Kilby, head of marketplace at Bauer Media: The growth in digital opportunities for advertisers is flourishing with over half of all radio listeners owning a DAB digital radio (52%). Crucially, UK digital radio listeners are 19% more likely to notice adverts on the radio than the average UK adult.

Media Broadcast Gmbh continues its DAB digital radio transmitter network expansion which will see the the number of transmitter sites extend from 61 to 110 by 2016. In addition the power transmission power at selected transmitter sites will also increase.

20 years after the start of the dual broadcasting in Austria heralds Digital Radio, a new era of radio. On May 28, 2015, 14 programs begin broadcasting digitally in Greater Vienna. Thus the already tested international standard has now arrived in Austria.

Starting in June the Citycable customers will be the first in the country to be able to listen to digital radio DAB+ cable. A bouquet of 84 channels Radio Swiss and French will be available free for owners of supported hardware or adapter sold with Citycable.

BBC Radio 4 Extra is now the UK’s biggest digital-only radio station after adding more than half a million weekly listeners in the last 12 months. The comedy and drama station now has a reach of 2.17 million, up from 1.72m in Q4/14 and 1.66m in Q1/14. It’s the first time ever that Radio 4 Extra’s audience has gone above the 2m mark.

Citycable, the cable operator of the city of Lausanne in Switzerland, is completing its digital offer with more than 80 radio stations transmitted using DAB+ technology. It is the first known cable operator to use DAB+ on cable. DAB+ is usually used for terrestrial broadcasting but tests have shown that it works without problems on cable TV networks.

Digital Radio DAB + will start with 14 programs in Greater Vienna on May 28. The digital programs in Greater Vienna will include Radio Arabella, Radio RJ, Lounge FM and Radio Maria.

The BBC’s latest pop up digital radio station has launched, with BBC Radio 2 Eurovision on air until midnight Sunday night. It’s the second year the Radio 2 spin-off has appeared on DAB radios to broadcast build-up and coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, which this year is being held in Vienna.

Southern Cross Austereo has announced its country music station, The range, will now be heard on digital radio. The station, which plays "the biggest country hits from the nineties to today," is now available on DAB+ in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as well as on FM and via The Range website and app across Australia.