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Swiss Federal Councillor Albert Rösti will propose to the full Federal Council a "final" extension of the current FM broadcasting licences until the end of 2026. On 13 July, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) informed the radio associations of this proposal, pointing out that some broadcasters had experienced local and regional problems in recent months that required individual solutions. "OFCOM is currently examining the possibility of extending FM radio licences until 2026 and will prepare an amendment to the corresponding legislation for this purpose", explained OFCOM spokesman Francis Meier. The Federal Council will probably decide by the end of 2023 whether it wishes to approve this extension, he added.

According to ma 2023 Audio II, 52 million people use radio services daily (Mon.-Fri.). In the most recent study published by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (agma), DAB+ radio has maintained steady growth: DAB+ is listened to by 28.6 per cent (ma 2023 Audio I: 28.5 per cent) in the segment of the widest listener group (WHK) and is especially used in the target group of 30- to 59-year-olds (WHK: 33.6 per cent - ma 2023 Audio I: 32.0 per cent). According to the study, it is particularly the radio stations broadcast nationally via DAB+ that are recording significant increases in listener numbers.

Discover the latest trends in radio audiences. The EBU's annual radio audience report presents the latest figures for listening times, reach and public service media market share across Europe. How many minutes of radio do European citizens – and especially young people – listen to each week? How has radio listening time evolved over the past 5 years? What market share do public service media achieve among young listeners? And more...

On 13 July, the official starting signal for Antenne Schlager was given in Hanover. From now, the station, which is hosted by Antenne Niedersachsen GmbH & Co. KG can be received by 10.6 million people in Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Bremen via DAB+ and online. Programme director Benni Kostal said: "We want to make sure that listeners can simply forget their everyday worries and play all the current Schlager hits for them, plus their favourite cult hits - with crystal-clear digital sound via DAB+ throughout Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Bremen and online everywhere."

Operation of the state-wide private DAB+ platform in Lower Saxony started on 13 July. From now on, listeners can receive 18 different private radio programmes in ten distribution areas in Lower Saxony via DAB+. Now, among others, Antenne Niedersachsen, radio ffn, Radio 21, Radio Nordseewelle and Radio Osnabrück can be received via DAB+ in various regions of Lower Saxony. "The launch of the private DAB+ platform in Lower Saxony is a milestone for the radio landscape in Lower Saxony: DAB+ enables the broadcasting of a large number of programmes, and does so in a resource-saving manner with a regional focus," said Prof. Christian Krebs, Director of the Lower Saxony State Media Authority (NLM).

While 96% of new cars sold in the European Union are equipped with DAB+, this technology is also continuing to be rolled out in France and its regions, and by this summer will cover 50% of the French population. Following on from Bayonne, Metz and Nancy, listeners in Clermont-Ferrand will now be able to tune in to Ado and Oüi FM. In a few days' time, listeners in Rennes will also be able to tune in to Oüi FM with digital audio quality.

On Thursday 13 July, TDF launched a transmitter at Saint-Barthélemy d'Anjou (Maine-et-Loire) to broadcast digital radio. Thirteen radio stations will be brought into service. The service area covers the Angers conurbation. To enable these radios to be broadcast in DAB+, TDF teams have installed new technical facilities. The work involved installing new antenna systems, multiplexing cells and associated transmitters at the broadcast sites. Infrastructure adaptation work was also carried out.

There are still places available to attend next week's joint WorldDAB, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union and Arab States Broadcasting Union virtual workshop "New developments in DAB+ systems" consisting of three 1.5 hour sessions taking place over three consecutive days 18-20 July. This technical workshop will provide broadcasters and media professionals with an update on the latest DAB+ developments. Day 1 will focus on the business case, standards updates including for emergency warnings. Day 2 will look at getting started with DAB+, system features and implementation options. Day 3 looks at DAB+ network design including so-called "small-scale" DAB+. Each session will include panel discussions and audience Q&A.

Megan Lazovick, Vice President of Edison Research, presented the key findings of the new research study "Dashboard Dialogue" at WorldDAB Automotive 2023 held in Paris on 15 June. The study sheds light on the significance of radio in the modern automotive landscape revealing that radio is the top choice for audio in cars, as 91% of recent and prospective car buyers recognize the importance of having DAB/DAB+ or FM radio in their vehicles. Radio is the most listened-to audio platform in the car, with drivers saying radio is an integral part of the in-car experience, and car buyers expect broadcast radio to be standard in their next new car.

The generic initiative Radiozentrale has expanded its membership to include the radio station TOGGO Radio, broadcast on DAB+ radio throughout Germany, and the marketer RAUDIO.BIZ, whose focus is on new audio and data-driven audio advertising. A total of 83 public and private radio stations and companies in the radio industry are now merging under the umbrella of Radiozentrale. Radiozentrale sees itself as a joint platform for public and private radio stations as well as related companies in the radio industry and has set itself the goal of positioning the medium of radio and providing comprehensive information about the (advertising) medium of radio.