News

A new report shows traffic and travel news remains relevant to radio listeners despite the growth of travel apps and websites. The survey shows that radio travel bulletins are the most widely used and most often used source of traffic and travel information, with reliability and accessibility being the key factors. The information was collected for GTN UK, gathering opinions from 2,000 listeners across the UK, along with additional smartphone surveys. When asked which sources of travel information comes to mind spontaneously, 49% said radio, whilst 12% mentioned Google Maps and 6% said social media.

DAB+ technology is gradually being rolled out in France. Every year, new transmitters are brought into service to provide ever finer coverage of the country. In total, 17 extended or local multiplexes are scheduled to start broadcasting in the summer of 2023. Once these transmitters are up and running, DAB+ will cover more than 50% of the population of mainland France. Every month, digital terrestrial radio (DAB+) passes new milestones in its rollout. Discover the list of digital radio stations authorised in June by Arcom in the local and extended allotments of Bayonne.

On 12 and 13 June, the final meeting of a working group of media regulatory and frequency planning institutions from seven countries in eastern Europe took place at the Hungarian media regulatory authority NMHH in Budapest with the ceremonial signing of an agreement on the use of DAB+ frequencies in the joint frequency planning area. Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Romania participated in the working group. The working agreement now concluded enables the administrations to tender for new or additional DAB+ multiplex coverage by agreeing on technical reference parameters for future DAB+ transmitter stations.

The Communications Authority Austria (KommAustria) is inviting tenders for DAB+ digital radio multiplexes. The media authority offers licences for a nationwide multiplex, which can also be regionalised, and several regional multiplexes, via each of which around 15 DAB+ stations can be broadcast. "Against the background of limited FM frequencies in Austria, DAB+ digital radio is an excellent opportunity to offer the population more audio media and opinion diversity in contemporary sound and reception quality," says Michael Ogris, Chairman of the media authority KommAustria.

On Friday 30 June TDF launched digital radio broadcasting in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region from its iconic site on La Rhune. Two multiplexes of thirteen digital-quality radio stations, for a total of twenty-six, went live. The area covered extends from the Basque coast to the gateway to the Landes region and a large part of the inland Basque country. Over the summer, digital radio broadcasting will be gradually extended across the region and into the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Chelmsford Digital Radio has been established to apply for the upcoming small-scale DAB multiplex for the area. The application is being managed by Martin Steers from Steers Media, along with Dean Kavanagh and with the support of Chelmsford Community Radio. Martin said: “It’s great that the area has the opportunity to have its own local DAB, and I’m really excited to hear new and existing stations start broadcasting across the area.”

The testing period for the DAB+ digital radio service, which started at the end of last year, is extended until 31 December 2023. Digital radio test transmitters are operating in the Tallinn TV Tower, in Koeru and in Pehka in Haljala Rural Municipality. Duo Media Networks has also installed test transmitters in Pärnu and Tartu. "The tests confirm that the new generation digital radio is much more advanced. Signal quality and availability in the planned coverage area sometimes even exceeded expectations. We intend to launch the transmitter on the Valgjärve mast in the autumn, fulfilling the initial plan to create a test opportunity for the entire Tallinn-Luhamaa route. One of the reasons for extending the testing period is listener interest and positive feedback - many people want to listen to digital radio in their cars, especially in summer," said Cristo Kaasan, Levira's Director of Technology and IT.

In its meeting on 27.06.2023, the Media Council of the Saxon State Media Authority (SLM) granted further broadcasting licences for the DAB+ local muxes in Chemnitz, Dresden and Freiberg. The respective licences are initially granted for a limited period of ten years. In addition to the local private multiplexes for the cities of Leipzig, Dresden, Chemnitz and Freiberg, Saxony also has a state-wide uniform private DAB+ multiplex and a DAB+ multiplex divided into three regions with different programme offerings. At present, including the nationwide offerings, approximately 70 private programmes are broadcast; in the future - after all multiplexes are switched on and all capacities are used - this number could be around 90.

From the 26th week of 2023, Dance Radio from the Active Media Group is part of the station offer of the České Radiokomunikací digital radio network. In the broadcaster's portfolio it complements the programmes Evropa 2, Frekvence 1, Rádio Bonton and Pigy rádio. The multiplex can be tuned in from three locations - Prague, Plzeň and Ostrava; the network does not broadcast in Brno. In the CRa DAB+ multiplex, not to be confused with the public Czech Radio network, Dance radio has replaced Radio Zet.

Car manufacturers have recently launched YouTube, TikTok, app stores and games to increase the choice of entertainment in addition to radio, podcast and music streaming services. As the world of infotainment changes and a myriad of content choices make their way into the dash, giving users exactly what they want when they want it, and in a safe and frictionless manner becomes paramount, writes Gereon Joachim, Xperi’s vice president of automotive sales and strategy for EMEA.