News

After multiple postponements, Switzerland’s FM switch off is planned for Dec. 31, 2024. The main reasons for the digital migration are to minimise operational costs and increase diversity through a more extensive frequency offer. DAB+ allows more radio stations to operate, which is currently difficult given the saturated FM band. Local radio stations can also broadcast over a much larger area than that limited by their FM signal. Moving completely away from FM will minimise costs for stations, which will no longer need to fund two broadcast technologies. In addition, digital broadcasting, whether via DAB+ or the internet, offers listeners better listening quality and associated services.

North Rhine-Westphalia could get another DAB+ digital radio multiplex. Plans to this effect emerge from the budget planning of Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) for 2023. In the "Financial Plan" chapter, "the withdrawals from the special reserve should enable investments in the amount of 6.5 million euros", among other things for the "construction of a 2nd DAB+ metropolitan area multiplex in North Rhine-Westphalia".

An early Christmas present: the Media Council of the Media Authority Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein (MA HSH) granted Radio Flensburg a licence at its December meeting. Radio Flensburg is now planning to launch in April 2023, broadcast via DAB+ as well as on the internet. "We are pleased that the media authority and state politicians have cleared the way for more media diversity," says Lutz Sonntag, Managing Director of Radio Flensburg.

International consulting, engineering and software provider P3 forms strategic partnership with podcast and radio station database Radioline. For P3’s Android Automotive OS platform “SPARQ”, Radioline is the perfect partner to ensure the best possible radio and podcast experience. “Radioline is seen by P3 as one of most stable Radio players in Android Automotive OS. We are happy to see Radioline in our deep customization SPARQ and being able to allow the driver to switch between classical radio to IP based Radio.” – Marius Mailat, P3 digital Services, Managing Director and CTO.

Arcom today appointed Sibyle Veil as President and Director General of Radio France for a second term. Sibyle Veil joined Radio France in the summer of 2015 as Deputy Director of Operations and Finance. She was appointed President and CEO of Radio France by the CSA (ex-ARCOM) on 12 April 2018 and took up her post on 16 April of the same year, becoming the first woman to be appointed to head Radio France since Michèle Cotta in 1981. She is now appointed for a new term at Radio France.

In this week's Serial of the Week, Editor Jaroslav Hoření will take you to the Czech Radio broadcasting hall at the Ještěd transmitter. We will explain how the broadcasting hall at Ještěd looks like, what is the coverage of Czech Radio Liberec, how to know that the new radio will play in perfect quality, and that the DAB+ format is the future of radio broadcasting.

This morning, Levira's DAB+ digital radio transmitter started operating at the Koeru transmitter mast, with its 300-metre-high antenna extending the digital radio test area from Tallinn to central Estonia. Levira, in cooperation with Duo Media Networks and Mediainvest Holdings, is testing DAB+, a digital radio service widely used in Europe. The first digital radio transmitter was launched at the Tallinn TV Tower on 28 November, and after Koeru, a DAB+ transmitter will start operating in the Haljala municipality of Pehka in early 2023.

POPradio, the local radio station from Pruszków, is now also available digitally on test multiplexes in Warsaw and Łódź. "On air, we encourage people to consider choosing equipment capable of receiving DAB+ when planning the purchase of a new radio," says Krzysztof Pietrzak, Member of the Management Board and Technical Director of POPradio.

On 20 December, the LMS station "La Musique Star" launched its DAB+ station in the south of France. In agreement with its broadcaster, Monaco Média Diffusion, the transmitting power of the transmitter located on the heights of Nice at Mont-Agel is 10KW. LMS Radio is positioned as a new commercial music radio station with a "Pop-Rock Emotion" format, making a diversion through the 80s and 90s as well as highlighting the new talents of the French "Pop-Rock Emotion" scene.

The Swedish Press, Radio and Television Authority (MPRT) has today - in two reports - presented its mission to the government on the conditions for commercial radio in the longer term. MPRT makes proposals for the future conditions for commercial radio and has mapped and analysed the development of digital radio in Europe and the market for digital radio in Sweden. The Authority believes that radio needs to be available on all platforms in order to be competitive in a digital media world. This gives radio the opportunity to develop content that suits the listener regardless of the platform the media consumer chooses to listen to. The Authority intends to announce additional space for digital commercial radio in 2023.