News

The ten trial Small Scale DAB multiplex operators have had their temporary licences extended till the end of 2021. The contracts were awarded by Ofcom five years ago to run for just nine months, but were extended a number of times, and were due to run out on March 31st 2020. But the regulator told the licence holders this month they will now be able to operate their multiplexes till December 31st, 2021.

BBC local radio is teaming up with manufacturers, retailers and a loneliness charity to offer free DAB radios to the most vulnerable people aged over 70. The initiative is part of the BBC’s Make A Difference campaign, which was launched in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. It is running across all 39 BBC local radio stations in England and is aimed at connecting communities. Nominations open on Monday 30 March.

Health Info Radio is taking a stand against the confusion created by the spread of inaccurate and downright misleading information about Covid-19. Produced as a public service by Southdown Media in London, the station offers a mix of updates on Covid-19 symptoms, myths, and social isolation rules, plus interviews designed to help listeners through the shutdown.

Germany's nationwide digital radio offering is set to become even more diverse in autumn 2020, when Antenne Deutschland launch the country's first national commercial DAB+ multiplex. The broadcasting center for the multiplex is set be decided between Berlin and Munich in the near future.

Britain’s biggest telecoms companies including BT, Sky, O2, Vodafone and Virgin Media have put their rivalries aside to launch a national campaign to tell the public how to manage the surge in internet and mobile phone usage and reduce congestion on networks as millions are confined to their homes.

In Vienna, DAB+ is being used to broadcast announcement loops with crucial information related to the spread of Covid-19. In addition to the announcement loop in German, there are also information channels in English, Turkish, Romanian and an Emergency Warning Functionality“ (EWF) station broadcasting in Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian.

In light of the recent developments regarding the spread of the Covid-19 virus, Germany's commercial radio station Schwarzwaldradio has announced the launch of the first nationwide game night on DAB+ radio. Kicking off at 8pm on Friday 27 March, Schwarzwaldradio is hoping to use this programme to provide some distraction and entertain Germans currently confined to their homes.

AirCheck has expanded its coverage of digital radio to include all major stations, due to client demand. The addition of a further 29 DAB+ stations completes AirCheck’s digital radio offering. AirCheck’s market coverage now comprises 137 radio stations including 80 DAB+ stations.

The DAB+ offering in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, continues to diversify with the launch of Yesterdayland Radio. The radio station, which was named after the annual retro festival Bobbejaanland, had already expressed interest in broadcasting in DAB+ in the summer of 2019.

A new DAB+ trial has gone on air in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia. Launched on 20 March 2020, the trial is operated by Digital Audio Bulgaria.