News

Speaking at SIRTI's annual event, president Alain Liberty touched on the progress DAB+ has made over the past year in France, the invaluable support of independent radio stations - 71 of which currently broadcast in DAB+ - in helping drive DAB+ adoption, and how DAB+ is key to keeping the traditional broadcasting model alive.

Speaking at the annual independent radio union (SIRTI) meeting, Nicolas Curien welcomed the progress made by DAB+ in France over the past year, highlighting that the next priority for the CSA and its “nodes and arcs” strategy would be to make DAB+ available in smaller regions across France.

Norway opened the second day of the Radiodays Europe with a presentation titled: ‘Beyond FM – the new normal’, where Ole Jorgen Torvmark, who discussed Norway's successful transition to digital radio, was joined on stage by Arqiva’s Head of New Technology Simon Mason and Iso Reichsteiner, Project Manager of the DSO process in Switzerland.

More room is being made for local and regional channels on the band for DAB+ digital radio in the Netherlands following an agreement reached between the government and broadcasting sector. The change of frequency layers will take place in phases and be completed by 1 September 2022 at the latest.

Speaking at the annual event, the French regulator's new president, Roch-Olivier Maistre, expressed his support for DAB+ radio, highlighting the need to bring everyone together to educate consumers and promote DAB+ digital radio across the all platforms.

The NAB “Digital Radio Roll Out Around the World” session taking place on Sunday 7 April will feature Ole Jorgen Torvmark, who will touch on the latest figures on digital radio listening in Norway and the report released by WorldDAB this April, as well as Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner, who -ahead of the event - reiterated the importance of the EECC regulation for Europe and the development of DAB+ in the continent.

Austrian online consumer electronics portal ‘Futurezone’ has published an article aiming to inform Austrian consumers about DAB+. This article contains detailed information including which radio stations are starting to broadcast via DAB+ in April 2019, and the impact of EU legislation mandating digital radio in new cars from 2021.

DAB+ is continuing to win over new markets, convincing regulators and broadcasters alike that DAB+ digital radio is the future of radio. In Germany, 99% of motorways, and 85% of the population is covered by DAB+ signals. In Belgium, the organisation in charge of protecting consumers' rights has requested the withdrawal of FM-only devices. In Italy, RTL Club and Subasio XL have joined the national multiplex managed by EuroDAB Italia. Finally, DAB+ trials have also been announced for Belarus, Thailand and Vietnam.

Commercial radio is now broadcasting on DAB+ digital radio in Hobart, with three new DAB+ commercial stations now on air – KIX Country, Easy Hits and Triple M Classic Rock. Joan Warner, chief executive officer of industry body Commercial Radio Australia, said: “ They can enjoy the benefits of digital radio, including better sound quality and more station choice, listen to their favourite station and try some of the new stations on offer.”

The automotive manufacturer Audi was present at Radiodays Europe in Lausanne, showcasing RadioDNS technology and how it enables drivers to switch from DAB+ to FM to internet radio in a smooth and seamless way, enabling drivers to listen to their favourite radio stations while on the go.