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According to the latest DAB+ update released by Commercial Radio Australia, the number of DAB+ digital radios in Australia increased by more than 930,000 last year, helping to boost average weekly audiences for digital-only radio stations to over two million, according to the latest. More than 4.21 million people, or 30% of the population aged 10 and over, listened to DAB+ digital radio each week in the five metro capital cities in 2018, up from 3.62 million in 2017.

The Bavarian State Center for New Media (BLM) has decided to enable the simultaneous digital distribution of local FM radio programs in the local DAB coverage area of ​​the Alpine foothills. The implementation is planned for July in the western part of the Alpine foothills, and 2020 for the eastern part, with Bavaria set to become first state to be able to offer the entire VHF radio service via DAB+.

The updated guidelines include a clearer direction to implement hybrid radio for a great digital radio user experience in connected cars with DAB, and clearer signposting to other research and guidance on features such as voice controls, logos, and DAB test routes. The detail of the design guidance has also been updated in several use cases to reflect feedback from car manufacturer partners.

According to the latest stats released by GfK, 4.2 million DAB+ receivers have been sold in Switzerland in the period leading up to 2018. In 2018, over 280.000 DAB+ receivers were sold, while over 300.000 cars sold Switzerland last year included DAB+.

According to the latest figures released in the EBU's Digital Radio report, this includes 395 public stations, 1020 commercial stations and 151 non-classified stations (non-profit stations, student radios, etc.). From the 1566 stations currently broadcasting in DAB+ throughout Europe, 339 stations have a national reach, 603 regional and 624 are local stations.

Just over a year after becoming the first country to complete its digital switchover, Norway remains at the centre of attention. In this article, WorldDAB reports on the current state of the radio industry in Norway, based on the keynote session of the Digital Radio Summit held at the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva, Switzerland.

Digitalisation is progressing faster and faster on the radio, with the total number of DAB+ devices in Germany having increased last year by more than 2 million, to nearly 12 million devices. The number of households equipped with DAB+ devices rose to 17 percent in 2018 (compared to 15.1 percent in 2017), meaning that more than one in every six households now has at least one DAB+ receiver.

The European Electronics Communication Code adopted by the EU at the end of 2018 mandates digital radio in cars by the end of 2020. While in theory, this directive could refer to DRM or HD Radio, it is assumed that this legislation refers to DAB+, the most commonly used form of digital radio in Europe. Many European countries are already operating DAB / DAB+ networks, although Norway is the only country to have entirely switched off its nation-wide FM network.

French broadcasting services operator towerCast is using All In Media’s Rapid software solution to power DAB+ visual services in France. AIM, which is part of the Xperi family of companies, is a supplier of smartphone apps and broadcast systems for the radio industry.

DAB+ has played a key part in the renaissance of radio. Digital listening in countries such as the UK, Italy and the Netherlands is already high enough to discuss a potential switch-off of the FM, while in Norway, the switch to DAB+ was completed in 2017, with Switzerland also planning to complete a digital switchover by 2024.