News

Frisk Radio has launched on the newly commissioned Middlesbrough and Redcar small-scale DAB multiplex. Darlington-born DJ, Chris Bell, officially welcomed listeners across Middlesbrough, Stockton, and Redcar at 6pm on Friday 3rd November, with a “Retro Mini-Mix” – a nostalgic homage to a club night well known in the area. The station is now on four local multiplexes across the North East and will soon offer split ads for local businesses.

Cumulative listenership to radio was down across the capital cities, but DAB+ was up with youth station CADA the leader in Sydney and the other states enjoying a mix of 80s, 90s and smooth. This was the second survey for Disrupt Radio and Radio Maria in Sydney and Melbourne. Disrupt, which is based in Melbourne, dropped there but picked up 7000 new listeners in Sydney. Radio Maria, a devotional station also in Victoria, doubled its audience in Sydney and picked up 20K new ones in Melbourne.

Almost 100 years on since commercial radio launched in Australia, the number of listeners keeps climbing. “After 100 years of commercial radio in Australia, it is still a much-loved part of our everyday lives – with 12.2 million listeners,” said Ford Ennals, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio. “This survey has delivered excellent results for the growth of DAB and also shows that all audiences, young and old, love radio.” Survey 7 delivered a record high result for commercial DAB stations, with a 4.4% year on year increase of listeners aged 10+ to 2.9 million. “The digital radio revolution rolls on, with listeners turning into commercial DAB-only stations hitting a record high of almost 3 million listeners, and commercial radio streaming audiences at 3.1 million,” Mr Ennals said. “We are seeing younger audiences discovering commercial DAB-only stations, with the 10-24 demographic growing by 5.5% to a record high of 870,000.”

On T16 November, the heads of the independent local radio stations in Lessines (Ma Radio) and Ath (m@x FM) announced the commissioning of a DAB+ transmitter. The two radio stations have joined forces to form an ASBL, and took part in a call for projects from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation to obtain funding for technical investment.

Karel Zýka, Technical Director of Czech Radio, will be the Vice President of the international organisation WorldDAB for the next two years. The decision was made by the General Assembly of this international professional forum, which deals with the promotion, development and implementation of DAB+ radio technology. Karel Zýka has been a member of the steering committee of WorldDAB for eight years.

WorldDAB is part of a major industry effort to ensure radio’s place in the Android Automotive operating system. At the WorldDAB Summit 2023, held in Munich this past week, Joseph D’Angelo, SVP of broadcast radio for Xperi, and Gregor Pötzsch, product owner, radio at Volkswagen Group’s Cariad, spoke about radio’s position in Android Automotive’s latest release, and the journey to put it there.

Jacqueline Bierhorst has been elected as President of WorldDAB, the global industry forum for DAB+ digital radio. Bierhorst was previously the Vice President, and has represented Digital Radio Netherlands on the organisation’s Steering Board since 2015. She takes over from Patrick Hannon, who is stepping down after ten years in the role. The handover took place at the annual WorldDAB Summit, held this year in Munich, Germany. Speaking at the Summit, Bierhorst paid tribute to Hannon’s work as President. “His leadership, enthusiasm, and vision helped shape the course of WorldDAB for the past ten years. We have witnessed an exponential growth of DAB+ across the globe and how DAB+ is now included as standard in every new car in Europe and beyond.”

Mix 106.3’s Nigel Johnson has been given his own DAB+ called Nige!, where he can play what he likes with a promise of no commercials or James Reyne. AmplifyCBR have reassured listeners that this move doesn’t mean he’s leaving the breakfast show he hosts with Kristen Henry, it’s just more Nige, more often.

This Friday sees the launch of Estonia's first ever Ukrainian-language radio station. "DRUZI" is a new platform that bridges two cultures, allowing audiences to enjoy Estonian and Ukrainian music as well as providing news and information. With more than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees arriving in the country since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion last February, Estonia's Ukrainian diaspora has quadrupled. To listen, set up your car radio to digital DRUZI radio (DAB+).

On 13 November, the Ministry of Enterprise and Industry published the long-awaited remaining call for expressions of interest for the assignment of rights of use for planned networks in the local catchment areas to DAB+ network operators (Prov. Aut. Trento, Prov. Aut. Bolzano, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Abruzzo, Molise, Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria).