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Austria's most successful furniture retailer launches its own radio station from 21 June 2024. XXXLutz - The radio will be available on DAB+ throughout Austria. The new XXXLutz radio station will be available on all digital playout channels (DAB radios, smartphones, tablets, etc.) at home and on the move. There will also be a dedicated app as well as various social media appearances and a website. "XXXLutz - Das Radio will be a feel-good format focussing on joie de vivre, entertainment, trends and lots of cool sounds. We are thus taking another innovative step and want to give Austrians a great attitude to life, especially within their own four walls," says XXXLutz company spokesperson Thomas Saliger.

Six billion euros in group turnover, 27,000 employees, locations in 13 EU countries: The XXXLutz Group is the furniture retailer with the highest turnover in Austria and is the fifth largest furniture retailer worldwide (Statista 2024). Now the company is taking a completely new approach: from June, the company's own DAB+ radio programme will go on air. "XXXLutz's DAB+ radio programme has nothing to do with a store radio station," said Thomas Saliger, Group spokesman for the furniture giant. "When the new licences were put out to tender, it was clear from the outset that if we were going to operate a radio station, we really wanted to take it seriously. We don't want to broadcast Lutz trailers 24 hours a day and celebrate the Putz family, but if we do, then we want to focus intensively on a product that customers should listen to and love."

Among the 28 radios that will be launched in Austria via DAB+ on 21 June is a well-known name from the Austrian media landscape. Oberösterreichische Nachrichten is expanding its portfolio to include the radio station "OÖNow". For Managing Director Gino Cuturi, this is a logical step: "We started a long time ago to focus on the topic of online in addition to print. This also includes moving images and therefore sound, and we are continuing this with the new station." In addition to content formats, they also want to offer a wide range of music, whereby they want to be more in-depth than others. The target group is primarily Upper Austrians, even if the radio can be received nationwide. In terms of content, the aim is to continue topics that are also discussed in the daily newspaper.

ORS is responsible for the Austria-wide expansion and distribution of digital radio programmes. To this end, ORS operates a nationwide DAB+ multiplex, via which a total of 58 digital radio stations will be broadcast from today, 21 June 2024. With the DAB+ network, ORS reaches around 83% of the Austrian population both nationally and regionally. medianet asked ORS Managing Director Michael Wagenhofer for an interview. "DAB+ is broadcast by the ORS group across Austria from a total of 15 locations," said Wagenhofer. "With the new location at Hauser Kaibling, we are now broadcasting 30 radio programmes nationwide with a population reach of 84 percent. And for the new radio programmes, which are broadcast regionally, the ORS group has established five new coverage areas in recent months. The total number of DAB+ stations we serve will rise to 58 by the end of June."

ANTENNE VORARLBERG, the leading radio station among 14-49-year-old listeners in Vorarlberg, has expanded its digital portfolio by integrating new stations via the digital radio standard DAB+. From 21 June, the channels ANTENNE VORARLBERG Partymix and the newly launched 80s90s MEGAMIX will be available in addition to the main station. Mario Mally, Managing Director of ANTENNE VORARLBERG, emphasises: "Our new DAB+ stations are a direct response to the wishes of our listeners and offer advertisers innovative platforms to reach their target groups effectively. These additional offerings improve our music and information portfolio with great sound quality and confirm our position as a future-orientated station.

7 o'clock sharp in the morning. The very first sounds of ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!", a party atmosphere is created in the brand new broadcasting studio. A disco ball spins on the ceiling - and will do so in future with every ABBA song that comes out of the speakers in the NOSTALGIE studio. The entire team, which has invested a lot of heart and soul and radio expertise in recent months, has come together to celebrate the start of a new era: NOSTALGIE is going on air in Austria, bringing a breath of fresh air to the radio landscape. "NOSTALGIE is modern, international and innovative - a radio programme that sets new standards in Austria. Our unique & innovative programme design, as well as the many great programme ideas, will provide our future listeners with many entertaining hours every day," says Flo Berger, Channel Manager of NOSTALGIE in Austria.

Austria's radio market offers enormous diversity. From tomorrow (21 June), a further 28 private radio stations will be added via DAB+. This will give listeners even more choice than before. There is something for every taste: from pop to classical, from rock to lounge, from pop to dance. Corinna Drumm, Managing Director of the Association of Austrian Private Broadcasters, is celebrating the biggest launch of private radio stations since 1998: "A quarter of a century ago, private radio stations brought diversity and more colour to Austria's radio market and have been continuously expanding their range ever since. Now comes the next really big step: with the 28 new stations, the offering for listeners is being greatly expanded once again. That's great!"

As more than 300 executives from the automotive and broadcasting industries gathered in Prague to discuss the global future of radio in vehicles, WorldDAB President Jacqueline Bierhorst emphasized the “relentless” nature of radio and how it must be preserved. Bierhorst commented, “We all have to pull together to ensure that [radio] remains at the heart of the dashboard, in the best quality possible.” US broadcasters have spent the past year fighting for AM radio in Washington, DC, with those efforts mirrored abroad. While electric vehicle manufacturers efforts to remove over-the-air radio, the medium maintains a significant share of in-car audio consumption, recognized for its reliability and critical role during emergencies.

From 20 June to 1 August 2024, local commercial broadcasters can apply for a licence for local digital radio. There are still 815 licences available for these broadcasters, spread across 57 areas (allotments) throughout the Netherlands. Digital radio is growing rapidly in popularity and offers many opportunities. With a licence for local digital radio, broadcasters can use DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and expand their reach. That there is a lot of enthusiasm for local digital radio was shown earlier this year during the application period for local public radio. Indeed, in February, more than 200 local public broadcasters received a licence for DAB+. Local commercial broadcasters can apply for local digital radio (DAB+) licences from 20 June 2024 until 1 August 2024.

This Friday, 28 mostly new radio channels will go on air in Austria. Four of these are new programmes from Kronehit, which are as far removed from the parent programme as possible: "Radio Rot Weiß Rot", for example, is dedicated entirely to Austropop, from Ambros to Wanda, Bilgeri to RAF Camora; "Pirate Radio" alternative rock and pop. The responsible programme director Dani Linzer explains what the audience can expect from Friday. Kronehit will be launching two new national radio programmes and two regional ones for Eastern Austria on Friday, when a total of 28 stations will go on air, most of them new to the DAB+ digital radio standard. The programming is "deliberately more niche", also more niche than competitors, says Linzer.