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Advertising revenues from NRW local radio will slump even more, predicts a new Goldmedia Consulting study. Prof. Dr. Klaus Goldhammer presented the study "Economic potential of DAB+ regional broadcasting in NRW" to the Media Commission of the State Media Authority NRW (LfM NRW) on 24 March. Radio revenues could fall less drastically if local radio were broadcast via DAB+, Goldhammer explains. Over a 10-year period, advertising revenues on FM halve and shift to DAB+. "We are running out of time," warns Dr. Tobias Schmid, Director of LfM NRW.

With immediate effect, another DAB+ programming package will complement the new statewide DAB+ platform launched just a few days ago. Since 27 March, nine new radio stations have been receivable via DAB+ throughout Saxony. From 3 April, additional regional multiplexes will be added in Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig. In Chemnitz and Dresden, there are 13 new stations on DAB+, and in Leipzig, 11. "We are proud to bring further diversity to the digital radio landscape with the new regional muxes," says Franz Coriand, managing director of platform operator DIVICON. This means that in Saxony, depending on the region, up to 70 local, regional, state and national stations from private and public broadcasters can now be received on DAB+.

Digital terrestrial radio makes its debut in Brittany. In Rennes and its surroundings, 13 radio stations are now available in DAB+. Radio Laser was looking forward to it. It is now a reality. Since 28 March the small radio station, based in Guichen, 25 km from Rennes, has been using DAB+ technology to broadcast its programmes. "We're in the short news cycle, so it's important for us to make ourselves known, and DAB+ is a new way for people to listen to us," says Sylvain Delfau, the director of Radio Laser.

Mimit's Directorate-General for Electronic Communication, Broadcasting and Postal Services [Direzione generale per i servizi di comunicazione elettronica, di radiodiffusione e postali / DGscerp] published today the final guidelines on procedures for assigning rights of use for DAB+ local area networks. Aeranti-Corallo coordinator Marco Rossignoli stated that "this is a very important step for the orderly development of digital radio broadcasting, which enhances the role of local radio publishers." "Finally," said Rossignoli, "local broadcasters will be able to move from the experimental phase in a few limited geographical areas to full-scale broadcasting throughout the country, thus achieving a presence in the digital radio market similar to that of the analogue market, where local radio has over 19 million listeners on an average day, with five regions where the most listened to radio station is a local radio station" (Radio Ter average day data 2022).

The final Guidelines for the procedures for the allocation of usage rights to DAB+ consortia owned by licensees for local radio broadcasting have been published by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy. In addition to the Final Guidelines on the criteria and methods that will be adopted to proceed with the allocation of rights of use to local network operators for the DAB+ service, the document containing the summary of the contributions of the participants in the national public consultation, carried out on the version of the guidelines published on 13 December 2022, with the Ministry's evaluations was also published.

ROCK ANTENNE Hamburg is expanding its transmission area via DAB+ to include the whole of Schleswig-Holstein from April in order to reach more listeners. Managing Director Matthias Schneekloth explains: “ROCK ANTENNE Hamburg has always been firmly connected to the “True North” and its neighbors in Schleswig-Holstein. We are already reporting in our news and in the service sections such as weather or event tips for Schleswig-Holstein. We will continue to expand this reporting and expand our broadcasting range for the entire federal state with the digital radio standard DAB+.”

On Thursday 30 March, Évasion announced its arrival in the city of Troyes in Aube. Thanks to DAB+ technology, Évasion promises to broadcast a varied programme made up of news, service info and games. Évasion is already propelling its DAB+ broadcasts in Aisne (in Saint-Quentin), in Île-de-France (in Paris), in Seine-Maritime (in Le Havre and Rouen) and in the Somme (in Abbeville and Amiens).

DIVICON MEDIA, a nationwide service provider and operator of numerous radio networks in the private and public sector, will be putting three new DAB+ regions around the most populous cities in Saxony, Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig, into operation from 3 April, from 10 a.m. This means that more than 30 additional stations can be received in Saxony via the growing DAB+ distribution channel (see ma 2023 Audio I).

General Motors plans to phase out widely-used Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies that allow drivers to bypass a vehicle's infotainment systems, shifting instead to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google for future electric vehicles. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems allow users to mirror their smartphone screens in a vehicle's dashboard display. GM's decision to stop offering those systems in future electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, could help the automaker capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.

The Czech Telecommunications Authority received comments on the planned auction of frequencies for nationwide and regional digital radio networks. It acknowledged part of the objections and will adjust the procurement documentation accordingly. One of the objections concerned the requirement to cover at least 80 percent of the population of the given territory with a regional network signal within two years. The authority partially acknowledged that it was too strict. "For regional allocations, the plan is to loosen the required coverage over time," it said.