News

New dance music station Juice Radio is to extend its DAB coverage by joining the North Wales & West Cheshire DAB multiplex. The service launched in December across Blackpool and Leeds on small-scale multiplexes. Juice Radio is a new Dance & R&B format broadcasting from Preston in Lancashire playing a mix of “today’s dance music and yesterday’s biggest throwbacks”. Ste Owens, Station Manager for Juice, says: “With the small-scale multiplexes opening for new starter radio stations, an idea we had worked on for years finally has a chance to grow into a great station for the North West."

Under the Broadcasting Act, only two broadcasting licences can be held by one private radio operator. The amendment to the Act was intended to change this restriction from the analogue broadcasting era and open the way for future DAB+ networks to be filled. "The timing of the adoption of the necessary amendments to the Broadcasting Act depends on the manner in which the draft is submitted to the Chamber of Deputies. The specific procedure is currently under negotiation and in about a month we could provide information on further developments in this matter," Jana Malíková, spokesperson for the Culture Ministry, told Televizníweb.cz.

Teleko Příbram has included a hybrid RadioDNS function on its DAB+ multiplex, which combines traditional and internet reception. The company highlighted the news with a practical demonstration on Facebook. "Radio ZUN from the TELEKO DAB multiplex now supports RadioDNS functionality, which among other things enables DAB ⇔ WEBstreaming," the operator informed in a short post, which is accompanied by a practical demonstration in the form of a video. In it, interested parties can see the listening of the ZUN station and its transition between DAB+ digital radio broadcasting and Internet distribution. The function is implemented as an additional service for drivers.

From 19 January, TDF is starting to broadcast thirteen radio stations in DAB+ digital quality from its broadcasting sites in La Flèche (Sarthe) and Ceton (Orne): Alouette, Chante France, Clazz, Crooner Radio, Forever, France Bleu Maine, Radio FG, Radio Nova, Radio Orient, RCF Sarthe, Sud Radio, TSF Jazz and Vibration. These sites cover the population of Nogent-le-Rotrou (Eure-et-Loir), La Flèche and La Ferté-Bernard (Sarthe) as well as the A11 motorway for motorists equipped with DAB+ receivers. "I am delighted with the arrival of DAB+ on the extended Le Mans allotment, which is broadcast from the TDF sites in La Flèche and Ceton. TDF has had a strong local presence in the region for many years," said Karim El Naggar, Managing Director of TDF's Audiovisual BU.

WorldDAB’s spectrum and network implementation committee is hosting a seminar on signal distribution on March 9 in Geneva and online. There are many ways to transport the signal from the multiplex to the transmitter and different strategies to achieve reliability and redundancy. Each network operator tackles signal distribution differently. This seminar will look at the various methods used in several advanced DAB markets and should be particularly interesting to broadcasters, regulators, policymakers and professional equipment manufacturers. The March 9 seminar is from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. CET (8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. GMT) at the Genève meeting room at the EBU, Grand Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland and virtually on Zoom.

To celebrate the start of its DAB+ broadcasting in Amiens, French Christian radio station RCF Hauts-de-France is relocating its studios to the Maison Saint Jean-Baptiste, in the heart of the city, on Tuesday, Jan. 24 for a radio day, open to the public between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thanks to the opening of new DAB+ transmitters at the beginning of December, RCF Hauts-de-France now covers a population base of nearly 3 million inhabitants in the Hauts-de-France region. The inhabitants of the Somme and Saint-Quentin can now listen to a new regional radio station that broadcasts a programme covering political, economic, cultural, associative and religious news.

The general chamber of the Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media (VRM), the independent regulator of the Flemish audiovisual media, decided on 9 January 2023 to extend the local DAB+ pilot projects for a period of 3 years. Also, under certain conditions, a limited number of relay stations will also be allowed. On 1 February 2022, a local DAB+ pilot project started in each of the 5 Flemish provinces for a period of 1 year. 59 local radio broadcasters participated in these pilot projects, which is half of the Flemish local radio sector. The first year of local DAB+ broadcasting provided useful insights into how DAB+ broadcasting is realised in a semi-provincial transmission area, what coverage is achieved for it and how cooperation takes place within the pilot projects.

No Name Radio, the new channel 'powered by Rai' dedicated to a target audience of the young and very young, launched on air on 18 December. The station broadcasts on the DAB+ Rai multiplex and online. "The No Name Radio project was launched last spring with the aim of offering a digital radio to young people aged between 15 and 24 - a complex and challenging target," explains Roberto Sergio, director of Rai Radio. "Today we are ready to go. Our radio will be a digital environment in which we want young people to recognise themselves and help to grow."

Regiocast has taken over the slot previously operated by Sportradio Deutschland on the second DAB+ Bundesmux. The previous offering will be replaced by 90s90s Radio. Since its launch in 2016, 90s90s has been there for everyone who loves the music of the 90s and wants to rediscover it in the here and now: From 90s house to rock to boy bands. The station complements Regiocast's existing national DAB+ portfolio with brands such as Radio Bob! Deutschlands Rockradio, 80s80s Radio and Sunshine Live.

The UK continues its effective switch-off of the AM waveband. The station I knew as “Virgin 1215”, more latterly “Absolute Radio”, comes off AM this month in the UK. After working for Virgin for a number of years, it’s sad to see the AM signal go. In the same press release - the first station I worked behind a mixing desk for - the station I knew as Classic Gold West Yorkshire on 1278 and 1530, will also be turned off. No wonder, really: according to a government official, AM radio in the UK has about 2% of UK radio’s listening hours, yet costs 35% in electricity costs. It’s eye-wateringly expensive to be on AM if you look at the power costs.