News

President Miloš Zeman has signed an amendment to the Electronic Communications Act, which opens the way for Czech Radio to its own DAB+ digital network. As Jiří Duchač from the Czech Telecommunications Office stated at the Digimedia 2021 conference, the regulator would like to allocate two nationwide and probably two regional DAB + networks next year. This will be preceded by a public consultation. International frequency coordination must also be completed, especially in Slovakia.

Eduardo Montefusco, President of RDS and of the DAB Italia consortium said in a recent interview: “I often hear that DAB+ is the future of radio while it is already the present of the evolution of radio. DAB+ is a revolution in progress, which already covers 83% of the Italian population for outdoor and mobile reception, especially by car. Today we know that DAB+ is in almost 8,100,000 car receivers which will probably exceed the 9 million mark at the end of the year."

Public broadcaster MDR has expanded its DAB+ transmitter network to further improve DAB+ coverage in the region. The expansion improves digital radio reception in buildings for around 85,000 households in the region - mobile reception in the area is already at around 99 percent.

LGBTQ+ station Gorgeous Radio, established in Wolverhampton, England, has launched in Ireland using DAB+. The service is now part of the line-up on FreeDAB, heard in some of the major cities across the Republic. FreeDAB is currently the only service offering space on a DAB multiplex and carries a number of stations including Dublin’s ABC, Fusion Radio, Shine, Release DAB, Angel Vintage, Kream DAB, Juice and Fire Radio. The mux launched in 2019 but was raided by the Garda in 2020 when it fell silent. It has since resumed broadcasting.

The Q3 issue of the ABU's Technical Review includes a feature on the DAB adoption process, outlining the formal steps required, including legislation that supports licensing of the use of radio frequency spectrum. The article discusses the roles of the various stakeholders in the adoption process, including Regulators, broadcasters and network and transmission providers, noting that each country has its own preferences. Also outlined are the activities which need to be undertaken including the formation of industry bodies and committees, business case analysis, licensing options and public consultations.

Nicki Shields is the host of the BBC’s FIA Formula E Championship – the electric street racing series – and the anchor for several shows across CNN. This year’s WorldDAB Summit on Nov. 9, 2021 is a live, online event from 10:00-15:00 CET. Part of the line-up includes the findings of a significant piece of global research commissioned by WorldDAB and carried out by Edison Research on what consumers want from their car radio.

Industry body Commercial Radio Australia has welcomed news that Volkswagen Australia has added DAB+ digital radio across most of its model year 2022 vehicle range, including its updated T-Cross SUV and Golf. All Volkswagen passenger and commercial vehicles in Australia will offer DAB+ with the exception of the base model grades of its van and ute range. CRA chief executive officer Joan Warner welcomed the news and said: “The number of new vehicles sold with DAB+ was up by 25% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. This is good news for radio listeners who will benefit from the extra station choice, reliability and ease of use of digital technology.”

The commercial radio sector’s long-standing leader has advised the peak body’s board of her plans to step down early next year, and the recruitment process is now underway for a new CEO. Grant Blackley, chair of CRA, paid tribute to Warner’s “substantial and meaningful impact” on CRA over the past 20 years. “This has included expert policy and regulatory management, a drive to innovate trading and advance the sector’s digital posture, while continually maintaining a focus on the marketing and promotion of the industry to the benefit of members and key stakeholders.”

Digris, a Swiss company that specialises in small-scale DAB, has created a UK business to apply for multiplex licences there. Says Digris: "This distribution concept, known as small-scale DAB, has now established itself throughout Europe. The company’s cost-oriented approach is favourable to media diversity and an open information society. Digris is also a network operator and operates small-scale DAB+ networks as both single-frequency and multifrequency networks in Switzerland and France since 2014."

UK's Ofcom has published the applications received to operate small-scale radio multiplexes in North West England and North East Wales. A total of 30 applications were received for 18 of the areas advertised in Round Two.