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Absolute Radio turns 15 today and has come a long way from starting life as a radio brand in 2008 after Virgin Radio was rebranded and sold to The Times Group. Paul Sylvester, director of content at Absolute Radio, comments: “We started with 1.5 million listeners on Absolute, and now we’ve got a network that’s got 5.4 million listeners. A lot of people were worried that [launching decade stations] might cannibalise the audience but it hasn’t in any way, and I think these digital stations are much imitated.”

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched a Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) Pilot Project. The project is a significant leap forward in radio broadcasting technology and is expected to improve audio quality, reduce interference, and provide additional features compared to traditional FM radio. Watch video from the launch, including an interview with Eng. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, Ag. Executive Director of the UCC.

This report outlines the findings from market research conducted to estimate DAB+ device penetration and usage in the UK. Ofcom's key findings: Thirty-six per cent of households had a DAB+ set, either at home or in at least one car; and two-thirds (66%) of in-home DAB owners had a DAB+ set. The UK regulator also found a quarter of in-home DAB listeners and a fifth of in-car DAB listeners had listened to a DAB+ radio station in the past month.

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched a DAB+ Pilot Project. The pilot project will run for a duration of one year and will cover Greater Kampala, with a coverage radius of approximately 80km from Summit View Hill, Kololo, Kampala. In the Greater Kampala area, the DAB+ Pilot Project already boasts an impressive roster of stations, including UBC Star FM, Next Radio, KFM, XFM, Galaxy FM, and Green Radio. Eng. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, Ag. Executive Director, said, “The launch of the DAB comes as a solution to the finite resource, which has more demand and lower frequencies.” Additionally, she stated, “The pilot aims to establish what policy, regulatory, and operational interventions are required so that Uganda can harness DAB.”

Uganda is the latest African nation to launch a one-year DAB+ trial. Speaking at the launch at UCC Headquarters in Bugolobi, WorldDAB Technical Committee Chair Lindsay Cornell said: “Uganda’s DAB+ trial is a great opportunity for programme makers to experience the freedom to make new forms of radio; the transmission providers can understand the way that single frequency networks create consistent coverage, even in noisy neighbourhoods and areas with tall buildings; and retailers of consumer and automotive receivers can experience DAB+ for themselves and learn how they can help listeners make good purchasing decisions.” WorldDAB members GatesAir and Digidia provided equipment for the project.

From 29 September, Bayerischer Rundfunk will broadcast its radio programmes in DAB+ from the transmitter site in Obernburg (Karlshöhe). The surrounding area, in particular the communities of Obernburg, Mömlingen, Elsenfeld, Erlenbach, Klingenberg and Wörth, will be well-served with BR's digital offering from the new DAB+ location.

Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) will Thursday launch Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) Pilot Project, one of the first steps towards transforming radio broadcasting in Uganda. UCC Headquarters will host an event that will mark the beginning of a new era in radio broadcasting. The launch will include presentations, and a physical demo. The Pilot project will run for a duration of one-year, paving way for steps that shall lead to the eventual rollout of Digital Audio Broadcasting in Uganda. The primary objectives of the DAB+ Pilot Project include evaluating technology attributes of digital audio broadcasting, identifying and understanding the prerequisites for national rollout, assessing market readiness through listener feedback, encouraging digital content development, understanding costs and revenue models, and informing policy & regulatory requirements for introduction of digital audio broadcasting in Uganda.

Radio Digitale Piemonte, a network operator for digital terrestrial radio in the local area and part of the Aeranti-Corallo association system, has activated a new transmission site in recent weeks, further improving coverage in the province of Turin, specifically in the Canavese area. The Andrate (TO) site operates on Block 5B, and joins the existing sites at Colle della Maddalena and La Morra. Radio Digitale Piemonte currently broadcasts the content of 19 Aeranti-Corallo member local radio stations.

The latest annual study by the Media Information Centre (Cim) on media consumption in Belgium reveals an ever-growing appetite among Belgians for video and audio content, even if their habits are changing. Audio media are also on the up, according to Cim, which reveals a penetration rate of 90% of the Belgian population, an increase of 4.1% compared to 2022. DAB+ radio is also on the rise: one in four respondents say they have listened to this medium at least once in the last 30 days. Podcasting, while on the rise (+4%), is still struggling to make inroads and only reaches one in ten Belgians.

The Flemish government has finished its prior advisory and public participation process to "bring back to the market" the (expiring) DAB+ multiplex 11A. As became clear in early June, Norkring may well get its extension until the end of 2027 and Benjamin Dalle will simply put the switchover to the broadcasting model in his successor's basket. In practice, a call for applications will now follow to operate multiplex 11A for the next 3.5 years (from 22 June 2024).