News

DAB+ radio broadcasting will be extended to over 100 Swiss radio stations in mid-November. Under the next phase of the roll-out, Radio SRF 3, Couleur 3 and Rete Tre will be available across the country, and the broadcast range of SRF 1 will be expanded.

Chris Country became available in parts of the UK on DAB digital radio earlier this year. Rajar figures reveal that in London, 35,000 listeners tune into Chris Country every week; and each listen for an average of 8.2 hours a week. 8.2 is a very high figure for a digital-exclusive station: the most popular digital station, Kisstory, only achieves 5.5 hours a week.

The UK Radio Festival included a significant first speech from Britain’s new minister for Digital Matt Hancock. He announced that the trials of small-scale DAB, using freely-available software and equipment costing from £9,000 ($11,500), had been “highly successful and showed that the small scale approach to DAB transmission is technically sound.”

The Flemish government has published a draft decree on the future radio landscape. Minister Gatz outlined how the decree must ensure that the radio landscape is diverse and how digital radio is a key part of this.

The Flemish government turned on green light for the reform of the radio landscape. They outlined that the plan should ensure that the national radio's move from analogue (FM) to digital (DAB+) and that the local radios to be strengthened. There will also be three or four commercial network radios. One of them is a Flemish channel, with particular attention to Flemish and Dutch music.

On November 15, the range of DAB+ stations variable in Switzerland will continue to grow. By expanding the DAB + supply increases in Switzerland to over 100 radio programs. Listeners can receive even more SRG programmes in other language regions.

Portsmouth DAB+ station Unforgettable Radio has switched to all Christmas music. It normally plays Crooners, Swingers and Cool Jazz 24/7, but will spend the next 58 days in festive mode.

A new DAB mux transmitter covering 75,000 people in the UK city of Scunthorpe has been turned on, and now listeners can receive 11 services on DAB digital radio: BBC Radio Humberside, Capital Yorkshire, Viking FM, Viking 2 and Viking 3, Smooth, Absolute Classic Rock, Absolute 90s, Gold, Kiss Fresh and Magic Soul,

Digital listening in the UK has grown to 45.5% share, a year-over -year growth of 9% (up from 41.9% in Q3 2015), boosted by record-breaking performances of digital-only stations, according to Rajar Q3 2016 data. Listening via DAB continues to grow and now accounts for 71% of all digital listening, with DAB ownership growing to 57% of all households - or 31 million people — a year over year growth of 7%.

On the 15th of November, the offer of DAB+ will continue to grow in Switzerland. SRG's third radio station will be broadcasted across the country, as well as three private radio stations, regionally on DAB+. At the same time, the SRG will definitely switch from DAB to DAB+.