News

Gaydio is now broadcasting in seven more cities across the UK via small-scale DAB multiplexes. The station has been added to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Sheffield in DAB+. Kriss Herbert, Network Content Manager and mid-morning presenter said: "It’s great that Gaydio is going to be bigger than ever before, broadcasting across seven new cities for the first time, meaning that more queer people across the UK can now tune in for the best in LGBTQ+ entertainment, news and of course music."

Ofcom has started awarding small-scale DAB multiplex licences in Round 4 of the awards process today. Glenrothes & Kirkcaldy, Ludlow, and Newport & Chepstow licences were awarded to the only applicants, whilst the two-horse race between Torbay DAB and TorDAB was won by TorDAB.

"From 23rd January, we will no longer be broadcasting on AM radio. Why are you stopping broadcasting on AM? We think we sound better on digital, as it offers a much stronger signal and cuts out background noise. Lots of you agree, which is why nearly all our audience listen to us digitally. Broadcasting on AM requires running an additional transmitter which is environmentally unfriendly and not cost-efficient given the small numbers of those listening here."

The radiated power at some transmitter sites of the private digital radio network "Mein NRW DAB+" was increased in recent weeks. At the Cologne location (Colonius), the radiated power was increased from 6.3 to 10 kW. In Münster (Fernmeldeturm) the power is now also 10 kW. Previously it was 5.6 kW. The radiated power was also increased at the locations in Aachen (Karlshöhe) from 3.2 to 5 kW, in Schöppingen from 5 to 10 kW and in Wesel (Büderich) from 2.5 to 10 kW.

Exeter has a suite of new radio stations broadcasting exclusively to the city and surrounding area, following the launch of a DAB transmitter network. Exeter is one of the first of 25 locations around the country to be selected in the first round of such networks which enable new radio stations to broadcast to relatively small areas. Last year broadcast regulator Ofcom awarded the licence to operate the service to local company ExeDab, which is led by Devon’s commercial station Radio Exe and Exeter’s community station Phonic FM.

In the latest issue of Radio World, NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt talks about his first year on the job with our contributor Randy Stine. The NAB is active in a lot of areas, of course; but it is, foremost, a lobbying and advocacy organisation. For an example of the importance of such work, you don’t have to look further than an announcement in December by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey. Markey is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. He issued a press release saying that he had written to 20 carmakers urging them to maintain broadcast AM radio as a feature in new cars, including electric vehicles.

Radioplayer, the international radio platform that’s owned and supported by radio broadcasters, has announced that its 15th partner country will be Greece. Greek broadcasters have formed a consortium to license the Radioplayer Worldwide technology platform, and will launch on World Radio Day, Monday 13th February 2023. Initially majoring on stations from the Athens area, the consortium plans to expand the Radioplayer Greece offering to all eligible Greek stations throughout 2023.

Bauer is removing Absolute Radio from Medium wave this month as it turns off all AM frequencies for the station across the country. The move makes Absolute Radio a digital-only service, broadcasting nationally on DAB and online. In addition, Bauer has also announced licenses carrying Greatest Hits Radio in Staffordshire and Cheshire, Bradford & Huddersfield and Teesside will also be turned off.

The Bavarian Forest is one of the most difficult regions to cover in terms of radio technology. Despite numerous transmitter stations, there are still gaps in digital terrestrial radio reception. The Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR) is now planning a new transmitter for digital radio DAB+ in the southern Bavarian Forest. On the Oberfrauenwald mountain near Waldkirchen in the district of Freyung-Grafenau, the state-wide package (channel 11D) and the regional bouquet of Lower Bavaria (channel 7D) are to be broadcast with a power of 6.3 kW. BR is also planning new transmitter sites at Balderschwang, Obernburg am Main and Pretzfeld.

REGIOCAST will take over the slot previously operated by SPORTRADIO DEUTSCHLAND on the second DAB+ federal mux on 02.01.2023 at 12:00. The current offering will be replaced by 90s90s Radio, which is currently distributed throughout Germany via IP and, since 2018, also via DAB+ locally in Leipzig. Erwin Linnenbach, Managing Director of National German Radio: "90s90s Radio is an excellent addition to the diverse programme bouquet of Antenne Deutschland's private DAB+ platform. REGIOCAST's move clearly underlines once again how attractive nationwide radio and DAB+ are as a technical platform."