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Antenne Deutschland, a joint venture of Media Broadcast and Absolut Digital, has been awarded a contract by state media regulators to set up a second national DAB platform in Germany. The open platform will be open to all broadcasters and aims to encourage the development of new radio formats and digital services.

Antenne Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG will be the new platform provider for the second nationwide DAB + multiplex. This was decided by the committee of the chairmen of the media bodies today after intensive consultation and consultation of the three applicants in Berlin. Winfried Engel, Chairman of the GVK: "With Antenne Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, a player who is experienced as a program organizer and network operator will be awarded the contract, where we can expect it to start quickly. Our allocation as a platform operator of the second nationwide DAB + multiplex with up to 18 new national private programs will give the terrestrial digital radio a further important impetus and provide for more diversity in the sense of the media users."

At Radiodays Europe and RadioAsia this year, we’ve been talking to commercial and public broadcasters about why they use DAB+ and what it enables them to do.

On 30 May 2017, Nicolas Curien, member of the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA), spoke during the SIRTI General Assembly on the development of digital radio. The Radio Working Group of the CSA is currently conducting a series of hearings, in which representatives of the various categories of radio, as well as technical operators, are in attendance. After this, a public consultation will be launched, with a revised schedule of deployment for digital radio due to be published in the autumn.

WorldDAB continues to promote DAB+ with a slew of new videos that they conducted with commercial and public broadcasters at this year’s Radiodays Europe and Radiodays Asia. Broadcasters from SBS Australia, Norway, VRT in Belgium and Fun Kids Radio in the U.K. spoke with WorldDAB to explain why they chose to go with digital radio.

The WorldDAB General Assembly 2017 will take place in Paris on 7-8 November. The event brings together over 200 digital radio experts to discuss the future of digital radio, DAB+ rollouts around the world and a European vision for digital radio.

On 8 June, Radio Belgrade will host a one day conference on digital radio, organised in cooperation with WorldDAB. The aim of the event is to promote digital radio and learn from European countries that have completed or nearing completion the digitisation process.

Figures released by Kantar TNS from their latest digital radio survey show that over 1 million cars in Norway now have DAB. "More and more cars are mounting DAB radio in the car as digital radio takes over the country. 38 percent of cars currently have a DAB radio, which means that half of car owners who hear radio daily have DAB in the car," said Ole Jørgen Torvmark, Head of Digital Radio Norway. According to the survey, 73 percent of all radio listeners now hear digital radio every day. This is equivalent to more than 2 million Norwegians. DAB is the most widely used digital platform for radio.

In terms of kit, DAB radio is standard and the top-spec Tekna now has a Bose stereo system included.

Figures released by Kantar TNS from their latest digital radio survey show that 1 million cars in Norway now have DAB. "More and more cars are mounting DAB radio in the car as digital radio takes over the country. 38 percent of cars currently have a DAB radio, which means that half of car owners who hear radio daily have DAB in the car, "said Ole Jørgen Torvmark, head of Digital Radio Norway.