News

The Voice in north Devon has launched a second radio station on DAB called The Voice 2. The extra service plays music from the 60s, 70s and 80s and includes local news, travel and presenters. It started at 7am today, Tuesday 9th April, covering the same area as The Voice. Managing Director Jim Trevelyan said: “Local radio has evolved, and as such opportunities arise, we have then risen to that challenge to provide a new service. The two stations complement each other very well and mean North Devon has two truly local radio stations. Rescan your DAB radio.”

Carbon emissions in broadcasting radio services have been significantly reduced, AZERTAC reports, based on the information released by the Radio Television Broadcasting and Satellite Communication. "The introduction of DAB+ digital radio, will allow the reduction of energy consumption, and as a result, carbon emissions halve from 1.3 thousand tons to 0.6 thousand tons - along with an increase in the quality and number of programmes.” So, for the first time in Azerbaijan, on August 26, 2019, a DAB+ digital transmitter with a power of 1 KW was installed in the Baku TV Tower Complex, and now a test broadcast of 11 local digital radio stations in one package on the 11B frequency channel is being carried out in the city of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, it says.

Bayerischer Rundfunk will also be broadcasting its DAB+ service from the Balderschwang transmitter from 11 April. The Bavaria-wide DAB+ transmitter network will thus grow to 88 locations. The community in the Allgäu will thus have its own radio coverage with all digital BR programmes from Bayerischer Rundfunk as well as other private programmes.

Community station Radio Newark has extended its coverage towards Nottingham by joining the new small-scale DAB multiplex in the area. Radio Newark says its current FM footprint has a reach of around 60,000, and the DAB service will cover an area of over 750,000 people. Radio Newark Director of Operations Phil Johnson told RadioToday: “It’s a massive, massive difference in our potential reach, but we have to remember that we are still Radio Newark – we are not here to take on Nottingham. This is about making Radio Newark more available to Newark people, or to people who see themselves as having some connection to Newark.”

The local DAB+ pilot project Bad Kreuznach/Bingen (channel 12A) is now broadcasting with twice the range. On Saturday, 6 April, network and platform operator Milling Broadcast put the second transmitter site into operation. From the Fichtenkopf in Niederwald near Rüdesheim, Rheinhessen between Bacharach and Mainz and the Rheingau between Lorch and Wiesbaden are covered with a power of 500 watts. Previously, the ensemble was broadcast from Kuhberg near Bad Kreuznach, also with an output of 500 watts. The bouquet currently includes 11 programmes and a warning channel. The project is investigating more cost-effective ways of broadcasting digital terrestrial radio programmes using alternative technical approaches with open source software. The trial is limited until 2026.

Radio Piekary has been added to DABCOM's local multiplex in Katowice. Thus, nine stations can be listened to via the mux in the Silesian capital. In addition to Radio Piekary, the Katowice DABCOM multiplex currently includes: Radio Profeto, WP Radio, Muzo.FM, Mega Radio, Disco Radio, Radio Nuta, Radio Imperium and Radio Express. The broadcast is carried on channel 12C. As radiopolska.pl reports, the broadcast of Radio Piekary is experimental. The other radio stations have received licences from the National Radio and Television Council. All stations broadcast at a bitrate of 128 kbps.

The Bavarian digital radio project ART (Announcement Radio Toolbox) is nearing a successful conclusion. All results are available in the final report published today. Over the past 14 months, under the direction of Bayerische Medien Technik (bmt) and together with the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM), the Bavarian Media School, Bayerische Lokal-Radioprogramme (BLR) and Bayern Digital Radio (BDR), tested the linking of different DAB radio programmes using DAB announcements. Listeners were able to combine five music genres with five information categories in a DAB+ receiver ─ according to their own preferences - to create an individually combined programme of music and information. The technology used is part of the DAB standard and is available in various receivers.

V2 Radio is dropping Sussex from its name as it grows its coverage area to include parts of Hampshire on DAB. MD Justin Cottrell tells RadioToday: "We are now the only proper local radio station covering Sussex and Hampshire. We have extended our reach so that we can continue to offer the appeal across our region, with a specific focus on a 25-mile radius of Chichester." The station adds that the extra coverage will be useful for local people who commute outside of their core area and still want to listen on DAB.

A joint statement has been issued by ARN chief executive Ciaran Davis, Nine Radio managing director Tom Malone, NOVA Entertainment chief executive Peter Charlton, and SCA chief executive John Kelly calling on the Senate Inquiry into the Communications Legislation Amendment (Prominence and Anti-siphoning) Bill 2023 to include radio prominence for smart speakers and in connected cars when they deliver their recommendations this week. It says: "As representatives of the Australian commercial radio industry, we are urging the Government to begin immediate consultation on radio prominence in cars. It is essential to both the radio industry and communities that regulations are introduced to ensure free, easy, and reliable access to local radio for all Australians."

Press release: "Mallorca Radio Group, comprised of Das Inselradio Mallorca and Mallorca Sunshine Radio, is proud to announce a historic milestone in broadcasting in the Balearic Islands: the commencement of the trial period for the first digital radio broadcasts using the innovative DAB technology. This initiative marks a significant step towards the future of broadcasting in the Autonomous Community and establishes Mallorca Radio Group as a leader in the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. The press conference, held on 27 February, aimed to share this exciting achievement with the community and highlight the importance of this technological advancement."