News

Alliance for Automotive Innovation joined Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) and TechNet in a new letter to Congress opposing a proposal to mandate analog AM radio in new vehicles. The letter noted that requiring manufacturers to use a particular technology will slow innovation. The organizations also highlighted several alternative forms of emergency communication – such as Wireless Emergency Alerts, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, and digital audio broadcasting.

On 6 June, the Energy and Commerce Committee and its Communications and Technology Subcommittee held an “educational” hearing on the merit of AM radio, and for select witness to field questions. The hearing, titled “Listen Here: Why Americans Value AM Radio,” was open to the public via a livestream. Ohio Rep. Bob Latta, the Republican chair of the subcommittee, opened the hearing and oversaw the proceedings. “We must ensure that no communities are left behind, no voice is silenced and no emergency communications are compromised,” he said, speaking in favor of new bipartisan legislation that would require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) delivered opening remarks at today’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing titled “Listen Here: Why Americans Value AM Radio.” Read the statements and watch the full hearing video.

Aiir PlayoutOne West Kent DAB Limited, a joint venture between West Kent Community Radio, MuxCom Ltd and Kent Capacity Co Ltd, has announced its plan to apply for the small-scale DAB licence for Maidstone, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. The area is part of Round 5 and applications need to be in by June 30th 2023. Gregory Watson, Director of Kent Capacity Co, said: “We are excited to be working with West Kent Community Radio and MuxCom to bring small scale DAB to Maidstone, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. “Our experience through MuxCo of building and operating local multiplexes, working with local partners, has been unique in the UK – helping small operators to become part of the DAB family and enabling many small radio stations to broadcast.”

Exciting times in radio land. Within ten weeks, it will become clear which radio stations can be heard nationwide on airwaves via FM and DAB+ after 1 September. Due to legal action by radio station KINK, the current broadcasting licences for the national commercial FM lots have to be re-auctioned. Since DAB+ space is also attached to these licences, changes on this digital radio network - as on FM - are inevitable.

The start date for the regional DAB+ multiplexes for private broadcasters in Lower Saxony has been set. As the platform operator Media Broadcast confirmed on request, broadcasting is scheduled to start on 13 July. The company has not yet given any further details, such as the transmitter locations planned for the start and the planned programme line-up.

On Monday, 'Digital Radio Week' was launched on a large number of public and commercial stations. Until Friday (9 June), radio stations will pay focus on DAB+. The campaign week is being held for the tenth time. How the stations will organise this week differs per station. Most radio stations, including NPO Radio 1, NPO Klassiek, 100% NL, Slam, Sublime and Omroep Flevoland, are again giving away DAB+ radios.

From 31 December 2020, all new cars sold in Spain will include a DAB or DAB+ receiver for radio tuning, in addition to the usual FM antenna. The big question is why it is necessary to incorporate this system in cars if Spanish radio stations have not spent a single euro on promoting this type of broadcasting in more than 20 years. And yet, almost all the well-known ones broadcast in DAB+ and every month new ones appear which would be considered illegal but which take advantage of the vacuum that exists.

Croatian operator OIV covered the Učka road tunnel, which crosses the Učka mountain range and connects the Istria peninsula and the Croatian coast, with the signal of the first DAB+ digital radio broadcast (OIV Croatia DAB+) in May 2023. Work on this project started in the middle of last year and the implementation of the equipment and the first technical tests took place in January 2023.

Teleko digital, a company from Příbram, has acquired a new City Tower for the distribution of its DAB+ multiplex signal in Prague. This change is related to the planned relocation of the original transmitter at the Rošický stadium, which is in disrepair and no longer serves the public. The same move must be implemented by other entities that used this facility. In the case of the City Tower, the planned channel and power will not change. Therefore, the TELEKO DAB multiplex will continue to operate on channel 11A with a power of 199 watts.