News

The Office of Electronic Communications has launched a consultation on a new Frequency Plan for the 174-230 MHz band. This is the VHF band occupied by MUX-8 terrestrial digital television, and possibly by additional DAB+ multiplexes in the future. "For the time being, I can confirm that Emitel will take part in the consultation," says Agnieszka Sobucka, the company's spokeswoman, to Wirtualnemedia.pl. "The consulted project aims to reduce restrictions on the free development of digital terrestrial radio broadcasting (hereafter ‘NRC’), to reduce the likelihood of interference in the network of DAB+ broadcasting stations taking into account the market demand for local NRC multiplexes," UKE President Jacek Oko wrote in the announcement.

In 2024, over 1.2 million radio sets with DAB+ were sold over physical and virtual shop counters in Germany. This corresponds to 50 per cent of all radio receivers sold and a significant increase compared to 2020, when the share was 35 per cent. The electrical engineering association ZVEI cited these figures with reference to the retail panel of the market research institute GfK as part of World Radio Day on 13 February. According to the ZVEI, traditional radio listening remains popular in Germany despite the growth in streaming services. Nine out of ten users continue to enjoy radio reception. Around two thirds of listeners rely on streaming or web radio, according to a consumer survey conducted by GfK on behalf of the ZVEI.

“New opportunities in media are helping us open up to the world,” said Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud at the opening of this week’s Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh. At the conference and forum there is a focus on media, the economy, energy, AI technologies, politics and entrepreneurship. In another session on the first day of the conference titled The Future of Radio Begins Now, World DAB’s Jacqueline Bierhorst and MBC Music Group’s Group Director of Audio Ziad Hamza discussed the importance of being digital with session host Ghadeer Al-Shehri, a presenter at local station AlUla FM. Jacky said: “In my own country, FM listening is 30% and the rest is digital, this is a common trend in Europe where digital broadcasting has gained a huge audience.”

Taneční rádio has already broadcast digitally in the past, between 2012 and 2019. Now, through a new company, it is applying for a new licence for terrestrial digital broadcasting. The new operator of SeeJay Radio is to be MS Radio Group, which is half-owned by Martin Černý and Hotinvest, the company of Hana Janíková, the wife of the station's original founder Svatopluk Janík. Although the station has not yet obtained a licence, it has already agreed to be included in the Prague multiplex of Fiera touch. "We have a preliminary agreement, but I will announce the cooperation when we actually start broadcasting," said Pavel Hájek, owner of Fiera touch, when asked by Televizníweb.cz.

The Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet (TTJA) [Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority] launched a public call for tenders for frequency authorisations for digital radio services. Only Levira submitted an application to participate in the tender, the Authority said. Participants in the open call for applications had to submit the required documents to the TTJA by 23.59 on 17 February at the latest, and the qualification of the application will be carried out by the TTJA within eight working days. The objects of the competition are three frequency licences in the 174-225 MHz band for nationwide use. Up to three frequency authorisations may be awarded to a single applicant.

On Tuesday, 18 February 2025, the members of Digital Radio Mitteldeutschland e.V. met in Halle for an important association meeting. Firstly, the founding members of the association, Prof Dr Ulrich Jumar from IFAK and Uwe Ludwig from Media Broadcast, retired after decades of commitment. Long-standing board member André Gierke, Head of Corporate Communications at Funkhaus Halle (Radio Brocken, 89.0 RTL), was then unanimously elected as the new Chairman of the Board. Together, the team is ready to tackle new challenges such as the introduction of the ASA standard, the optimization of DAB+ tunnel coverage and further marketing strategies in the three federal states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.

A new pop-up station from Virgin Radio UK launching today, will play music from the Britpop era. Virgin Radio Britpop, which is available on DAB in London, on the Virgin Radio UK app and smart speakers, will take the Chris Evans Breakfast Show every weekday morning from 6.30am – 10.00am. The station will play a mix of non-stop music, specials and sessions from the Virgin Radio archive, with bespoke programming from those who were a part of Britpop in the 1990s. Artists played will include the likes of Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Elastica, Cast, The Charlatans and Manic Street Preachers; with live tracks from Shed 7, Richard Ashcroft, Suede and many more.

A SERIES of new digital radio stations have been announced by Wireless Ireland. The company said the new stations would be hosted on a new DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) platform, partnering with FailteDAB. The broadcaster said it will "work closely with Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s media regulator, to secure the necessary content licences to ensure compliance with broadcasting standards and regulations". It added: "The new radio services will offer a diverse range of content, catering to a wide range of interests and tastes." The new stations are set to launch in the spring, with more details announced in coming weeks. Sean Barry, Managing Director of Wireless Ireland, said: “Wireless Ireland is proud to lead the charge in Ireland’s transition to digital broadcasting.”

The Digital Radio Broadcasting Technology DAB+ launch, which symbolises Turkey's digital transformation in radio broadcasting, was held at Çamlıca Tower in the heart of Istanbul, under the leadership of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and hosted by PTT Kule A.Ş. The launch was attended by Turkey's leading radio channels, as well as the presidents and delegations of TVYD, RATEM, URYAD. PTT General Manager Dr Hakan Gülten pointed out the advantages offered by Digital Radio Broadcasting Technology DAB+ and said: ‘Thanks to DAB+ technology, which redefines the radio listening experience in the modern digital age, we will offer a high quality, uninterrupted, efficient and wide coverage service in radio broadcasts.’

Radio Byoblu is being connected to DAB+ in Italian-speaking Switzerland. The station is the first Italian news & talk station to have a widespread presence in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland (with coverage of 95% of the territory). The initiative follows the agreement reached between Swiss Media Cast, the main Swiss network operator, and Media Pluralisti Europei, s.p.a., of which Radio ByoBlu is part. Broadcasting of the signal will take place from March 2025. ‘Being the first Italian news radio station present in the most important Swiss multiplexer, and therefore in the relevant territory, is a source of pride for us,’ comments Claudio Messora, publisher of ByoBlu.