News

The radio programme ‘Radio Altstadtwelle’ from the Cologne region has been broadcasting successfully on the internet since 2009. It offers music, entertainment and interviews in Rhenish dialect. On 17 September 2024, ‘Radio Altstadtwelle’ received a licence from the NRW State Media Authority (LfM) in Düsseldorf to also broadcast via antenna. At the same time, the station has applied to be included in the new Cologne/Bonn/Aachen DAB+ ensemble. However, this decision will not be made until later, as it has not yet been determined which of the four platform operators will receive the licence. DAB+ transmission is expected to start in the course of next year.

Not only from transmitters in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia will digital networks dedicated to domestic commercial radios be broadcast. Two of the eight successful bidders in the auction of frequencies for radio multiplexes will use the Slovak transmitter Velká Javorina to cover eastern Moravia. They have even already obtained permission from the Slovak Telecommunications Office to use the 9D and 10D transmission channels with a maximum power of 5 kW and limiting the radiation pattern exclusively to the west towards the Czech Republic. Channel 9D from Velka Javorina will be used by RTI cz for its nationwide C network and channel 10D by Teleko Digital for its Regional Network 7 covering the whole of Moravia, Vysočina and Pardubice regions.

The rapidly expanding Lyca Radio Network has announced its upcoming launch in Leicester, marking its first entry into the Midlands market. This follows its recent growth in the North West of England, where it acquired the frequencies of Asian Sound Radio in Manchester. The new service, Lyca Radio – Leicester, will be available on full-scale DAB digital radio across the region. Although an official launch date has yet to be confirmed, the expansion was revealed this evening on Lyca Radio’s flagship station. Raj Baddhan, CEO of Lyca Radio Network, expressed his excitement, stating, “After the tremendous success of Lyca Radio in Greater London and Greater Manchester, we are excited to bring the brand to the Midlands with the launch of Lyca Radio – Leicester."

Carsten Zorger of Digitalradio Büro Deutschland, explains how devastating floods in Germany's Ahr Valley served as a catalyst for the development of a pioneering security system using DAB+ radio, designed to save lives and improve public safety worldwide. "The Automatic Safety Alert (ASA) system represents a significant advancement in public safety communication," he says. "The ASA system works by sending out safety alerts via the DAB+ radio network. These alerts can be transmitted in real-time, ensuring that the public is informed of imminent dangers such as natural disasters, industrial accidents, or terrorist threats."

WorldDAB has opened registration for this year’s WorldDAB General Assembly and Summit, the organization’s flagship event. The events will be held in Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday, Nov. 13, and Thursday, Nov. 14, respectively. The General Assembly will commence on Wednesday afternoon at the Hilton Garden Inn Zagreb-Radnicka, exclusively for WorldDAB members. This will be followed by a gala dinner at the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, open to members and non-members. The WorldDAB Summit 2024 will occur on Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn Zagreb-Radnicka and is open to all attendees. The summit will feature experts representing all aspects of digital radio: broadcast, automotive and receiver manufacturers, and leaders from around the world in programming, creative content and marketing.

The local DAB+ offer in Bologna doubles. On Saturday 28 September, the Emilia-Romagna Digital Radio mux was activated on channel 12A. According to a survey carried out at 14:00, the following broadcasters are currently operational: Radio Sfera, Radio Cuore, Radio Nova, Punto Radio, Radio Popolare, Radio Sound (Piacenza), Radio Company, Radio Wow 2, Radio Bruno Rock, Radio Padova, Easy Rock, Radio Birikina, Radio Sorrriso, Radio Piterpan, Viva FM, RVS. The signal covers the city of Bologna and a portion of its province.

The document “Local radio and television broadcasting in Italy” is an analysis of the Italian local radio and television sector carried out by the Aeranti-Corallo association, which represents a total of approximately 600 Italian radio and television broadcasters. The document analyses the characteristics of the local radio and television sector (its organisation, turnover, employees, etc.) and provides a cross-section of it, through an overview of the balance sheets and other parameters. It is estimated that, currently, there are 1,156 local radio stations in Italy, of which approximately 70% are commercial and the others (314, for 364 different programs) are ‘community-based’.

Rivierenland Radio is once again rolling up its sleeves and will start broadcasting from Loon op Zand from Thursday 26 September 2024. This is where a new DAB+ transmitter will be installed to broadcast via Kanaal 8a. Rivierenland Radio can now be heard in the major cities of Brabant: Oss, Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Breda, Waalwijk and Tilburg. As in Oss, the transmitter installation will be built by Radio Netwerk Nederland. On 26 September 2024, this transmission installation will be installed and switched on. Rivierenland Radio can then also be received in the Tilburg/Waalwijk area.

Radio Proglas is facing a major change in the distribution of its signal. The technologies used so far, such as satellite DTH reception and FM transmitters, are slowly fading into the background, while the future is looking towards DAB+. "DTH reception is on the decline because it ties the listener to the TV set, which does not suit radio. DAB+, on the other hand, offers mobility and a more modern way of listening," says Martin Holík, director of Radio Proglas. DAB+ network operators already cover a large part of the territory, allowing Proglas to reduce its dependence on older analogue FM transmitters in the future.

WorldDAB has published the latest in its series of country factsheets for automotive manufacturers. The new document provides information on the national commercial DAB network operated by DAB Italia SCPA. Factsheets for France, Norway and Switzerland are already available. The factsheets are produced as part of the work of WorldDAB's Automotive Working Group, in partnership with DAB Italia, and RadioDNS which promotes hybrid radio. The factsheets provide an essential guide for the automotive industry on what to expect to receive via digital radio in-car.