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With IBC2023 getting closer, here's another of our interviews with WorldDAB members heading to Amsterdam next week. This time, Arne Borsum, product manager and DAB system expert at 2wcom Systems GmbH says they'll be showing the latest addition to their DAB offerings: the DAB+ Encoder, which adds DAB+ functionality to their multi-channel audio encoders and codecs.

Air Chief Marshal Thanaphan Raicharoen, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) for broadcasting, revealed that the NBTC is preparing to propose a transition plan to digital radio in order to have sufficient frequencies to conduct business for 3,909 community radio stations by creating a new digital radio network. Studies have found that an investment of 1,000 million baht is required for network expansion for 3 years, covering a service area of 50- 60% of the country, while digital radio receivers are priced at around 1,000 baht per box and will need to talk with radio receiver manufacturers in the market to produce them to support them as well.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is planning a transition of existing analogue radio stations to the digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system under its planned licensing regime. The plan is meant to improve the industry's service standards and help all stakeholders handle digital disruption, according to the telecom regulator. The shift also includes the 3,900 community radio stations that were permitted by the NBTC to operate on a trial basis. The NBTC aims to finish the DAB licensing method and principles by the middle of next year, and is planning to start the shift to the DAB system in early 2025. The NBTC panel drafting the DAB licensing regime has already concluded all the licensing details.

A world first united media content ecosystem allowing brands to reach 98% of Australians in a campaign window stretching nearly 10 months is the centrepiece of Nine’s Olympic and Paralympic Games marketing offering, it has been revealed. 2GB’s Breakfast with Ben Fordham and 3AW Breakfast with Ross and Russ will broadcast live from Paris, and with 24/7 coverage on a dedicated Olympics DAB+ channel, a daily podcast featuring updates will be released at 6am each morning.

Dr. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al Noaimi, Bahrain's Minister of Information said that the launch of the DAB+ digital audio broadcasting service represents a unique leap forward for the radio industry in Bahrain, which has a history of over 80 years. He explained that this project has been implemented in cooperation with leading companies specialised in radio technology, to provide the latest and best equipment and technologies for private radio stations. The minister said that one of the most prominent features of DAB+ is the significant saving in transmission costs and the improved quality of the signal, in addition to the easy access to receivers and easy search for radio stations by name rather than frequency.

WorldDAB's Vice President, Jacqueline Bierhorst, spoke at Radiodays Asia 2023 in Kuala Lumpur. Here's their write-up of the session: "In this fast paced market, the audio industry is changing rapidly, said Jacqueline Bierhorst. New services are being developed, consumer preferences are shifting, competition is being transformed, DAB+ helps to grow radio and revenue. DAB+ is the core digital platform for radio in Europe, and it’s growing throughout the Asia Pacific region."

Another myth is that young people don’t listen to radio anymore. John Musgrove, the head of research for Commercial Radio & Audio, says: “I can absolutely validate the opposite with studies in the US and UK and Australia here, that young people are listening to the radio.” Musgrove also notes that DAB+ is “growing rapidly in younger audiences”, which he takes as further validation that, even those younger rock fans who find the likes of Triple M too broad for their taste, are seeking the curation of a radio station.

Drivers in Hamburg's Elbe Tunnel are now able to receive a total of 38 radio programmes in the best quality via DAB+. From now on, they no longer have to do without the interference-free listening pleasure of their favourite programme in the car while driving through the approximately 3.3 km long tubes. This is made possible by the new transmitter system that Media Broadcast has built and put into operation. It supplies all four tubes with digital programmes. This also increases safety for the more than 100,000 car and truck drivers every day: For the announcement of warning messages, the DAB+ programmes can be muted and the emergency information can be recorded by the control centre.

With our brand new channel STAR FM Saxony, we bring the best of the rock world directly to you and are proud to share our passion for good rock music with you. From now on via web, app and smart speaker - and from 15 September also via DAB+ in Saxony. Our nationwide DAB+ stream offers crystal-clear reception in the car, office and home. Discover the soundtrack of your rock journey on the state-wide DAB+ multiplex 12A - Sachsen DAB. From 15 September, simply start the search in your DAB+ radio and we will be in your reception list with just a few clicks.

To serve the increasing requirement for centralised DAB monitoring, AVT from Germany release their new monitoring decoder at IBC. The system is based on the hardware of their popular DAB+ Multiplexer. The monitoring decoder succeeds the MAGIC AD1 that was aimed primarily at older ETI networks. The new system can monitor up to 50 EDI inputs simultaneously while also decoding 25 signals at a time. “We had the intention of offering a scalable monitoring solution to give customers the chance to cut down on hardware while keeping management centralised,” says Lukas Mahler, Jr. Marketing & Sales Manager at AVT.