News

In this week's Serial of the Week, Editor Jaroslav Hoření will take you to the Czech Radio broadcasting hall at the Ještěd transmitter. We will explain how the broadcasting hall at Ještěd looks like, what is the coverage of Czech Radio Liberec, how to know that the new radio will play in perfect quality, and that the DAB+ format is the future of radio broadcasting.

This morning, Levira's DAB+ digital radio transmitter started operating at the Koeru transmitter mast, with its 300-metre-high antenna extending the digital radio test area from Tallinn to central Estonia. Levira, in cooperation with Duo Media Networks and Mediainvest Holdings, is testing DAB+, a digital radio service widely used in Europe. The first digital radio transmitter was launched at the Tallinn TV Tower on 28 November, and after Koeru, a DAB+ transmitter will start operating in the Haljala municipality of Pehka in early 2023.

POPradio, the local radio station from Pruszków, is now also available digitally on test multiplexes in Warsaw and Łódź. "On air, we encourage people to consider choosing equipment capable of receiving DAB+ when planning the purchase of a new radio," says Krzysztof Pietrzak, Member of the Management Board and Technical Director of POPradio.

On 20 December, the LMS station "La Musique Star" launched its DAB+ station in the south of France. In agreement with its broadcaster, Monaco Média Diffusion, the transmitting power of the transmitter located on the heights of Nice at Mont-Agel is 10KW. LMS Radio is positioned as a new commercial music radio station with a "Pop-Rock Emotion" format, making a diversion through the 80s and 90s as well as highlighting the new talents of the French "Pop-Rock Emotion" scene.

The Swedish Press, Radio and Television Authority (MPRT) has today - in two reports - presented its mission to the government on the conditions for commercial radio in the longer term. MPRT makes proposals for the future conditions for commercial radio and has mapped and analysed the development of digital radio in Europe and the market for digital radio in Sweden. The Authority believes that radio needs to be available on all platforms in order to be competitive in a digital media world. This gives radio the opportunity to develop content that suits the listener regardless of the platform the media consumer chooses to listen to. The Authority intends to announce additional space for digital commercial radio in 2023.

Albrecht Audio presents a new, versatile outdoor radio with emergency functions - including hand crank, solar panel and retractable light The new DR 114 DAB+ from Albrecht Audio is the perfect companion for all outdoor and survival fans: as a true all-rounder, the compact radio not only provides listeners on the move with the latest information and music (reception via FM / DAB+ / streaming), but also functions as a camping light at the same time - and that without an external power supply if required.

FG Chic, the sound-design radio station from the House of FG, has started broadcasting its programmes in Monaco on DAB+, the roll-out of which is accelerating rapidly in France. This is FG Chic's second DAB+ frequency after Paris in the Île-de-France region. Maison FG is thus continuing to develop its DAB+ network in France with its four stations FG DJ Radio, FG CHIC, Maxximum and DanceOne.

DAB+ coverage will be significantly expanded in the near future. This will be facilitated by the more powerful transmitters Borský Mikuláš - Dubník (6D) and Košice - Dubník (10C). The public broadcaster RTVS is also interested in the expansion of digital radio broadcasting and has agreed on a new contract with Towercom to distribute its stations via DAB+. The new contract is valid until the end of 2023 and thanks to it the public broadcaster can distribute nine stations on Towercom's DAB+ multiplex.

TDF announced today that it has been selected as the operator for digital radio broadcasting in four new areas (extended allotments of Metz, Nancy, Limoges and Bayonne defined by Arcom). In 2023, the inhabitants of Lorraine (from Thionville to Epinal), the South-West (from Hendaye to the south of the Landes) and Limousin (from Bellac to Brive-la-Gaillarde) will benefit from radio services broadcast in digital quality thanks to the 19 DAB+ transmitters that TDF will be putting into service in these areas. In 2022 alone, TDF has commissioned 21 transmitters that bring radio in digital quality to the population of some twenty towns in France every day.

Swiss fibre optic and communications technology company Huber+Suhner has developed a new rooftop antenna for use by the Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH trains operating throughout Germany to enable DAB+ radio broadcasts throughout train carriages. The project was in conjunction with German company Paxlife Innovations GmbH, which specialises in passenger information, content and digital services onboard delivery for transport operators.