News

Yesterday, Monday, network operator Divicon Media put the local DAB+ multiplex Chemnitz on the air, following test transmissions. Transmissions are being made on channel 5B from the Chemnitz-Reichenhain transmitter with a transmission power of 2 kW. This is probably the start of regular operation, although official confirmation from the network operator is still pending. At the start yesterday, however, only five programmes were initially switched on: Chemnitz 2, SachsenEins, egoFM, Radio UNiCC and Radio T.

The time has come! The Chemnitz radio landscape is going live on DAB+! The popular campus radio station of the TU Chemnitz, Radio UNiCC, is particularly pleased about this, because the student radio station can be heard 24/7 on DAB+ from 13 February. Previously, the young radio producers only had one hour of FM broadcasting time on 102.7 MHz, otherwise they could only be heard in the webstream. Finally, the dream of 24-hour radio operation is coming true. For several years, UNiCC had been talking about DAB+, the applications were running and now, thanks to funding from the Saxon State Media Authority, the station is allowed to expand its programming for the new coverage area.

After two weeks, residents of Szczecin and the surrounding area can again listen to radio stations available on the DAB+ multiplex in the capital of West Pomerania. The interruption was due to the expiry of the previous radio licence, says Marcin Marzec, co-owner of DABCOM, the multiplex operator, to Wirtualnemedia.pl.

Great British Radio is extending its coverage to Wales and Scotland via DAB+. The station, which is already on DAB in Herts, Beds, Bucks, North London, South London, Surrey, Newcastle and Winchester, is joining Edinburgh and Cardiff. Managing Director, Mike Huston told Radio Today: “I am thrilled that Edinburgh and Cardiff can now enjoy Great Laughs Great Guests and Great Music on DAB. “We have ambitious plans for the brand, and we are proud that our popular unique format with no news, continues to increase in popularity and we are now on DAB across the three capitals, London Edinburgh and Cardiff.”

Capital, from Global, has announced a brand new radio station, Capital Chill, dedicated to chilled beats. Capital Chill launched across the UK on Monday, 13 February, playing a mix of chilled house, deep house and ambient dance music as well as classics from the likes of Groove Armada, Chicane, Röyksopp, Massive Attack, Moby, Bonobo and more. Capital Chill joins sister stations Capital, Capital Dance, Capital XTRA, Capital XTRA Reloaded on DAB Digital Radio across the UK, on Global Player on both your app and at globalplayer.com and on your smart speaker. The launch of Capital Chill follows the massive success of Capital Dance, which launched in October 2020, and has grown 54.1% year-on-year and now has nearly a million weekly listeners.

Radio broadcasters and sound and audio executives from Africa and beyond will converge in Maputo, Mozambique, for the Radio And Digital Audio Broadcasting Convention – Africa, on Tuesday, 18th – Thursday, 20th April 2023. With the theme “Radio Broadcasting in a Digital World – Reaching the Next Level”, the Convention convened by the Southern Africa Broadcasting Association (SABA) and Broadcast Media Africa (BMA) will be hosted by Radio Mozambique. Commenting on the hosting of the Summit, the Director-General for Radio Mozambique (RM), Mr Abdul Naguibo Addula, said: “We believe the Summit will provide us with tools to help accelerate the development of digital radio in Mozambique and indeed across Africa."

On the occasion of World Radio Day, Top Music interviewed Christophe Schalk, director of Top Music and president of SIRTI (Syndicat des radios indépendantes). "DAB+ was launched nine years ago in France, and in Alsace we have been broadcasting our stations in DAB+ for four years now throughout the area. At present, all the radio players in France, the national players, public radio and us, the independent private operators, have joined together in an association called "Ensemble pour le DAB+" (Together for DAB+) and we are now going to start a communication campaign on this broadcasting method and therefore on reception for the general public."

AM/FM is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Digital radio has seen a huge increase in listenership over the last five years. In 2022, it represented 42% of listenership in French-speaking regions of Belgium – a massive jump from just 17% in 2018. The findings were published by Maradio.be and Ipsos on Friday. The study was conducted on a sample of 1,501 French-speakers aged 12 and over between November and December 2022.

Radio Essentials has started broadcasting in Sheffield offering local residents another choice of music radio stations. Essentials has been streaming online since October 2022 but has now made the move to DAB. The station’s programme director Lee Glasby commented: “We’re so excited to be bringing the station to the people of Rotherham and Sheffield. “Our journey up to now has been amazing from setting up the station a year ago with business partner Stephen to now, broadcasting on DAB. “The station plays a mix of the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and selected hits from today along with specialist music shows at the weekend including Essential, Rock, Cheese, Synthwave, Dreamscapes, Soul and dance classics.”

Video Killed the Radio Star, sang The Buggles, but more than 40 years later we know that radio, thanks to digital, survived the bombing and is in excellent health. 13 February is World Radio Day and thus the anniversary of the first UN radio broadcast in 1946. It is therefore an ideal time to take stock of the spread of the most cutting-edge technology: DAB (digital audio broadcasting). It is little known to the general public, although it is used daily by millions of Italians. Unbeknownst to them during so-called drive time, its frequencies are being played on their car radios. As of 2020, in fact, all cars purchased in Europe will be compulsorily fitted with DAB (actually DAB+) and also FM systems.