News

Telecommunications operator Towercom has launched a new DAB+ transmitter in the last few hours, which distributes digital radio in VHF band III. The news will certainly please listeners in eastern Slovakia, given that coverage there has improved significantly. According to SatelitnáTV.sk, the Košice - Dubník transmitter is already active, transmitting on channel 10C (213.360 MHz) with a maximum permitted power of 5 kW.

Since 6 December 2022, the Groupement de radios associatives libres en Limousin (Gral), has swapped the traditional FM broadcasting for DAB+. Denis Lespiaut, who has been at the head of the company for 23 years, has succeeded in pooling some fifteen radio services throughout the Limousin region, spread over 25 frequencies. The parent company, which acts like a press agency, has decided to follow the lead of a revolution taking place in the radio world: the end of FM broadcasting in favour of DAB+ (in French, radio numérique terrestre).

Business AM started broadcasting today. The radio station can be heard in Flanders via DAB+ and worldwide via the Internet. "Business AM brings Talk Radio for the digital content seeker. We extract relevant news and insights from today's complex international business environment and bring local and global stories that touch people and influence our society. We are there for progressive professionals, entrepreneurs and creatives, among others. This target group will find specific content related to our 4 pillars of technology, economy, politics and business", Peter Van Oostende, Chief Radio Editor, explained earlier.

Radio FG has started broadcasting in Amiens on DAB+. Maison FG is continuing to develop its radio offering on DAB+ in France with its four stations, FG DJ Radio, FG CHIC, Maxximum and DanceOne. FG has a weekly audience of more than 1.1 million people and 214,600 daily listeners. Radio FG broadcasts in 32 cities on FM and DAB+, including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Monaco-Nice, Toulouse, Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Orléans, Bordeaux, Nancy, Dijon, Caen and Clermont-Ferrand.

Gaydio is now broadcasting in seven more cities across the UK via small-scale DAB multiplexes. The station has been added to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Sheffield in DAB+. Kriss Herbert, Network Content Manager and mid-morning presenter said: "It’s great that Gaydio is going to be bigger than ever before, broadcasting across seven new cities for the first time, meaning that more queer people across the UK can now tune in for the best in LGBTQ+ entertainment, news and of course music."

Ofcom has started awarding small-scale DAB multiplex licences in Round 4 of the awards process today. Glenrothes & Kirkcaldy, Ludlow, and Newport & Chepstow licences were awarded to the only applicants, whilst the two-horse race between Torbay DAB and TorDAB was won by TorDAB.

"From 23rd January, we will no longer be broadcasting on AM radio. Why are you stopping broadcasting on AM? We think we sound better on digital, as it offers a much stronger signal and cuts out background noise. Lots of you agree, which is why nearly all our audience listen to us digitally. Broadcasting on AM requires running an additional transmitter which is environmentally unfriendly and not cost-efficient given the small numbers of those listening here."

The radiated power at some transmitter sites of the private digital radio network "Mein NRW DAB+" was increased in recent weeks. At the Cologne location (Colonius), the radiated power was increased from 6.3 to 10 kW. In Münster (Fernmeldeturm) the power is now also 10 kW. Previously it was 5.6 kW. The radiated power was also increased at the locations in Aachen (Karlshöhe) from 3.2 to 5 kW, in Schöppingen from 5 to 10 kW and in Wesel (Büderich) from 2.5 to 10 kW.

Exeter has a suite of new radio stations broadcasting exclusively to the city and surrounding area, following the launch of a DAB transmitter network. Exeter is one of the first of 25 locations around the country to be selected in the first round of such networks which enable new radio stations to broadcast to relatively small areas. Last year broadcast regulator Ofcom awarded the licence to operate the service to local company ExeDab, which is led by Devon’s commercial station Radio Exe and Exeter’s community station Phonic FM.

In the latest issue of Radio World, NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt talks about his first year on the job with our contributor Randy Stine. The NAB is active in a lot of areas, of course; but it is, foremost, a lobbying and advocacy organisation. For an example of the importance of such work, you don’t have to look further than an announcement in December by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey. Markey is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. He issued a press release saying that he had written to 20 carmakers urging them to maintain broadcast AM radio as a feature in new cars, including electric vehicles.