News

The DAB+ transmitter switch-on in the Hermannsburg region, originally planned for autumn 2022, will probably now take place in the second quarter of 2023. Instead, trial operation of filler transmitters with new technology (SFN repeaters) has begun in Celle and Wolfsburg in order to improve indoor reception in these towns. Subject to the necessary approval procedures, NDR is planning further expansion of DAB+ in the following regions in spring 2023: Papenburg region; Northeast Rügen region (Wittow and Jasmund peninsulas as well as Binz); Usedom East region (incl. Bansin, Heringsdorf, Ahlbeck) Rendsburg region; Kappeln region (incl. Gelting, Maasholm, Olpenitz).

The north-eastern region of Vorpommern around towns such as Pasewalk, Anklam, Ueckermünde and the south of the island of Usedom can look forward to more choice in DAB+ digital radio. On 5 December, Media Broadcast switched on the Torgelow transmitter in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald for the first nationwide multiplex (channel 5C) with four stations from Deutschlandradio and nine private stations. The transmitter operates with a power of 5 kW.

WP Radio (owned by Wirtualna Polska) has started broadcasting in DAB+ technology in seven cities. It has started simultaneous broadcasting in DAB+ in all locations covered by the licences of the National Broadcasting Council: in Warsaw, Tarnow, Poznan, Torun, Rzeszow, Katowice and Czestochowa. The licences were granted to the radio station in 2020 and test broadcasts were carried out, in cooperation with broadcasting networks, in several locations last year. "The path taken by many stations in Western Europe also inspires our WP Radio. We do not intend to compete with FM stations, but as Wirtualna Polska we always believe in the sense of looking for new ways," says Aleksandra Karpińska-Gugała, head of the Open FM platform.

Digitalradio Österreich, which has set itself the goal of promoting and developing digital radio in Austria, has a new chairman: Roman Gerner, managing director at radio klassik Stephansdom, is taking over the agendas of Wolfgang Struber, who has been appointed managing director of Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH (RTR). Currently, 28 domestic DAB+ radio programmes can be received in Austria, and the number of listeners and receivers is steadily increasing. Roman Gerner explains: "I would like to thank my predecessor, who initiated the positive development of digital radio in Austria. The signals from the European Union are clear, as are the advantages of DAB+. Now we want to spread DAB+ even more in Austria, because it is the future of radio."

Ash Elford of UK DAB Networks recently launched the small-scale DAB multiplex in Basingstoke – but it didn’t all go to plan. Here’s what happened in his own words. “There’s nothing like a deadline to focus the mind. When I took control of the Basingstoke and Winchester DAB licences in July 2022 from Nation Broadcasting (having divested my initial shareholding to Nation in December 2021), I had a lot of work to do. Ofcom is very firm that small-scale multiplexes must be launched within 18 months of licence award... ”

The Exeter small-scale DAB multiplex has officially launched in the city with eight services now live. It is operated by ExeDab, led by Radio Exe and Exeter’s community station Phonic FM. The ExeDab network is broadcast from three transmitter sites: the Exeter College tower in the city centre, Hilltop Riding School in the Pennsylvania area, and at Cranbrook Education Centre.

A new survey in key UK constituencies finds 75% of voters want their MP to actively support the continued provision of digital terrestrial TV (Freeview) and broadcast radio. As the cost of living continues to rise, 8 in 10 people value traditional TV and radio as an affordable form of entertainment for their families. The coalition behind the Broadcast 2040+ campaign has written to Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, to urge the Government to protect traditional TV and radio services to 2040 and beyond. In the letter, Arqiva CEO Shuja Khan said: "Broadcast TV and radio are part of the daily routine of tens of millions of people across the UK – nine out of ten adults listen to radio at least once a week and nearly half the households in the UK regularly access television through an aerial. These services bind us together as a people, whether it is through national moments that matter like the Queen’s State Funeral and Jubilee or celebrating national success like the Women’s Euro Final."

The next nationwide warning day is on 8 December 2022. The aim is to alert the population to warnings in crisis situations. On the joint action day of the federal government, the federal states and the municipalities, all available warning means are to be tested at 11 am. These include radio and television, warning apps, digital boards, loudspeaker trucks and sirens. Radio broadcasters Radio Brocken and radio SAW will repeatedly use the nationwide warning day to trigger an EWF test alarm on DAB+ channel 11C. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits and the Media Authority Saxony-Anhalt, a test announcement will be heard on 08.12.2022 at 11:00 and text information will be shown on the radio display.

On 5 December, during a live broadcast from Bristol Beacon, community radio stations in the Greater Bristol area will start broadcasting on DAB Digital Radio. This is a landmark moment, making it easier for more local people to find and listen to their community radio stations. Bristol and Severnside Digital Radio were founded as community interest companies to apply for and run digital radio services for community radio stations in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. They have been awarded licences by Ofcom and have worked with local organisations to create a digital radio network which covers over 530,000 people. The surplus from operating the network provides a new source of funding for community-based media. All of the stations will now have much wider and more consistent coverage than they currently have on FM, and will be listed on digital radios alongside other national and regional radio stations. In Bristol, where over 70% of listeners listen to DAB Digital Radio alongside a continuing decline in FM radio listening, making the move to digital is important so that people can continue to find their local and community stations.

The non-commercial station FSK (Freies Sender Kombinat) can now be heard again in the greater Hamburg area via digital radio DAB+. It is broadcasting in the second private radio ensemble on channel 12C. This means that the FM landscape from Hamburg is now completely mapped on DAB+. All analogue FM radio stations from the Hanseatic city can now also be heard digitally terrestrially.