News

Almost a year since the launch of the first small-scale DAB multiplex in Tynemouth and South Shields, 148 stations are now broadcasting across the UK, increasing choice for local listeners. Small-scale DAB is an innovative technology which provides a low-cost way for local commercial, community and specialist radio stations to broadcast on digital radio. Some of the brand-new local interest stations serving their communities are Salisbury Radio, Winchester Today, Rother Radio (Sheffield & Rotherham), Radio West Norfolk (King’s Lynn) and Central Radio (Blackpool). Not-for-profit community stations that were previously only able to broadcast on AM or FM have also begun broadcasting on digital. These include Radio Cardiff, Drive 105 (Derry/Londonderry), Radio Tyneside, Cambridge 105, Switch Radio (Birmingham), Black Country Radio, Future Radio (Norwich) and Akash Radio (Leeds).

The Millennium group's second network, present on FM in some areas of upper Lombardy, has been connected to DAB+. Broadcasting takes place via MediaDab, the mux present on channel 7C, which is broadcast in various parts of the region. For Millennium 2, therefore, this is a considerable increase in coverage - via digital radio - that now allows it to reach cities such as Milan, Bergamo and Brescia.

In Belgium, the new national DAB+ campaign, developed by the agency Plan B, has started. It will be broadcast until 31 December on all French-speaking TV channels (RTL, RTBF, LN24 and BX1) and on the back of buses in Brussels and Wallonia. This campaign will also be reinforced by a national radio campaign during the same period. The maradio.be collective has chosen to highlight the advantages of DAB+, the sound quality and the diversity of stations.

Fix Radio has published its own listening figures saying the station has grown its audience reach by 80% since going national on DAB in May. According to figures from Nielsen, Fix Radio reached 146,592 tradespeople each week in October. The station reached 211,092 over the month. Fix Radio, which doesn’t take part in RAJAR, says this could be as high as 239,543 when you take into account people who are within earshot of a radio on their work site. Previously, when broadcasting as a regional DAB station in London and Manchester, the radio station’s own research estimated its weekly reach at 85,000 tradespeople. “This is a significant milestone for Fix Radio as we continue to build our national brand,” said company CEO and founder, Louis Timpany.

The test transmission of the DAB+ multiplex with local coverage was launched in Łódź on 10 November, confirmed Dorota Ostrowska, sales manager for broadcasting services at PSN Infrastruktura, in an interview with Wirtualnemedia.pl. According to the website of the Office of Electronic Communications, the digital radio multiplex in the city will be able to broadcast until 1 August 2023. In the Lodz region, PSN Infrastruktura is also the operator of a public multiplex containing the nationwide programmes of Polskie Radio and Polskie Radio Lodz.

As the natural leader of DAB+ digital broadcasting, Public Radio has launched the next phase of its information campaign to promote the technology. The campaign works with a new key visual that focuses on the individual benefits of DAB+. Czech Radio has abandoned the concept of the old vs. new radio visual. The timing of the campaign this time is scheduled for November and December. The main part of the campaign will be set in the environment of online and print media, advertising media in the metro and content cooperation will also take place with Prima TV.

From Wednesday 16 November, VIBE Radio can be heard on FM in the Amsterdam region, and also nationwide via DAB+. The station will start using Ujala Radio's FM frequency, which will then only be heard via digital airwaves (DAB+). Coverage via DAB+ will also be expanded in the process. Besides the provinces of North Holland and Flevoland, the station for the Hindustani community can also be heard via DAB+ in South Holland and Zeeland from then.

Radio Proglas is one of the entities that have long supported the development of DAB+ digital broadcasting in the Czech Republic. The current form of distribution in the Teleko and RTI cz multiplexes has so far brought only limited coverage, but the station team plans to change this in the future. From next year, Proglas plans to support the development of private networks in other parts of the Czech Republic. "Proglas operates two strong and fourteen weaker FM transmitters, the VHF band is exhausted. But the future is ours: Just as television has switched from analogue to digital, radio has a great digital option: DAB+. It has 20 DAB+ transmitters and more are on the horizon as soon as the CTU (Czech Telecommunications Office, ed.) issues licences for DAB+ networks," Radio Proglas informs its listeners in the current issue of Katolicý týdeník.

We’re delighted to have four new members join WorldDAB. We’re welcoming: Italian local DAB+ network operator MEDIA DAB S.C.A.R.L.; German professional equipment manufacturer RFmondial, who offer innovative hardware and software products and services for the digital broadcasting industry; American car audio, home and personal audio manufacturer Kicker Audio; and professional equipment manufacturer and system integrator Sumatronic AG. They join over 110 member organisations bringing together 1500+ digital radio experts from 33 countries across the world in WorldDAB.

More carmakers are getting behind Xperi’s DTS AutoStage hybrid radio infotainment platform. The company, in releasing its third-quarter financial highlights, said that it has launched DTS AutoStage with Hyundai, Genesis, Kia and an unnamed manufacturer of electric vehicles, expanding its footprint in the connected car market. This news was listed by Xperi as one of its key operating achievements of the quarter. Mercedes-Benz Group had been the only public automotive partner until now, but Xperi Senior Vice President, Global Radio & Digital Audio Joe D’Angelo told Radio World last month that at least two major carmakers were in the process of downloading DTS AutoStage via their software updates to cars already in the field. He said then that Xperi expected to add five carmakers in the next 12 to 24 months.