News

DAB+ is delivering on all fronts for the European countries who have adopted this digital radio standard. That was the message delivered by WorldDAB President Patrick Hannon as he opened the WorldDAB Summit 2022 on Nov. 17. Held in person this year at Kings Place, King’s Cross in London and online, the summit is WorldDAB’s annual flagship event. Hannon opened his “WorldDAB Global Update” by declaring that radio itself plays a really important role in the lives of European citizens. “Eighty-five of Europeans listen to radio every week,” he said. “Ninety percent of car buyers say that radio should be standard in every vehicle. And radio is the medium most trusted by European citizens for 12 years in a row.”

When it comes to listenership and market share, UK live radio is experiencing a “sonic boom” of success; however, the UK government needs to step in to ensure the industry’s future survival in an increasingly online/smart speaker world. That was the gist of Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton’s talk, entitled “Powering the Sonic Boom,” at the WorldDAB Summit 2022 on Nov. 17 in London. Radiocentre is a UK commercial radio industry association. WorldDAB is the global industry forum for DAB digital radio.

Three E’s — economics, environment and emergencies — will drive the case for DAB+ adoption, said WorldDAB President, Patrick Hannon, opening the organisation’s annual Summit in London on Thursday. “DAB+ offers lower costs of distribution than FM, coupled with lower energy requirements, and greater resilience in emergencies, especially out of home,” said Hannon. “It’s essential to protect the core benefits of broadcast radio - it’s free to air, universal and reliable in emergencies. DAB+ is key to securing this,” he added.

By the end of 2024, all local public broadcasters in the Netherlands will be received via DAB+, the digital successor to FM. The government will make extra money available for this in the near future. This will allow local broadcasters to continue to reach and serve their audience well in the future. Marc Visch, director-director of NLPO, the sector organisation of Dutch local public broadcasters, said: "Anyone who buys a digital radio today, and thus switches from FM to DAB+, will no longer be able to receive local broadcasting. It is therefore very good news that the government recognises this problem and is willing to invest extra in maintaining the accessibility of local radio."

After one year, RTI cz has completed the construction of one of its largest sites - the Čerchov transmitter in Domažlice. After the sites Klatovy-Doubrava, Plzeň-Sylván, Javorník and Jáchymov-Klínovec, Čerchov has become another strategic point for the development and dissemination of digital radio broadcasting. Construction began in July 2021 and was fully completed on 11 November this year. It is a 25-metre high conical mast with a container for broadcast technology next to it. The site is equipped with a backup power source and a modern surveillance system for all technology.

Radio station HITZZZ!!! can now be received throughout Friesland via DAB+ on channel 5A, it has announced. HITZZZ!!! could already be heard via DAB+ in Groningen and Drenthe. In those provinces, the station can also be heard via FM in Groningen, Assen and Winschoten. According to the station, many responses to the broadcasts also came in from Friesland. For listeners in this province, the radio station can be heard on digital. The radio station broadcasts via the regional network in Friesland on channel 5A with a broadcast quality of 96 kbps.

DAB+ arrives in Veneto, with the activation of the first local mux. From Wednesday 16 November, Veneto Dab has been receivable in various parts of the region. Broadcasting takes place on channel 8B. Within it, there are several broadcasters, some of which are still in silent carrier. Here is a list of the stations available: Radio Wow, Radio Bellla & Monella, Channel 20, Radio Onda 7, Radio Voce nel Deserto, Radio Palazzo Carli, Radio Padova, Radio 80, Radio Asiago, Radio Birikina, Radio Company, Radio Cortina, Radio Gelosa, Radio Marilù, Radio Piterpan, Radio Sorrriso, Radio Sound, Radio Verona, Radio Vita, Radio Piave inBlu, Stella FM.

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.