News

Ofcom has announced the winners of the small-scale DAB multiplex licenses for Bedford, Coventry and Swansea. They go to In2DAB Limited (Bedford), Coventry Community Digital Radio CIC (formerly Spark FM Limited) and Swansea DAB Limited. Simon McAusland, Chief Executive of Radio Plus says “As more and more people are now listening to radio via digital platforms, it’s vital that Community Radio doesn’t get left behind. With the introduction of these new Small Scale DAB Multiplex Licences, Ofcom has shown that they recognise, understand, and are addressing many of the challenges that community radio stations face. If successful, we hope that our new community-owned multiplex model could become a blueprint for future licences.”

The decision has been made to set up a regionalised DAB+ platform in the northernmost federal state with almost three million inhabitants in the near future. The Media Council of the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein Media Authority (MA HSH) decided yesterday to allocate the tendered DAB+ transmission capacities to Media Broadcast GmbH as the platform operator. The assignment was preceded by a constructive mutual agreement process between the three applicants, moderated by the MA HSH. Platform operation is planned to start in the first quarter of 2023, and listeners can then look forward to up to 16 new and well-known stations in different formats.

In another of our series of short interviews with WorldDAB members exhibiting at IBC2022, Lars-Peder Lundgren, Marketing Director for the Paneda group says they'll be showcasing DAB Break-In, the latest development for its DAB Head-End platform.

The SwissRadioDay is the largest meeting of the Swiss radio industry, with the 2022 edition taking place next Thursday, 25 August, in in Zurich's Kaufleuten and accompanied by a live video stream. Ahead of his session at the event, Paul Chantler - director of Fix Radio, Podcast Radio and Arena Radio in the UK - told us how DAB+ fuels the growth of niche radio stations.

Like DAB have launched the new DAB multiplex across Glasgow. The new small-scale DAB+ multiplex has launched with an initial 18 services, with more becoming available in the coming weeks. The multiplex has launched via one transmission site at Dundasvale Court, with the second site at Cathcart being online shortly.

"The new Radio Seefunk" can now also be received via DAB+ in the Bavarian Allgäu-Donau-Iller multiplex. The station will be broadcast there on channel 8B. The Konstanz station has been available in Baden-Württemberg since the end of January 2019.

UK media regulator Ofcom has published its fifth annual "Media Nations" report, a research report for industry, policymakers, academics and consumers. The report highlights that "UK local DAB multiplex coverage grew between March 2021 and March 2022 following the launch of local multiplexes in England covering North and West Cumbria and Morecambe Bay, meaning that 92% of UK homes have local DAB coverage, an increase of one percentage point. A local multiplex for the Channel Islands also launched."

Giorgio Guana: The cost of broadcasting FM content is becoming more expensive for broadcasters every day. The cost of energy was already expected to rise across Europe, (for several reasons according to S&P Global Ratings' The Forecast for Europe and Italy, €/MWh) but this increase has become even more real after Russia unexpectedly invaded Ukraine. Broadcasters should now start considering whether to turn off some of their FM transmitters already, especially in areas already well covered by DAB+ signals.

After Radio Norba and Radio Norba Music , the other four thematic networks of the group also enter the DAB+ in Puglia. From Tuesday 16 August, SpaceDab in Bari and MediaDab for Taranto, Lecce and Brindisi (both operating on channel 7B) will host Radio Norba Italiana , Radio Norba Amore , Radio Norba Battiti and Radio Norba Joy .

After more than two months, the experimental multiplex of the PSN Infrastruktura company returned to the ether in Opole. The DAB+ test broadcast covers six radio stations. Before its suspension, 12 stations were broadcast, and the multiplex's coverage was also greater. The new permit issued by UKE allows for testing on DAB+ until June 27, 2023. However, the offer of the reactivated multiplex was reduced. It consists of: Music Radio from Jelenia Góra, Radio Doxa, Radio Profeto, Radio Jasna Góra, Radio Imperium from Gliwice and Radio Safe Travel.