News

Since 5 October 2011, ANTENNE MAINZ has been broadcasting a 24-hour local radio programme on VHF 106.6 MHz for Mainz and Wiesbaden and the Rheinhessen region. This year, the state capital of Hesse is getting its own radio station: antenne WIESBADEN. In an interview with RADIOSZENE, Managing Director Vittorio Nobile reveals more about the new radio project. "We will start on 2 May 2025 via the DAB+ multiplex for southern Hesse with a technical reach of over 7 million listeners and, of course, the Internet. The Hesse multiplex is perfect for a station in the state capital and does not immediately break up in the car if you leave the city limits. You can reach Koblenz, Aschaffenburg or Mannheim this way without having to change the transmitter in the car."

Kink 90s' distribution on DAB+ is coming to an end. From Saturday (1 February), Kink Distortion will take over the spot on channel 9C, expanding its coverage considerably. Kink 90s will continue to broadcast via the internet, however. Kink 90s has been available on DAB+ since late 2023, taking over from classic rock znder K-Rock at the time. Kink Distortion has been available on DAB+ via MTVNL's network (7D) since November 2022. However, this network has a smaller reach than 9C. From Saturday, Kink Distortion can be heard on DAB+ in almost the whole of the Netherlands. For a fortnight, the metal station can be heard via both 9C and 7D. After that, broadcasts via MTVNL will cease. This spot will most likely be taken by the new radio station Cream.

RadioBus from French-speaking Switzerland is increasing its reach and is now broadcasting via DAB+ on the Romandie Médias SA (RMS) mux. The school programme, which is supported by various cantons, can now be heard on DAB+ channel 10B (French-speaking Switzerland) with the identifier ‘RadioBusRomandie’. This was reported by the industry service DAB Swiss. Until now, the programme has been broadcast on the digris DAB areas of Lausanne (channel 8C), Neuchâtel-Yverdon (channel 10A) and Lower Valais (channel 10D).

At its meeting on 29 January 2025, the Media Council of Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb) decided to invite tenders for several DAB+ transmission capacities for private radio broadcasters. Additionally, for the first time, mabb is launching a parallel funding programme to make it easier for private radio broadcasters to switch to digital distribution channels. ‘With this funding programme, we are supporting the digital transformation of the radio market in Berlin and Brandenburg and are fulfilling our mission as a media authority to provide citizens in the region with diverse local journalistic content across the board,’ says mabb Director Dr Eva Flecken.

Listeners in Pilsen and its surroundings will have the opportunity to tune into the fourth network with digital radios from Saturday 25 January 2025. Joe Media, owned by Miroslav Pýcha, has launched its COLOR DAB+ multiplex on channel 12B with a current power of 300 watts. The transmitter is located in the Černice district of Pilsen. The new network currently broadcasts into a temporary, two-story antenna system with a lower power output of 300 watts. With the arrival of more favourable weather, as Pýcha himself told Digital Radio, Joe Media plans to switch to a four-tier system, with a simultaneous increase to a final 1 kW. In addition to the COLOR DAB+ multiplex, the programme offerings of CRo, CDG regio and RTI cz are now also available in Pilsen.

COLOR DAB+ multiplex has prepared more news for its listeners. Not only has it welcomed a new Americana Radio station focused on American country, but it has also changed its identification for the capital to COLOR DAB+ PHA for easier listener orientation. This change signals the possibility of a different programme offering for each region of the country where the network has received allocations. Americana Radio, the newest addition to the COLOR DAB+ family, has officially launched its broadcast. The station, which specializes in American country music and rock, is now broadcasting with 64 kbps bitrate and EEP 2-B security.

The nationwide radio multiplex C has taken over the Benesov transmitter from Teleko digital and is applying for permission to broadcast in six other localities. In the meantime, Czech Radiokomunikace is preparing the launch of a competing nationwide B network. The coverage of Central Bohemia by the signal of the C-network radio multiplex was improved by RTI cz, which put the transmitter Benešov - Kochánov into operation. On channel 8D, it distributes the Radio Beat, Signal radio, Radio 1, Proglas, Radio 7 and DAB Plus TOP40 programmes with an output of 5 kW. This is the twenty-third transmitter of multiplex C and the operator is planning five more in the near future.

North east DAB service Frisk Radio is launching a service in the north west of England. The dance music station will be on small-scale DAB platforms in central and west Lancashire from April. The move aligns with the mass rollout of digital out-of-home billboards by Frisk Radio’s parent company, Smart Outdoor Media. Stuart Landreth, Director of Frisk Radio said: “We are very excited to introduce the Frisk brand to Lancashire. Our rapid growth, and success in the North East has shown there is a clear demand for an upbeat, dance-music focussed station in local markets.”

Südwestrundfunk SWR recently announced its plans for the DAB+ transmitter network expansion for the year 2025. SWR plans to switch on a total of six new transmitter sites this year and thus further expand the coverage of its programmes on DAB+. The main aim is to close gaps in coverage and improve indoor reception, which is not yet guaranteed to a satisfactory extent everywhere. All of SWR's new DAB+ transmitter sites planned for 2025 are located away from the major conurbations. This means that rural regions will now also be able to enjoy good and reliable DAB+ reception of SWR programmes.

RAS has further expanded its digital radio network. New transmission sites in Lasa, Naturno, Martell and Tires were successfully put into operation. The digital transmitter network of the 15 local private radio stations was also expanded. ‘The expansion of DAB+ is a central component of our strategy to continuously improve radio coverage in South Tyrol,’ said Georg Plattner, Director of RAS. Hugo Moroder, Technical Director of RAS, expresses particular satisfaction that more than 99% of South Tyrol's population can now receive 37 high-quality radio programmes throughout the province via three transmission blocks and a total of 170 DAB+ transmitters.