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Broadcast Partners has launched the new national commercial DAB+ network; 13 radio stations can now be received on it. It will be broadcast on channel 9C. The radio stations broadcasting on the new network are Joe 70s & 80s, Kink, Kink Classics, K-Rock, Sunlite , Sublime CLX, Qmusic Non-stop, Qmusic Top 40, Radio Maria, Sky Nice & Easy, 538 Classics, Radio 10 80s Hits and Vintage Veronica.

As the ways consumers can access audio in the car continue to expand, automakers are looking at ways to find a balance between choice, safety, reliability and intuition. “One of the things that we think a lot about is finding that balancing act between giving customers choice – the kinds of things that they want to do, safety – we want the driver to focus on driving – but at the same time, we also want it to be intuitive,” says Albert Choi, who leads connect and journey services for Ford’s Smart Mobility division. On the latter point, radio scores high, Choi said this week at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. “Radio is super intuitive – you turn it on, and it works great. We don't have that in some of the other methods, right? So we think about how we have reliability, how do we create an intuitive experience, yet to be able to balance that with where folks are able to choose the way that they want to consume audio.”

Newslinet interviews Eugenio la Teana, head of innovation at RTL 102.5, member of the Steering Board of WorldDAB and Country Manager of Radioplayer. "Obviously, the digital offer is increasing thanks to the renewal of the car fleet: those who buy a new vehicle find themselves in possession of a DAB offer that in addition to having a quality of the best features of the FM also offers a superior choice in terms of of content," says la Teana.

The government of the United Kingdom has published its response to the Radio & Audio Review alongside its wider White Paper on broadcasting ‘Up Next.’ The government response to the Digital Radio and Audio Review outlines its position on the Review’s overall key findings and responds in detail to those of the Review’s 42 recommendations calling for specific government action.

The commercial radio industry has warned of irreparable damage to Australian media businesses due to the expansion and market dominance of tech giants. In a submission to the ACCC, peak industry body Commercial Radio Australia has called for urgent regulations to stem the anti-competitive behaviour of big tech. CRA chief executive officer Ford Ennals said the need for rapid reform can’t be overstated. “Australian media business are suffering significant harm as they compete with tech giants for advertising and consumer attention,” he said. “We are calling for mandatory codes to regulate the business behaviour of the big four - Google, Meta, Apple and Amazon.”

With the commissioning of a new DAB+ transmitter in Neustrelitz, modern digital radio with the NDR radio stations is now also possible indoors in Wesenberg and Neustrelitz. The NDR stations can also be received in-vehicle on federal roads 96, 193 and 198, as well as on all other roads in this region up to the state border to Brandenburg. Reception is via block 10C (213.36 MHz). The DAB+ range of stations also includes the NDR offers, which are also broadcast via FM, such as NDR 1 Radio MV, NDR 2, NDR Kultur, NDR Info and N-JOY. In addition, the digital radio stations NDR Schlager, NDR Blue and NDR Info Spezial can be heard exclusively.

Groups from across the UK are submitting applications for the third round of small-scale DAB licensing. Small-scale DAB is an innovative technology which provides a low-cost way for local commercial, community and specialist music services to take to the digital airwaves.

Eighteen years after Belgian soul and jazz station CROOZE FM started broadcasting on 104.2 FM, the station is now getting a second life as CROOZE! with a DAB+ channel covering Brussels and the Flanders region. CROOZE returned to the (digital) airwaves on Easter Monday.

Speaking to RadioInfo at NABShow in Las Vegas, Commercial Radio Australia’s Head of Digital, Jaime Chaux says: "where we’re up to now is that there is a greater sense of comfort amongst Australian broadcasters in giving DAB a red hot go, with a particularly pleasing example with the launch of DAB on the Gold Coast two weeks ago, and also you’ll find more and more DAB stations, there’s now a bunch of them now with live programming."

DPG is putting radio station Joe on DAB+ three years after its launch in the Netherlands. The classic hits station can be received on DAB+ from 1st May. Joe adjusted its banner on Facebook, which now states that the station will be on DAB+ from 1 May. In addition, the format has been adapted to hits from the 70s and 80s.