News

Rising Energy Costs Could Spur Digital MigrationAs energy costs rise, Deutschlandradio Director Stefan Raue sees a further reason to hasten an FM switch-off for Germany. “We will not be able to afford two terrestrial distribution channels in the long run. The signs are clearer than two or three years ago,” Raue told German press agency dpa, according to Hadelsblatt. “FM is an energy guzzler.”

A radio service is launching in the UK from the Belgian electronic dance music festival called Tomorrowland. A long term partnership has been agreed between the music festival organisers and Like Media Group to put its station, One World Radio, on DAB in parts of the UK. The DAB rollout begins on the 1st July, and the service will also launch in Malta and Spain.

Fourteen percent of the Czech population currently listens to radio via DAB+. This follows from the latest results of Radioprojekt, which were presented at the meeting of the Czech Radio Council by representatives of the Public Media Research Department. Compared to the first half of the year, there was an increase of three percentage points. The presentation shows that 1.242 million people listened to DAB+ in the first quarter, which is an increase of 242,000 compared to the first half of last year. The popularity of the technology is thus growing and it has already surpassed the popularity of receiving radio broadcasts via television, which is currently at twelve percent, while DAB+ boasts fourteen.

Javier Sánchez, a member of the Radio Committee of the European Broadcasting Union raises concerns that Google is planning the future car entertainment system without taking into account the radio sector. "What could happen if the future of car radio ended up depending exclusively on Google, in the form of Android Automotive? (Spoiler: not good)," Sánchez says. "Because in Android Automotive there is no radio screen, but rather multiple buttons in the Media area. And one of those buttons is the radio button, sharing an area with aggregators..."

Digital radio (DAB) will be launching in West Norfolk in the autumn, using two transmitters based in Lynn to "provide solid coverage". The digital radio multiplex for West Norfolk will be operated by a new consortium comprising the owners of the existing DAB services in Norwich and Cambridge and could result in up to 30 new stations. Director of North Norfolk Digital, and one of those overseeing the project, James Keen said: "It will be exciting and long overdue, with lots of choice. We will be launching in the autumn, using two transmitters to provide solid coverage of King’s Lynn and the surrounding area."

Phare FM is a rare entity in radio — a flexible network of Christian radio stations that serves French speakers in three countries. It started as Radio Phare (“lighthouse”) in Mulhouse, Alsace, close to the borders with Germany and Switzerland, on the initiative of a group of Christians under Pastor Bruno Léonardi. With the arrival of DAB+ in France, Phare FM saw opportunities to expand its coverage and started digital broadcasting in 2013.

Nation Broadcasting is adding Breezy Radio to DAB in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. Nation’s Managing Director Martin Mumford said: “The south is a key, fast-growing market for Nation Broadcasting. Breezy Radio will complement our existing services and extend the commercial and marketing opportunities we can offer our growing customer base in the region.”

The NDR puts another DAB+ transmitter into operation in the Harz Mountains (Hohegeiss), which transmits on block 6C (185.360 MHz). Radio listeners in Braunlage, Zorge and Hohegeiss can now receive NDR radio programs indoors via modern digital radio and thus in even better quality. At the same time, the DAB+ coverage on the B27 between Bad Lauterberg and Braunlage and on the B4 between Braunlage and Niedersachswerfen will be improved. The DAB+ range of stations also includes NDR offers such as NDR 1 Niedersachsen, NDR 2, NDR Kultur, NDR Info and N-JOY, which are also broadcast on FM. In addition, the digital radio station NDR Schlager, NDR Blue and NDR Info Spezial can be heard exclusively.

WorldDAB - the global industry forum for DAB digital radio - has released detailed guidelines for automotive manufacturers and digital radio broadcasters to ensure that visuals and text produced for in-vehicle screens minimise any potential distraction for the driver. The new Driver Distraction guidelines have been produced with expert input from both the automotive and broadcast sectors, to ensure displays are safe for drivers while still providing the information listeners expect to see on their digital radio display. The guidelines cover four key areas for in-vehicle visuals: legibility, relevance, frequency and local legislation. It also offers example visuals, showing how the guidelines can be used to design images for the car, and operational considerations to prevent updates and display functionality becoming distracting for drivers.

For the 1st DAB+ federal mux, a new transmitter was activated on 15 June in Pfaffenhofen/Ilm in Bavaria, according to the transmitter network operator Media Broadcast. The multiplex's program package includes Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Deutschlandfunk Nova, Deutschlandfunk Documents and Debates as well as nine private radio stations (Absolut Relax, ENERGY, ERF Plus, Klassik Radio, Radio BOB!, Radio Horeb, Radio Schlagerparadies, Schwarzwaldradio, sunshine live). On 16 June, the NDR will activate the Hohegeiss location in the Harz Mountains for its Lower Saxony DAB+ network. It is broadcast on channel 6C (regional coverage of Braunschweig). According to NDR, the new transmitter enables indoor reception in Braunlage, Zorge and Hohegeiss. In addition, the DAB+ coverage on the B27 between Bad Lauterberg and Braunlage and on the B4 between Braunlage and Niedersachswerfen will be optimised. NDR 1 Lower Saxony, NDR 2, NDR Kultur, NDR Info, N-JOY and the digital programs NDR Schlager, NDR Blue and NDR Info Spezial are broadcast.