News

This week's one-hour webinar "Broadcast radio's role in cars of the future" took a closer look at the data behind the research headlines of the recent Car Buyers Survey conducted by Edison Research, to get a deeper understanding of the behaviours, trends and entertainment features that are driving the car buyer’s decision making. The full webinar is now available to watch on catchup on the WorldDAB YouTube channel.

The Electronic Media Agency published details at the end of last year on the launch of the first Croatian nationwide DAB+ multiplex, which would cover the entire country. A total of six documents for this public tender were published on the Agency website. These included the Concession Notice, the tender documents, the Feasibility Study itself and also the required technical parameters.

WorldDAB has compiled a list of vehicle makes and models for which a fully integrated aftermarket DAB solution is available, providing clarity on which vehicles it is technically possible to add a fully integrated DAB aftermarket solution.

Network operator DABCOM has started broadcasting 10 radio stations on a local DAB+ multiplex launched in Częstochowa. This is the fourth Polish city to have launched DAB+ multiplexes with regular services, following earlier launches in the cities of Tarnów, Toruń and Rzeszów.

maRadio.be is organising a morning devoted to digital radio in all its various forms on 16 February from 09h-11h CET. The event will mark the modernity of radio as a medium, consumed every week by 80% of the Belgian population.The results of the latest maRadio Ipsos study on the consumption of DAB+ in French-speaking Belgium will be presented at this event.

The expansion of the ongoing DAB+ trial in Bangkok Thailand was announced at the WorldDAB Technical Group meeting on December 9, 2021. With this development, the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand (NBTC) is set to coordinate the construction of 10 new transmission sites which include both National and Local DAB+ layers. This expansion will include the areas and cities of Chang Mai in the north, Khonkaen and Nakhon Ratchasima in the northeast, Pattaya and Chonburi adjacent to Bangkok, and Songkhla, Nakhon Thammarat, and the tourist centre of Phuket in the south.

At the end of this month, the Slovak Radio and Television will switch off the medium-wave transmitter on Rimavská Sobota. Only the stations in Nitra and Čižatice will continue to operate. The public broadcaster is also considering turning off the AM signal at these locations, to be partially replaced by the DAB+ network.

The Bulgarian regulator - the Communications Regulatory Commission - has held a positive meeting on the implementation of DAB+. Participants included representatives from CRC, the Electronic Media Council, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the radio industry body ABBRO. As a next step, ABBRO expressed its readiness to provide legal and practical proposals and information on good practices on successful deployments of DAB+ in Europe and from around the world.

The Flemish Regulator for Media (VRM) has approved all five submitted local DAB+ pilot projects. After payment of the broadcasting licence fee (100 euros per broadcasting location), VRM issues the licences. They will come into effect on 1 February and will be valid for a year, and may be extended pending the final frequency plan for local DAB+. A total of 63 local radios will participate.

Oldie Antenne, previously a web radio station from Antenne Bayern "Antenna Bayern Oldies but Goldies", has announced its launch date via DAB+ digital radio. The new station will be available via DAB+ in Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland from February 1, 2022, according to the station's website.