News

A new study by radio manufacturer Pure says millions more Brits have turned to radio, regarding it as a trusted source of breaking news and instant information. And it’s the younger audience who are tuning in more, with 62% of 18-34s suggesting they are listening more than pre-pandemic. 27% of 18-34s are listening to the radio on a traditional radio device due to convenience, with 19% suggesting it is more accessible and 17% suggesting the sound is better than on other devices.

Five more radio stations have joined the DAB+ local multiplex in Warsaw. The National Broadcasting Council (Krrit) is running a competition for 12 seats on the nationwide DAB+ multiplex. New players may apply for a licence for a general or specialised programme, with the possibility to extend the DAB+ licence for radio stations with at least 8 stations reaching at least 3 million inhabitants. These conditions are met by several radio groups. Applications can be submitted until the beginning of April this year.

Two announcements by the Chairman of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) appeared in Monitor Polski about the possibility of obtaining a license to broadcast radio programmes in the DAB+ standard on the national DAB+ multiplex (Mux R1) using frequencies in the 174-230 MHz range.

A new Community DAB Handbook will offer help to any community media organisations, community businesses, and social entrepreneurs looking to apply for a small-scale DAB multiplex in the UK. The Handbook has been produced in the context of the rollout of small-scale DAB across the UK and the opportunity this new tier of digital broadcasting presents as a community asset and as a platform for community digital sound programming services. The Handbook explains the background to DAB, the relevance of community ownership models, and the new legal and regulatory framework for small-scale DAB.

Radio Kraków Culture is a digital themed channel from Radio Kraków, launched in early 2022. The new music and journalism station is for listeners interested in culture and cultural life in the Krakow region. The programme includes features on literature, fine arts, theater and dance, as well as musicals and films.

A total of 33 commercial and four non-commercial organizers took part in the call for entries. The next meeting of the Media Council will take place on March 1st, 2022, and the DAB+ tendering process is on the agenda. The approved organizers will then be announced in a press release. The start of services depends on how quickly a network operator can be selected and the transmitter networks can be set up.

DAB+ is now in 90% of new cars sold in France. In October 2021 France launched two new national multiplexes broadcasting 25 DAB+ stations, including national services from Radio France and leading private broadcasters. The new multiplexes are broadcast along the major motorway corridors of Paris-Lyon-Marseille.

DAB+ is offering a real plus in programme variety in Germany. A good example is Joke FM - distributed digitally, via DAB+ and IP, and already with a solid following. Broadcast daily, the 24 comedy programme features 50% spoken word and 50% popular music, featuring comedy series, interviews and newcomers from the comedy and cabaret scene.

Statistics for the consumer electronics year 2021 in Norway have been published by the Electronics Industry Foundation. Total turnover in Norway for digital radio products in 2021 remained steady at 572,000.

DAB+ radio came as standard in 95% of new vehicles sold in key European markets in 2021, reflecting the implementation into national legislature of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC). Several EU countries surveyed for the first time are already on a par with more established DAB+ markets and had a high percentage of new vehicles sold with DAB+ fitted standard, notably Austria (with 94% of new vehicles sold in 2021 having DAB+ as standard), the Czech Republic (93%), Poland (92%) and Spain (91%).