News

The Agency for Communications Networks and Services (Akos) has issued Radio Slovenia with decisions on the allocation of radio frequencies for the R4 and R5 multiplexes, i.e. the T-DAB+ digital terrestrial broadcasting networks in the whole territory of Slovenia. RTV Slovenia, which was the only bidder in the tender, has now become the operator of two more digital radio networks. RTV Slovenija already operates Slovenia's first DAB+ digital radio network, the R1 multiplex, which is available throughout Slovenia, a second network, or the R2 multiplex, which is divided into east and west, and the R3 network, which is available in central Slovenia, Akos said. The company will have to start operating the R4 multiplex within 199 days and the R5 multiplex within 249 days after the decisions have been notified.

Telecomms companies RTI cz and Teleko digital are distributing their multiplexes for the Czech capital from a new transmitting antenna. This is according to information available to the Digital Radio portal. The new mast is located on the roof of the Spartakiada stadium in Strahov. The switchover of the original to the new DAB+ transmitter took place on Monday afternoon, the short outage lasted only a few minutes. The connection to the large antenna at the Strahov stadium is mainly a preparation of the first-named company for the launch of the Strahov transmitter on channel 8D - the existing licence for channel 5A expires at the end of the year.

The shooting star of the current Media-Analyse ma 2024 Audio II will also delight Saarlanders with "Xtreme Party Music" in future. The music mix of rock, 90s dance and party hits is unique in the Saar-Lor-Lux region. Harald Gehrung, CEO of the ffn-mediengruppe: "I am personally very pleased that RADIO BOLLERWAGEN can now also be heard in my old home region. I lived in Saarbrücken for almost 15 years and know for a fact that almost no other region parties as well as Saarland." Mathias Bartels, Editor-in-Chief of RADIO BOLLERWAGEN: "The Saarland stands for joie de vivre and pure enjoyment - we are very proud to be part of this culture with the RADIO BOLLERWAGEN team from now on and will raise a glass to this with a delicious Zwickel!"

Milan-based antenna technology manufacturer Aldena has marked its 45th year in business with the acquisition of Delta Meccanica, a manufacturer of RF coaxial passive components. Aldena says this milestone anniversary and acquisition highlight the company’s commitment to future growth and expansion. The acquisition of Delta Meccanica follows years of collaboration and represents a step in Aldena’s growth strategy. Delta Meccanica has a reputation in filters and combiners engineering solutions. By integrating Delta Meccanica into its operations, Aldena diversifies its portfolio and enhances its capability to offer comprehensive solutions.

Sky News Australia extends the reach of Sky News Radio, bringing the live audio stream of its Sky News television channel to listeners of DAB digital radio in metropolitan markets Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Tim Love, Sky News Australia Head of Digital, said: “This year we’ve continued to grow our multiplatform offering and our launch into digital radio is another fantastic avenue that enables our network to extend the reach of our news, opinion and documentary programming to more Australians.” Sky News Australia is Australia’s premier multiplatform news network and leading provider of 24-hour television news and opinion content reaching more than 11 million Australians each month. It is the number one most engaging digital news brand in the country.

Advances in digital technology are shifting the behaviour of audiences in listening to radio broadcasts. Responding to the dynamics of disruption due to technology, Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi encouraged Public Broadcasting Institution (LPP) Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) to implement digitalisation. "Disruption to the broadcasting industry presents a challenge for radio people to maintain their existence. This gives urgency to the radio broadcasting industry to adapt to technological developments," he said in a Public Discussion on "Challenges and Opportunities of Radio Broadcasting Digitalisation" organised by LPP RRI in Central Jakarta, on 1 August. He notes a key step was optimising the development of the digital radio ecosystem through the utilisation of LPP RRI's infrastructure. This includes the adoption of the DAB+ technology standard.

The share of digital radio listeners is slowly approaching twenty percent. Eighteen percent of listeners used the DAB+ platform in the first half of this year. This was shown by the results of Radioprojekt, an official measurement of the popularity of Czech radio stations, presented on 7 August. The development of new radio multiplexes with commercial radio, the expansion of coverage and especially activities related to the development of DAB+ will be key to strengthening this digital platform on the Czech market. Currently, 18 per cent of listeners who said that their reception is provided by a conventional receiver or car radio use digital terrestrial radio. (Up from 17% last year, and 11% in 2021.)

Anna Maria Genzano, head of corporate relations for the RTL 102.5 group, speaks to Newslinet about hot topics for the radio sector, such as: radio prominence, questionable automotive choices, the interference of over-the-top platforms on radio content, the limits of profiling that instead of favouring the user fences him off, the role of aggregators, the increased offer of DAB, the survey of digital natives' listeners, and the struggle of regulators and legislators to keep up with an increasingly dynamic market. "On compulsory DAB+ in cars, some may be violating the rule, and I won't hide the fact that over the past year and a half we have received several reports from very annoyed drivers. These complaints are a clear demonstration of how DAB+ radio (and radio in general) in cars is requested by users and is irreplaceable," she says.

TELEKO DAB has announced: "from 7 August 2024, you will tune our digital radio multiplex on the new definitive channel 10D. A powerful transmitter with a radiated power of 2 kW has been put into operation from Lysá hora in the Beskydy Mountains. This will significantly improve the signal in the northeastern Czech Republic. We ask all listeners within range of the Beskydy transmitter to retune their desktop DAB+ radio receivers via AUTOTUNE or FACTORY RESET. For most car radios the retune will occur automatically."

KISS further invests in its digital distribution with the launch of a brand-new national station, KISSTORY R&B, and is also set to boost the reach of KISS Fresh and KISS Dance in London by adding it to DAB+ in the capital. KISS brand extension, KISSTORY is one of the biggest digital stations in the UK with 2.4 million listeners every week and a number of hugely pop events from Ibiza to the UK, including last month’s sellout KISSTORY on Blackheath in London. New spin-off KISSTORY R&B will allow listeners a deeper dive into the defining R&B cuts of the Old Skool & Anthems genre playing songs from Usher, Destiny’s Child, Craig David and Mary J Blige and more. KISSTORY R&B will be available later this year nationally on DAB+, with news on the presenting line-up to follow.