News

Eirewave, the Northern Ireland pop and rock radio station, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its broadcasting reach with the launch of a new small-scale DAB service across Newry, Armagh, and Down. Starting on 15 July 2024, listeners from Belfast to Newry and beyond will enjoy uninterrupted Eirewave broadcasts, thanks to a network of 10 transmitters providing exceptional coverage. Olivier Mauxion, owner of Eirewave, expressed his excitement: “This new coverage is a pivotal step for Eirewave as we continue to grow in Northern Ireland. Our enhanced reach on DAB+ will enable more listeners to enjoy our programmes without interruption. We are committed to engaging with all the multiplexes that will open in Northern Ireland in the future.”

A pioneering step into the future of radio: At its meeting today, the Media Council of the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) extended 48 FM capacities of local, regional and state-wide providers initially until 30 June 2030. All extensions are based on the phased approach set out in the Audio Strategy 2025 for the planned switchover from FM to DAB+. BLM President Dr Thorsten Schmiege: "With these unique, flexible FM extensions for Bavaria, the regional authority is actively shaping the necessary transformation to digital and staying on course for DAB+. At the same time, we are creating reliable framework conditions for a professional, diverse and supportive radio industry. Because one thing is clear: the future of radio is digital."

On 12 July 2024, the DGTEL of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) published, on the Ministry's website, the list of expressions of interest received by the same Ministry of consortium companies admitted to the procedures for the assignment of rights of use of frequencies for the terrestrial digital radio broadcasting service, as per the PNAF-DAB, in relation to the following catchment areas: no. 04B - Autonomous Province of Bolzano; 05 - Veneto; 06 - Friuli Venezia Giulia; 14 - Molise.

Friuli Venezia Giulia DAB, a local DAB+ network operator that is part of the Aeranti-Corallo association system, has activated a second DAB+ transmission system; the station is in Conconello (TS) and operates on block 9B. The system will complement the one already in operation, since last June, at Col Gaiardin (PN). Friuli Venezia Giulia DAB is currently owned by the following local radio stations: Radio Spazio 103; Radio Punto Zero 3 Venezie; Radio Company; Stereo Radio; Radio 80; Radio Padova; Easy Rock; Radio Wow 1; Radio Gelosa; Radio Birikina; Vibra Fm; Radio Marilù; Radio Piterpan; Radio Bellla & Monella; Radio Sorrriso. (FC)

A new consortium has been created to apply for the East Antrim small-scale DAB licence. The team behind East Antrim SSDAB includes Blast106, Belfast 89 and Sunshine 1049 who have already launched the Lagan SSDAB Mux earlier this year covering Greater Belfast. Sean Og Mac Braoin, Launch Coordinator for East Antrim said at the launch of East Antrim SSDAB’s bid earlier this week: “The experience that launching and successfully operating the Greater Belfast DAB Mux puts us in an unrivalled position to guarantee the success of a DAB multiplex for the people of Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey. For radio stations it also means that they can choose to be on the East Antrim Mux only or to expand across the wider region from Lisburn to Larne, something we can uniquely offer.”

DAB Italia, in addition to the numerous activations carried out last year, has activated 21 new systems in the first half of 2024.

Radio MK's Editor-in-chief Holger Jahnke is particularly pleased that his station will soon be able to be heard via DAB+. In order to achieve this goal, the Iserlohn-based station has applied to the State Media Authority for a place on the DAB multiplex. The award procedure is currently underway. If the state media authority in Düsseldorf gives the green light, Radio MK will no longer only be heard on FM in the Märkischer Kreis in future, but also via DAB+ in the entire South Westphalia region, extending beyond Dortmund and into the Ruhr region. "That would be great for commuters in particular. They could then commute to Siegen, Unna, Soest, Hagen or Dortmund, for example, without having to do without their home station on the car radio," says Jahnke about the benefits of the new digital reception technology.

Juan San Ildefonso, director and presenter of the programme "Amigos de la Onda Corta", on Radio Exterior de España, speaks to the journalist, consultant and trainer Gorka Zumeta. "Radio has to decide what it wants to be when it grows up", says Zumeta in reference to the two paths that are currently being considered to guarantee the future sustainability of the medium: the traditional broadcast channel, broadcasting via radio waves, and the digital content distribution channel represented by the Internet. "RNE is leading a process of implementation of DAB+, although it recognises the delay that has been incurred, but its current commitment is absolutely determined, just as it also led, in the 1960s, the arrival of FM in our country," recalls Zumeta.

DAB+, the radio standard of today and the digital successor to FM, will continue to be the most important driver of the digitalisation of radio broadcasting in 2024. Listeners benefit from the continuously growing variety of DAB+ programmes: well over 300 radio stations are available via DAB+ in different regions; over 100 of these are broadcast exclusively digitally. National programme offering: The second platform, the second national multiplex, has been on air since 5 October 2020. Thanks to the commissioning of nine additional transmitter sites, around 59 million people in Germany can now receive the programmes at home. This corresponds to over 70 per cent of the population. The area coverage for mobile reception increases to 82 per cent and supplies more than 73 million people on the move. Along the motorways, mobile reception is then at over 92% with over 11,000 kilometres.

Australian commercial radio continues to experience sustained year-on-year (YOY) growth, according to GfK Survey 4 2024, with 12.4 million listeners tuning in for an average of 12 hours and 47 minutes each week. In-car listeners grew by 5.1% year-on-year, reaching 10.2 million listeners. Over 82% of radio listeners tune in while driving, accounting for 34.9% of all commercial radio listening. “As digital platforms evolve, so does radio's ability to reach audiences. Whether through streaming or traditional broadcasts, radio's adaptability meets diverse listener needs," said Jo Dick, CRA Chief Commercial Officer. Listeners to Commercial DAB+ only stations showed increased engagement, with Time Spent Listening (TSL) extending to 6 hours and 8 minutes. Mornings have experienced a significant lift, with nearly 7% more listeners and TSL extending by 13 minutes year-on-year.