News

Deutschlandfunk has joined other broadcasters in producing special broadcast related to Covid-19 news, on its Dlf DokDeb (Deutschlandfunk documents and debates) station. The station is available nationwide on DAB+.

Since 1 April 2020, Ami - the French radio station that reports on new developments in the field of technology - is broadcasting on DAB+ in and around Paris. The popular radio station will also be launching on DAB+ in La Rochelle and Poitiers in the near future.

Frontier Smart Technologies is working with the radio industry to launch new services related to the COVID-19 crisis. Frontier based digital radios will automatically show any new DAB stations without the user needing to perform a new scan.

In this time of crisis, we are seeing more and more ways by which DAB+ digital radio is helping broadcasters keep citizens informed and address issues such as loneliness, due to long period of social distancing and self-isolation. WorldDAB President Patrick Hannon details some of these initiatives, and discusses the role of DAB+ radio in helping to manage the crisis caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

In addition to many projects in Germany, which are almost exclusively realised with AVT's systems by their project partners, they have also been able to deliver new DAB headends to the Czech Republic, Spain and Macedonia in recent months. AVT will deliver two more large DAB projects within Europe in the coming months.

According to the latest report published by Media Analyze Audio (ma 2020 Audio I), national stations that are available across the country are becoming increasingly popular amongst listeners on DAB+. The report also indicates that FM stations that launched regional services on DAB+ have been able to attract a higher number of listeners.

According to the MA Audio 2020 I report, which collected data on radio listening for the period leading up to December 2019, daily usage of DAB+ in Germany increased by 34.4%. This number also reflects the growing number of sales for DAB+ receivers, which the majority of car manufacturers are now installing as standard.

Following the DAB+ transmitters in Srđ and Psunj, which went into operation in March, a DAB+ transmitter covering Zadar has now gone into operation. With the completion of the planned network expansion, outdoor coverage stands at 85%, while indoor reception stands at 52%.

In light of the latest developments related to the spread of the Coronavirus, the French media regulator CSA has decided to extend the deadline for the submission of applications for DAB+ licences, from 5 February 2020 to 10 July 2020.

Dutch spectrum regulator Agentschap Telecom has issued the first licences for local radio stations on DAB+ . The licences for the 22 allotments, which started broadcasts on 1 April, will be valid until August 2022.