News

Nation Radio has signed a long-term contract into the next decade for its London and South East England DAB platform. Following a trial period last year, Nation 80s has also joined the London-wide DAB platform full time in DAB+ stereo. Nation’s Founder Jason Bryant said: "Nation is a fast growing and important media brand in major population centres across the UK. In Wales, Scotland and Southern England, we are reaching record weekly audiences. In the London market, the most competitive in the UK, Nation recently posted its highest ever weekly audience of nearly 200,000 – one of the largest digital only station audiences in London."

Ballermann Radio, Germany's party and pop radio station, is now available nationwide via DAB+. The DAB+ radio station under Germany's most notorious event and party brand Ballermann® will be bringing rousing party sounds and the unmistakable, original Ballermann® feeling to every corner of the country around the clock from 9.00 pm today. "Whether chilling on the couch, dancing in the shower, in the office or on the car journey: the best party and Ballermann songs provide that little bit extra and that pure Ballermann feeling - all year round and all over Germany!" says Klaus Drescher, Managing Director of BMR Media GmbH.

Gorka Zumeta writes: A new instalment of Radio Exterior de España's "En menos de tres" ("In less than three minutes") micro-space is available, with Javier Sanchez of RTVE. There is no mobile phone with 5G Broadcast technology and, for the moment, it is not even expected. It is very easy to worship the totem of technology, driven by fashions and the rhythm of the times, but it is important to contextualise the reality of the facts and the real possibilities of the application of new technologies. In analysing this new digital standard of content dissemination, the author prioritises two questions that he considers fundamental: the real use that it satisfies and its penetration among the population. This is the starting point of his reflection on the 5G Broadcast in Spain.

In response to huge demand (and a few trolls), Radio Exe has taken advantage of half-Christmas – 25 June – to relaunch Radio ExeMas, non-stop Christmas songs whenever you want them. Radio Exe’s breakfast presenter Matt Rogers, never one to pass up an opportunity to don a Christmas jumper said: “For people who say Christmas seems to start earlier every year, they’re right! “We wanted to be at the top of Santa’s nice list by bringing festive cheer to Devon, and now people can get their fix of Mariah, Wizzard and Wham by tuning to Radio ExeMas. Feliz Navidad!” The festive station is on digital radio across much of Devon on the Exeter, Torbay/Teignbridge and Plymouth areas, as well as being streamed on its own website and on the Radio Exe app.

The Ingolstadt local network (channel 6A) is getting a third location for DAB+ today. In addition to the existing transmitters in Pfaffenhofen-Wolfsberg and Gelbelsee, a further site in Eichstätt is now strengthening DAB+ reception in the region. The transmitter operates with a power of 1 kW ERP. The network operator of the regional network is Bayern Digital Radio GmbH. The Ingolstadt 6A DAB network now also covers the large district town of Eichstätt almost completely in indoor quality (approx. 99%). With the expansion of the network through the Eichstätt DAB transmitter, the Ingolstadt 6A DAB multiplex can be received by approx. 93.9% of residents in buildings and approx. 98.6% on mobile devices in the Ingolstadt region.

Cars and radio are a close-knit team - and DAB+ now has a regular place: 37 per cent of the population in Bavaria who listen to the radio in their cars on weekdays on average receive radio programmes via DAB+. Regardless of how radio is listened to in the car, despite increasing competition from online audio offerings such as music streaming or podcasts, 85 per cent of audio time in the car is spent listening to the radio and only 13 per cent is spent listening to online audio. These are preliminary results on DAB+ from the Radio Analysis Radio Bavaria 2024, which will be presented on 25 June at the Local Radio Days. There is good news regarding the ownership and use of DAB+ devices: around half of the population in Bavaria now has at least one DAB+ radio at home or in the car. DAB+ also remains the driving force for the use of digital transmission channels in radio.

A total of 30 new radio stations went on air via the DAB+ platform on 21 June, 15 of which are broadcast throughout Austria, while the other 15 stations are distributed regionally. To this end, the ORS Group, which is responsible for the distribution of the digital radio offering, has expanded the technical reach of the DAB+ network in recent months and created five new coverage areas for the regional programme offering alone. Overall, a diverse mix of completely new but also established FM programmes can now be offered, which will now expand their reach digitally terrestrially and give the Austrian radio industry a significant boost in development.

For two and a half years, Radio VM1 has been offering a relevant niche format for all fans of folk music and popular hits. In addition to regional FM frequencies in Tyrol, Salzburg and Styria, the folk music radio station can now also be heard throughout Austria via DAB+. Folk music, music from the homeland, folk hits, Wienerlied, Oberkrainer & Co mixed with reports and news from the region - Radio VM1 makes the diversity of the country audible. With the Austria-wide start of broadcasting via DAB+, Radio VM1 is one of a total of 28 private radio stations that can be received throughout the country via the new digital broadcasting standard from 21 June 2024. The DAB+ technology scores points with a diverse selection of stations, nationwide network coverage and noise-free transmission without frequency search.

Early on 24 June, just after midnight, Broadcast Partners officially took over the operation of the commercial rural multiplex 11A in Flanders from Norkring. The past few months have seen the construction of a completely new transmitter park with a total of 23 new set-up points spread across Flanders and Brussels. For the public, little will change. The stations that could be received via the 11A network will remain available. From today, the 14 programmes broadcast using this network can be received in cars almost everywhere in Flanders. Despite the radio signals being broadcast by other transmitters, it is expected that the listener will notice little of the change of transmitter operator.

The digital radio landscape in Austria is receiving a significant boost: with the commissioning on 21 June of new DAB+ muxes and 30 new transmitters, the digital radio offering is growing to a total of 58 stations. The National Council has recognised the importance of digital radio and has increased annual digital funding by one million euros. From June 2024, the digital radio offering will continue to grow for the first time since August 2020. 30 new stations will go "on air" on DAB+. These include well-known names such as Radio Arabella and Life Radio. There will also be a wide range of niche programmes. With this largest launch of radio stations since the start of private radio in Austria in 1998, DAB+ offers an unprecedented variety of stations and programmes.