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The first of the eight winners of the auction of frequencies for networks dedicated to digital broadcasting of commercial radios has reported meeting the development criteria of the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU). Teleko digital, a company from Příbram, has covered at least 40 percent of the population of all regions for which it has won frequencies with DAB+ signals. "Digital radio transmitters have been launched in Liberec, Kralovehradec, Vysočina and other regions in the east of the Czech Republic - Moravian-Silesian, Olomouc, Zlín and South Moravian regions - on the final channels issued by the CTU. This makes us the first DAB network operator to meet the development criteria set by the licence in advance," announced the owner of the company, Tomas Řapek.

In cooperation with IDEE MEDIEN and Milling Broadcast Services GmbH, the new radio station ‘Radio Grammo’ will be launched on 1 December 2024 at 12 noon. The motto is clear: Digital clear noise-free reception with shellac ad absurdum, plus only in mono, because radio must rustle, rumble and crackle and not be a standardised mishmash. ‘Only genuine with 78 revolutions’, because only music titles are played that were first produced on shellac; and gramophones turn at 78 revolutions on the turntable. The DAB+ capacity on the DAB multiplex in the Bad Kreuznach-Mainz-Bingen area (Rhineland-Palatinate) will be used for the launch, which will be broadcast via three transmission towers. This will technically reach around 480,000 listeners. This multiplex is operated by Milling Broadcast Services GmbH from Nettersheim / Eifel.

The National Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate (RDI), formerly known as Radiocommunications Agency, will start the procedure for auctioning 27 packages for non-national commercial radio on Tuesday (27 November). 44 DAB+ licences will also be distributed. The current licences will expire on 1 September 2025, so a new allocation has to be made. Each of the 27 FM lots will also have capacity attached to one of the seven allotments on the supra-regional DAB+ network. In addition, 44 separate DAB+ licences on the seven allotments will also be auctioned.

Czech regions are seeing the next phase of changes in the field of digital radio broadcasting. The West Bohemian company RTI cz will retune its DAB+ multiplex for the Plzeň, Klatovy and Domažlice regions. A new transmitter will be launched in Železná Ruda, where until now only the signal of Czech Radio stations was available. Listeners will now be able to tune in to Radio 1, Signal Radio or Radio Beat in DAB+. "On Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 November 2024, the transmitters Plzeň-Sylván, Klatovy-Doubrava, Domažlice-Cerchov and Železná Ruda will be switched to the final DAB frequency 9D. " the operator said.

On Monday, 25 November, DAB+ broadcasting will be interrupted in Brno - Barvičova, which is used by Teleko digital. The TELEKO DAB1 multiplex includes stations such as Radio PROGLAS, DAB plus TOP40, Czech Radio North and Hradec Králové, ZUN radio and Radio 7. The operator Teleko digital announced, that the reason for the interruption of signal distribution is the change of the channel from 8A to frequency block 10D and the adjustment of radiation parameters according to the final frequency authorisation. It can be assumed that this should improve coverage.

Rai's Board of Directors met on 21 November in Viale Mazzini, chaired by Antonio Marano in his capacity as Senior Director, in the presence of CEO Giampaolo Rossi. The CEO informed the Board of the plan to extend DAB coverage for radio: a plan that envisages coverage of an estimated 85% of the national population.

York Hospital Radio can now be heard on DAB across the York area. It’s the first time since the station launched in 1964 that it will be heard outside of the hospital enviroment. Chair of York Hospital Radio, Ian Clennan, explained: “In our 60th anniversary year, it is very exciting that we can now be heard across the city on DAB. This of course means that more people than ever can now hear our shows, and we can offer much better coverage for our listeners. We are now available on most car radios, for example, and of course on DAB at home, or in care facilities across York. We work hard to provide a service for hospitals, and to aid health and wellbeing, and being on DAB is a big step forward.”

At the WorldDAB Summit in Zagreb, Hervé Godechot presented the Arcom White Paper, which sets out an ambitious roadmap for bringing French radio into a fully digital era through the roll-out of DAB+. This action plan aims to modernise the sector while ensuring a balance between technological innovation and accessibility for all listeners.

Our readers have all confirmed that the benefits of digital are worth taking the plunge: quality sound, no interference, selection of stations by name and no longer by frequency and more stations compared to FM depending on your geographical area. They tested 4 DAB+ and FM compatible radios around €100. Verdict!

In line with its commitment to increase coverage by the end of the year, RNE has begun broadcasting in DAB+ from Cellnex's broadcasting centre at Cerro de San Cristóbal, from where it provides coverage to the metropolitan area of Valladolid. Last week Ràdio 4 became the first Catalan-language station in Catalonia to begin legal DAB+ broadcasts, and today Radio Nacional, Radio Clásica, Radio 3 and Radio 5 are the first radio stations in Castilla y León to legally broadcast in DAB+. With this, it is now possible to listen to RNE broadcasts in DAB+ from 13 broadcasting centres in the standard that is set to become the long-term replacement for FM in Europe.