News

DAB+ digital radio is set to be at the heart of discussions for the Austrian Media Day taking place on September 25. Amongst a number of notable speakers, WorldDAB president Patrick Hannon will be taking the stage on behalf of Frontier Smart Technologies to examine the reasons behind the success of DAB+ radio in Europe.

Using a total of five transmitters, the new DAB multiplex would carry 13 radio stations, including a number which are not currently available in the area, but can be heard on DAB in other regions across the country.

The digitisation of the radio industry continues to sweep over Europe, prompting digital radio enthusiasts in Spain to urge their country to follow suit. According to the digital radio report published by the EBU, the two transmitters currently active in Spain only cover 20% of the population, offering no more than one service that is not available through the FM band.

Graham Dixon, head of radio at the EBU, briefed IBC delegates at the ‘WorldDAB Radio distribution strategies for a connected world’ session that significant progress had been made in the field of DAB+ over the past year, highlighting that over 1566 digital radio stations are already on air in over 31 European markets.

Ofcom has received two applications for the DAB digital radio multiplexes covering North Lancashire, Cumbria and parts of South West Scotland. MuxCo has partnered with Nation Broadcasting to apply for a multiplex to cover Morecambe Bay and South Cumbria, whilst Bauer has applied for a multiplex to cover North and West Cumbria.

According to the latest survey conducted in Italy by GfK and DAB Italia, 4.5 million Italians now own a DAB+ receiver - approximately one million more than in June 2018 - while over 12 million people in Italy are familiar with DAB+ digital radio.

IBC 2019 saw experts from across the radio industry come together at WorldDAB’s session on radio’s migration to digital. The session addressed digital terrestrial radio’s place in the distribution mix and offered insights for broadcasters on how to assess all digital distribution platforms, including 5G, in order to make informed investment choices to safeguard broadcast radio’s future.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs has announced that it will be issuing a number of regional broadcasters with temporary licenses for DAB+ broadcasting starting from January 2020. The temporary licenses are expected to be granted for a period of two years until 2022, at which point the full range of frequencies intended for local broadcasters will be made available.

New data published as part of WorldDAB's report on the radio industry and listening figures in Norway shows that total radio listening is back to similar levels as achieved in 2016, prior to the digital switchover. Younger and older listeners have recovered fastest, and overall listening levels are stable with daily reach standing at 63-64%, and weekly reach at 88%.

WorldDAB's session at IBC 2019 focused on new and innovative ways to reach and attract audiences in a connected world. Speakers from across the industry agreed that a multiplatform digital radio strategy is necessary to preserve the value proposition of radio in a connected and evolving world.