News

As indicated by the European Broadcasting Union's 2019 report, 1566 radio stations in 31 countries across Europe are currently broadcasting on DAB+. Approximately one third of these stations are new radio stations.

An increasing number of people are acquiring DAB+ receivers in Germany, as the latest figures released by the German Home Electronics Market Index (HEMIX) highlight that 1.4 million DAB+ receivers were sold in Germany in 2018, corresponding to a growth of around 10 percent compared to 2017.

The rise in demand for digital radio in cars is being recognised by the automotive industry, with an increasing number of cars being released with DAB+ radios included. In this article, Simon Mason, Head of Broadcast Radio Technology at Arqiva, writes about the rise in demand for digital radio and driverless cars, and highlights the role of DAB+ and digital radio in the vehicle of tomorrow.

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) revealed the number of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) radios grew by 930,000 last year in Australia, helping to boost average weekly audience for digital-only radio by more than two million. According to CRA's CEO Joan Warner, Australian radio is one of the most innovative radio industries in the world, and the medium’s growth will lead to new opportunities for advertisers.

The new DAB+ DPR-64 pocket radio weighs 232 grams and is ideal for mobile use at home and in the office as well as for outdoor activities.

Broadcasters and the wider audio industry in Australia aren’t the only ones welcoming the digital revolution with open arms, as the latest figures released by Commercial Radio Australia indicate consumers are embracing radio’s transition to digital.

Factum Radioscape have been chosen by Dutch telecommunications company KPN to supply and support their new DAB broadcast platform, ENMUXA. Factum Radioscape will also be supplying 2 monitoring products from their OBSERVA range - the Field Monitor, designed for mobile measurements and the Multiplex Supervisor, providing SMNP alarms and system validation.

The growing popularity of DAB+ was evident at this year's European Radio Show in Paris, which featured a number of sessions centered around the rise of digital radio in France and beyond. Having recently announced the obligation for French manufacturers to include DAB+ in their receivers, the CSA is now starting to consider a potential date for the switch off of the FM.

The concert, which was organised by Africa n°1 and TV channel Melody d'Afrique to celebrate the launch of DAB+, brought together African music enthusiasts and professionals and featured a range of African artists including Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango.

WorldDAB’s half-day workshop titled 'DAB+ - understanding the business case', will touch on a number of topics including DAB+ developments in the Asia Pacific region, European legislation and the latest DAB+ technical development, broadcast or 4G/5G, as well as connected vehicles and what broadcasters need to do to ensure their place in the digital dashboard.