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The two national public channels Deutschlandfunk and Deutschlandfunk Kultur will be recording their first FM frequencies in favor of DAB + in the coming autumn. On the island of Helgoland in the North Sea and in Mittenwald in Bavaria, the two radio stations are completely transferred to digital reception.

DAB+ has shown strong growth across key markets in Germany, according to a new report published today. The Digitisation Report 2018 shows the proportion of people in households owning at least one DAB+ device is almost seven million – an increase of almost one million from 2017. DAB+ was also shown to experience the strongest growth as the preferred reception route ahead of internet radio, increasing by 15.2%, and enabling 12.72 million Germans to have access to DAB+. Record growth was also reported for sales of DAB+ devices, with total sales close to 12 million (an increase of 19 per cent from last year), and almost every second new car has DAB+ line-fit, with total number of car radios with DAB+ growing from 3.7m last year to 4.41m in 2018. The Digitisation Report 2018 was conducted with participation of ARD, Deutschlandradio and Media Broadcast.

MDR director Karola Wille: "We urgently need an amendment to the Telecommunications Act, which requires digital reception facilities for radio sets of the future under the heading of interoperability, regardless of whether they are car radios or kitchen radios." According to the Radio Digitisation Report, 17 percent of households already own a DAB+ device, an increase of 1.9 percentage points year-on-year.

Digital radio DAB+ continues to grow in Germany. Around 12.7 million people in Germany have access to DAB +. This emerges from the current digitalisation report of the media authorities, which has now been published. That is 1.8 million more than in 2017. "The future of the radio is digital," said the director of the German radio station Stefan Raue.

The 595, the 595 Competizione and the 595 Turismo are equipped with Uconnect™ 5-inch DAB Radio with touchscreen and Uconnect Live services as standard equipment. Uconnect™ 7-inch HD, standard on the 595 Trofeo, is a fast platform complete with high-definition screen, navigation and DAB digital radio.

Inside the cabin you get leather seat trim (heated for driver and front passenger), climate control, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth/USB, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a wireless smartphone charging pad, and DAB+.

A week ago the test broadcast of multiplex DAB+ digital radio began - an independent project of an alternative BCAST radio frequency operator, which after obtaining the approval of the national regulator, started a test MUX issue in Warsaw. In total, 47 new frequencies will be allocated in 34 cities, and each of the multiplexes will accommodate up to 12 stations.

In the fall of 2018, Deutschlandradio will switch over to DAB + in two previous FM distribution areas of Helgoland and Mittenwald, making it the first public broadcaster in Germany to do so.

There’s also plenty of standard kit to play with, such as an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system with DAB radio, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay, while a reassuring number of active safety systems are thrown in, too.

Features the Revo SuperSignal, Lenco DIR-200 Wifi Internet Radio with DAB+ and FM, VQ Susie-Q, Pure Evoke H6 Prestige Edition, Bush Classic WO268, VQ Hepburn mkII in Emma Bridgewater Marmalade and Roberts Stream 94i.