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The SCSA plans to launch an application process for DAB+ tenders relating to a single zone: Metropolitan France. This follows the publication of an impact study on the effect of DAB+ in the region, with public comments open until 10 July.

Next week at Broadcast Asia 2018, the ‘Radio’s New Wave’ session will bring together senior level speakers from broadcasters and industry experts to discuss the present and future of radio in Asia Pacific. Commercial Radio Australia CEO and WorldDAB Vice-President Joan Warner explains how the session will closely examine how radio is continuing to evolve and transition to new technology in the face of greater competition.

The tech bits in the car are good, with the head-up display being quite helpful, which includes the navigation as well. The screen is easy to navigate around, and the Apple CarPlay is a massive bonus, as well as the DAB+ radio.

"Today is a day of celebration," said CSA commissioner Nicolas Curien at the official launch of DAB+ in Hauts-de-France on Tuesday 19 June. 51 radio stations will receive DAB+, of which 24 are brand new stations that previously did not receive FM coverage, and are so new to the radio landscape in the region.

The quality of Kyiv's new DAB+ multiplex was put to the test on Tuesday, as NRADA chairman Yuri Artemenko and member Sergei Kostinsky found several stations available without using the in-built antenna on their receiver. Nine stations are broadcasting in DAB+ following a tender process conducted in March.

As Telepro pointed out at the beginning of the year, and in preparation for the upcoming arrival of DAB+ digital radio in Belgium, RTBF is continuing its process of extinction of medium wave (AM) by reducing the daily broadcasting hours of La 1 st and VivaCité from its Wavre transmitter 621 kHz.

Nicolas Curien (Advisor to the CSA, President of the Radio Working Group) said: "The launch of DAB in Lille and in Hauts-de-France is both an opportunity for the region and a promise of success for the ambitious deployment plan 2018-2020."

DEVA Broadcast will begin shipping its DB46 monitor in July. The DB46 DAB monitor is ETSI EN 300 401 DAB standard compliant.

In the north-west of France, 41 radio stations were officially started Tuesday via DAB+. These include Lille, Dunkirk and Calais, where five of the seven multiplexes have been brought into the air.

As part of Belgian French-language RTBF’s strategy to transition toward DAB+, in May the public radio broadcaster reduced daily AM broadcasts of its “VivaCité” and “La Première” stations to 14 hours. “Our plan is to discontinue AM once DAB+ kicks off,” said Laurent Finet, head of production and digital innovation at RTBF radio. “We will however continue our FM broadcasts for a number of years before we eventually put an end to these as well.”