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“The audio landscape is more creative, diverse and alive than ever,” said Bayerischer Rundfunk’s Katja Wildermuth in the opening session of Radiodays Europe 2024, held in Munich, Germany. The event reflected this diversity in its theme of “Shaping the Changing Audio Landscape”. In a session called “Radio.Content.Car” Jacqueline Bierhorst, President of WorldDAB - called for collaboration between public and private broadcasters, and between the radio industry and the automotive sector. She highlighted the critical importance of broadcasters providing metadata to ensure the best possible dashboard experience, such as display of station logos and artist information. “We’re on the barricades to keep radio prominent in the car,” she said. “If we don’t look good, they will take somebody else who does.”

In less than a year of its existence, from today the first children's radio - Bravo! KIDS - can be listened to throughout Croatia thanks to DAB+ technology. Bravo! KIDS radio, just like a true friend, accompanies children at every step of their growing up and helps create a positive image of kindergarten. In order to digitise kindergartens and strengthen new technologies, they will give DAB+ devices to kindergartens all over Croatia. This is a big day for children because their DJ, who plays the most beautiful songs, educational, fun, the ones that were loved by parents and even grandparents when they were little, has moved to cars and DAB+ devices.

The Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg (LFK) has allocated ENERGY Stuttgart a slot in the state-wide DAB+ multiplex on channel 11B from 1 April. Matthias Spang, Managing Director of ENERGY Region Stuttgart: "We are very pleased with the LFK's decision. It allows us to expand our reach, reach even more young listeners in Germany's most beautiful federal state and secure our competitiveness. Every third household in Baden-Württemberg already has at least one DAB+ device in their home or car, and the trend is rising". "Our digitalisation strategy has thus reached another milestone. We can now offer all of ENERGY's local, state-wide and national programmes via DAB+," adds Olaf Hopp, Managing Director of ENERGY Deutschland. "We will continue to listen to radio via all three distribution channels FM, DAB+ and IP for some time to come, but DAB+ is steadily gaining ground and is the radio transmission channel of the future."

For many weeks, there has been speculation in the radio landscape as to who will be the successor to egoFM in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to information from radioWOCHE, the successor will be the pop programme Radio Paloma. In response to an enquiry from radioWOCHE, the NRW Media Authority stated that it had been notified of the change. The other stations in the multiplex were also informed that Radio Paloma will succeed egoFM in April. In addition, another programme change was announced this week in the state-wide multiplex on channel 9D. STAR FM will replace FEMOTION Radio from 1 April.

From 1 April 2023, all newly manufactured cars had to be equipped with DAB+ tuners. The Ministry of Digitalisation is working on a law that will enable checks to be carried out. If such a car is found not to have the correct radio, hefty fines will be rained down. The obligation to fit DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus) tuners in cars has been in force for a year, but so far no checks have been carried out. The obligation to install receivers with DAB+ tuners stems from a decree of the Minister of Digitalisation of 14 February 2020. The requirements apply to consumer equipment for the reception of digital radio transmissions. In theory, this obligation already came into force on 1 January 2021, but it did not have to be fully implemented until 1 April 2023.

BBC Radio 4 will turn off its medium wave frequencies and end its separate schedule for long wave by 15 April 2024. Daily Service and the extended edition of Yesterday in Parliament will be available on BBC Radio 4 Extra on DAB, Digital TV and BBC Sounds from 1 April. Upon its return, Test Match Special will continue uninterrupted on Radio 5 Sports Extra on DAB, Digital TV and BBC Sounds. The Shipping Forecast will continue to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 twice a day (weekdays) and three times a day (weekends). This will be available on all platforms: FM, DAB, BBC Sounds, Digital TV. This means there will no longer be a separate schedule for Radio 4 LW and the BBC is encouraging listeners to transition to alternative platforms from April 1st. Finally, Radio 4 will no longer be available on medium wave – meaning the end to nine transmitters on 15 April.

In case of successful ongoing negotiations with potential customers, Play.cz, the operator of the eponymous online radio offer and one of the winners of this year's auction of frequencies by the Czech Telecommunications Office, may create a third nationwide network combining regional and nationwide terrestrial digital radio broadcasting. As far as the construction of regional DAB+ networks is concerned, the company expects to have at least one transmitter operational in each region for which it has frequency allocations within a year. Clients will be sought among the current radio stations broadcasting in the analogue FM band, as well as on the internet, and even among foreign operators.

FG CHIC has been selected by MABB, Berlin's media regulator, to broadcast its programme in Berlin on DAB+. FG CHIC, "the haute-couture radio", offers eclectic lounge, chill and future disco programming. This is FG CHIC's 4th DAB+ frequency after Paris, Monaco-Nice-Côte d'Azur and Hamburg in Germany. Maison FG is developing its brands and network internationally by focusing on DAB+.

NOSTALGIE has been recognised for the first time in the Media-Analyse ma 2024 Audio I published today by agma with 172,000 listeners per day. "NOSTALGIE - nur die grössten Songs" has been available nationwide via DAB+, stream and app since January 2021. The programme is aimed primarily at the core target group between the ages of 35 and 49 with a music format that combines the biggest songs of the 80s with those from the 70s and 90s. Olaf Hopp, Managing Director of ENERGY Deutschland: "The ENERGY Group's programmes in Germany are now not only a guarantee for high reach in the young target group, but we are now also being shown individually for the first time with the NOSTALGIE brand. We have already seen this positive development in the current results of ma IP Audio and in our own surveys and now this is also underpinned by valid figures in the media analysis relevant for marketing".

In the ma 2024 Audio I published today, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (agma) announced that the DAB+ programmes of the national Absolut Radio family of stations have once again achieved some of the strongest growth in the whole of Germany, particularly in the 14 to 49 age group, which is important for marketing. In terms of average hourly listeners, Absolut Radio achieved growth of 18 per cent, making it one of the clear winners of the market survey for Germany-wide programmes. "We often deliberately take unusual paths for radio with our stations, try out a lot and sometimes realise so-called radio no-goes," says Mirko Drenger, CEO of Antenne Deutschland. "The new figures show us that we are on the right track to reach new and fresh target groups. What's more, our programme seems to be turning these target groups into long-term listeners," Mirko Drenger continues.