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Bayerischer Rundfunk will be broadcasting its DAB+ service from two new locations from 5 February: the transmitter network will grow to 87 DAB+ locations and reception of the digital radio service will continue to improve. In the Upper Palatinate, near the Czech border, the Geigant transmitter will cover the municipalities of Waldmünchen, Schönthal and Rötz in future. In the district of Forchheim in Upper Franconia, the new DAB+ site in Ebermannstadt will go into operation for the municipalities of Ebermannstadt, Forchheim, Kirchehrenbach, Leutenbach, Pretzfeld and Weilersbach.

Since 1 February Radio Gdańsk has also been broadcasting a Slupsk city programme on the second DAB+ channel. On DAB Regions you can listen to Radio Gdańsk's local programmes from Slupsk and Station Kaszuby. "DAB+ gives listeners a much wider choice of programming. The digital channel accommodates many more programmes, while the analogue FM or AM band gives the possibility to receive only a few/more stations," explains Andrzej Dubas, chief engineer of Radio Gdańsk.

New UK audience figures show DAB's share of in-car listening hitting a record high of 55.4%, up over five percentage points from 49.7% in the same period last year. The platform's share of all listening also rose to 42.7% from 38.8%. In total 76% of the population - 43 million adults aged 15+ are now tuning in to radio via a digitally-enabled platform (DAB, DTV, Online/App, or Smart speaker) each week. In an average week, digital listening accounts for 729 million hours; DAB has a 59% share of those digital listening hours, with DTV 5%, Website/Apps 15%, Smart Speaker 20%. The new figures cover the period to 17 December 2023.

The year begins with a change at the top of Bayern Digital Radio GmbH. After almost 20 years as Managing Director of BDR, Johannes Trottberger will retire at the end of January 2024. From 1 February, Frank Strässle will take over until further notice. As project manager for the DAB pilot project in Saxony-Anhalt from 1997 - 99, Johannes Trottberger was one of the pioneers of digital audio broadcasting. He took over the management of BDR in June 2004 and was largely responsible for the successful establishment of BDR as a transmitter network operator for DAB+ in Bavaria.

A WIRRAL Christian and community radio station aims to reach a new audience after launching on a new digital service. Flame CCR, which was established in 2000, already entertains listeners from around the world through its online service and its recently launched app. After acquiring a digital licence to broadcast on the new Liverpool DAB+ in December, programme makers are excited that they can now reach many more people in the region. Station manager, Norman Polden, is very excited about its future. He said: “Now Flame CCR is a lot busier, broadcasting 24/7 from our own studios in via internet www.flameradio.org and the Flame Radio App to the world, and now also on DAB+ to Merseyside, via a transmitter on the St John’s Beacon in Liverpool city centre."

From 1 February, you can tune in to Classic FM in the Channel Islands on DAB+. Classic FM says: "We are delighted to announce that Classic FM is now available to listeners in digital quality, in the Channel Islands. Local DAB digital radio comes via DAB digital transmitters, which first went live from Les Platons in Jersey and Les Touillets in Guernsey in 2021, bringing a much bigger range of radio listening. Classic FM is now available on DAB+ for listeners in Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Alderney."

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) has put another transmitter for DAB+ digital radio into operation. The state-wide multiplex (channel 11D) and the Upper Franconia mux (channel 10B) are broadcast from the Ebermannstadt/Pretzfeld site, each with a transmission power of 5 kW. As reported, BR had previously connected the Geigant transmitter (Waldmünchen-Sinzendorf) to the network. The Upper Palatinate mux is broadcast here on channel 6C and the Bavaria-wide ensemble on channel 11D with a power of 6.3 kW each.

Preparations are in full swing towards one of the ABU’s star events, the ‘Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2024’. The event takes place at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, March 4 – 7, 2024. Themed ‘NAVIGATING AI HORIZON’, the DBS2024 event is planned as yet another exciting and lively chapter in this series. The symposium, comprising of conference sessions, panel discussions, focused workshops, and masterclasses, will be led by eminent experts from across the globe. The sessions will address challenges, find solutions and share experiences related to digital transition, technology implementation, creative content ideas, and enhancing user experiences.

The entertainment experience in cars is changing fast, and there are threats — and opportunities — facing radio. If you buy a new car today, you will likely have a whole new experience regarding the technology, the dashboard and the entertainment options available. Expect built-in internet connectivity and an operating system that, among other things, allows you to download apps to the dashboard, with hundreds of options. There will be a large, high-resolution dashboard screen and even passenger screens in the back, with access to on-demand video and games from the cloud. But how easily will you find the radio, and will it provide a great experience or look poor compared to the other audio services? Will you keep listening to the same amount of radio, or will the new services and apps grab your attention?

From now on, listeners in Central Hesse can receive the programmes of the FFH MEDIENGRUPPE (HIT RADIO FFH, planet radio, 80er-Radio harmony) in even better quality on their digital radio. The expansion of the private digital radio transmitter network in the DAB+ standard continues with the activation of a further transmitter in Hesse. The network operator Hessen Digital Radio is putting the DAB+ transmitter at the 'Giessen-Dünsberg' site into operation with immediate effect. This will improve the reception of HIT RADIO FFH, planet radio and the 80s radio station harmony in Central Hesse. Last year, the DAB+ channel was already expanded with the regional news from the FFH studios in Kassel, Giessen, Fulda, Darmstadt and Rhine/Main including Wiesbaden. In addition, a new DAB+ transmitter for the Rheingau and western Taunus regions was switched on at Hohe Wurzel near Wiesbaden. The transmission power of three other existing transmitters - Großer Feldberg, Hardberg in the Odenwald and in Fulda - has been increased in 2022.