News

Austria's largest private radio station is starting the new year with ambitious plans. The programme offering of kronehit is to be expanded by four radio stations (via DAB+) for new listener groups in 2024. For this important next stage, the successful kronehit team is now bringing additional expertise and experience into the management team with long-time Ö3 boss Georg Spatt as programme director. A recent amendment to the Private Radio Act allows kronehit to operate up to six additional radio stations. Philipp König - also Managing Director of kronehit - is very optimistic. "For the first time in our 20-year history, we can significantly increase our product diversity and offer the listener market a broader range of programmes. Together with the additional and extraordinary industry expertise of Georg Spatt, we will be ready to master the challenges of the future."

The Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia is holding a public consultation on the future of digital radio (DAB+) in Slovenia on 12 December 2023. The Agency intends to launch calls for tenders for the award of digital rights in the new R4 and R5 networks, both covering the whole territory of the Republic of Slovenia, and calls for tenders for the award of national broadcasting rights. It also intends to launch a call for tenders for the award of rights in the R3 and R2 (West/East) areas, in accordance with the available capacity on both networks. In addition, the Agency also intends to promote the use of digital radio and to raise awareness among users and car dealers about the mandatory installation of receivers.

In times of emergencies, authorities need to deliver a clear message quickly and reliably. In Germany and other European countries, DAB+ has been identified as a robust and reliable way to send out messages to people with DAB+ receivers. As a member of a WorldDAB taskforce, Frontier is participating in developing a new EWS (Emergency Warning System) specification that will broadcast emergency warning messages over DAB+. The standard is expected to be finalised in 2024 – with compatible radios on the market by the end of the year.

​​​​​​​The World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) opened today in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bringing governments together for negotiations on the allocation of radio-frequency spectrum. The conference, organised every three to four years by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), will review and update the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of spectrum and geostationary and non-geostationary satellite orbits. For the opening, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted that the World Radiocommunication Conference, “is a testament to the power of international cooperation in tackling global challenges." In the message delivered on his behalf, Guterres added, “Radio frequencies, whether on Earth or in space, form the backbone of advanced communications for all of humanity. From education to healthcare, from agriculture to climate monitoring, expanding radiocommunication services and bridging the digital divide is key to reducing inequalities and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals."

Nova Entertainment has again claimed the #1 spot nationally for its metro radio Nova network. The broadcaster has calculated it is the most listened to metro network with 4,000,900 listeners in GfK Survey 7, 2023. Nova Network group program director Brendan Taylor told Mediaweek the combined cume audience for the DAB+ brand extensions was now over 1m. “That includes the smoothfm DAB+ stations in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth that are all #1 DAB+ in their markets.” Smooth FM Brisbane is the most listened-to DAB+ station with 98,000 listeners.

Central FM has switched on the small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex for Stirling and Falkirk. Two radio stations are currently on the platform, including Central FM itself. The only other service at the moment is hospital service Radio Royal but community radio station, Forth Valley Radio, is joining soon. Central FM plans to launch a series of spin-off stations in the year. Alan Edwards, Content Manager for Central FM said: "We are proud to be the Forth Valley’s Number 1 Commercial Radio station and are absolutely delighted to be launching our new multiplex. This is the ideal platform for us to provide a better quality service for our listeners."

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), during the 60th General Assembly in Seoul elected Prof. Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, the Director-General of Türkiye’s TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation), as its President. This significant milestone coincides with the centenary of the Republic of Türkiye, marking a new era in international broadcasting leadership. “My election as the President of ABU is significant for Türkiye’s goal of becoming a leading country in all fields,” expressed Sobacı, underlining the synchronicity of his appointment with the 100th anniversary of the Republic. His leadership comes at a time when the ABU, the world’s largest broadcasting union, reaches approximately 3.5 billion viewers, encompassing 246 members from 65 countries.

From 20 November, Maison FG will be launching its first English-language Artificial Intelligence-generated animation in France on Dance One, the group's new DAB radio station dedicated to international dance music. To boost its digital audience around the world, Dance One will be offering daily virtual hosts, AI.KA and K.AI, both generated by artificial intelligence. "Maison FG has always been at the heart of innovation and digital. Radio FG was one of the first radio stations to broadcast its programme in streaming as early as 1998 and in DAB+ from the very first experiments. I am delighted that our group is the first in France to experiment with this new technology in digital radio," explained Antoine Baduel, CEO of Maison FG.

Frisk Radio has launched on the newly commissioned Middlesbrough and Redcar small-scale DAB multiplex. Darlington-born DJ, Chris Bell, officially welcomed listeners across Middlesbrough, Stockton, and Redcar at 6pm on Friday 3rd November, with a “Retro Mini-Mix” – a nostalgic homage to a club night well known in the area. The station is now on four local multiplexes across the North East and will soon offer split ads for local businesses.

Cumulative listenership to radio was down across the capital cities, but DAB+ was up with youth station CADA the leader in Sydney and the other states enjoying a mix of 80s, 90s and smooth. This was the second survey for Disrupt Radio and Radio Maria in Sydney and Melbourne. Disrupt, which is based in Melbourne, dropped there but picked up 7000 new listeners in Sydney. Radio Maria, a devotional station also in Victoria, doubled its audience in Sydney and picked up 20K new ones in Melbourne.