Population:	45.0 million
Coverage:	52%

Last update: 03-09-2011

Spain first began broadcasting digital radio in April 1998 covering Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. There have also been trial services in the Basque country and Catalunya.

The Council of Ministers reached an agreement on Digital Radio in June 2011 and approved a Digitalization Plan for Terrestrial Broadcasting, with the following measures:

• Flexibility for the broadcasters, in order to allow for migration to DAB+
• Study of a possible reassignment of the multiplexes
• Promotional activities throught the Spanish DAB Forum
• DAB+ trials
• Study of the necessary conditions to determine the date of possible analogue switch off

The Spanish DAB Association (Asociación Foro de la Radio Digital), comprising both national private and public broadcasters, is responsible for DAB/DAB+ in Spain.  

In this country there are

• National multiplexes: 3 Regular
• Regional multiplexes: 2 Regular and 1 Trial

A total of 29 DAB audio services are on air.

There are a small number of electrical retailers selling DAB digital radios in Spain, and this is expected to increase after technical trials and a roadmap for digital radio has been approved. 

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National station licences are issued by the central government, while local and regional licences are the responsibility of the regional government. Licences are valid for ten years with an automatic renewal for a further ten years and operators must commit to the promotion of DAB Digital Radio. Advertising and sponsorship are permitted under the same rules which exist for analogue radio, and data is permitted on up to 20% of multiplex capacity.