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Younger listeners switching on commercial radio, as DAB+ soars in Australia

14.03.2024 - Top story - Commercial Radio & Audio WorldDAB Member - Australia Australia

The first ratings of 2024 have shown 82% of Australians – a record 12.26 million people – are listening to commercial radio, while GfK Radio Survey 1 also showed promising growth in younger audiences. “Audiences are continuing to explore their digital options, with 3.2 million people aged 10 and over listening to commercial radio via streaming, and 4.7 million listening to commercial radio on a DAB device,” said CRA chief executive officer Ford Ennals. Commercial DAB+ stations also saw growth in younger audiences, with listeners aged 10-24 up by 5% to 899 thousand. “CRA has just invested in a major advertising campaign around DAB+ in January and February, and we are pleased to see that could be having an impact,” Mr Ennals said.

(Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA)) Read more


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FM continues to lose ground in French-speaking Belgium

13.03.2024 - Top story - maRadio.be WorldDAB Member - Belgium Belgium

On 12 March, maRadio.be, the cooperative society representing 90% of the French-speaking Belgian radio audience, which was celebrating its 10th anniversary, brought the sector together at the 2024 edition of Digital Radio Day, during which it presented the results of the 6ᵉ wave of its study devoted to monitoring the digital transition of radio in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. In the space of just a few years, digital channels for listening to radio have come to the fore. At the same time, FM is continuing its meteoric decline: while it accounted for 82% of listening volume in 2018, it now accounts for just 54%. Only 23% of Belgian listeners listen exclusively to analogue radio. On the digital side, there has been steady growth, with 46% of listening volume, including 21% via DAB+, 17% via the internet and 9% on television.

(maRadio.be) Read more


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More radio diversity for Austria with DAB+ digital radio

11.03.2024 - Top story - Austria Austria

The Austrian Communications Authority (KommAustria) has granted the Austrian broadcasting network operator ORS comm GmbH & Co KG (ORS) a total of six licences for the construction and operation of a nationwide multiplex platform as well as for five further regional multiplexes for the transmission of a total of 28 DAB+ digital radio stations. This brings the total number of existing and future DAB+ stations in Austria to 58. With the licences, ORS will be able to broadcast a planned programme bouquet of 14 DAB+ radio stations in a nationwide coverage area with a population reach of 79% from the end of June 2024. Also from the end of June, broadcasting operations can start in the five regional coverage areas with two to five programmes each, totalling a further 14 programmes.

(Kommunikationsbehörde Austria (KommAustria)) Read more


Radioplayer announces Google Assistant integration
18.03.2024 - Radioplayer WorldDAB Member
Radioplayer, a leader in connected radio innovation, is excited to unveil a partnership aimed at enhancing audience experience and empowering the radio industry. This integration marks a significant milestone, securing distribution with Google Assistant, a key player closely tied to the connected user experience. Google's commitment to enhancing the listener experience underscores the significance of collaborating with a unified industry through Radioplayer. The announcement was made at Radiodays Europe, where Yann Legarson, CEO of Radioplayer, emphasised the collective strength and innovative spirit of the radio industry: "This partnership with Google represents a powerful testament to the unified voice of radio. Through Radioplayer, we are demonstrably driving positive change and delivering exceptional radio experiences to audiences everywhere, while empowering broadcasters with groundbreaking data insights, enabling them to fine-tune content strategies, drive innovation, and seize new opportunities like never before."

(Radioplayer) Read more


Xperi expands its radio offerings across Europe with AIM Player and Rapid Four
18.03.2024 - Xperi Corporation WorldDAB Member - United Kingdom United Kingdom
In an effort to help the broadcasting industry continue to elevate, innovate and reach new audiences, Xperi has been working to expand its offerings across the European market with the introduction of Nation Player and Rapid Four. Starting in June, Xperi’s All In Media (AIM) and Nation Broadcasting will begin offering a free to access radio and audio app in the UK. Aptly titled ‘Nation Player,’ the new aggregator app, which is powered by AIM Player technology, is open to radio operators and major podcast producers who want to reach a UK audience in the home, on mobile and in the car. Nation Broadcasting executive chairman, Jason Bryant, said, “As streamed listening share accelerates, the in-car, connected experience becomes critical for listeners. We wanted to build a platform that is united and industry wide.”

(Xperi) Read more


Radioplayer unveils its largest product launch ever
18.03.2024 - Radioplayer WorldDAB Member
This marks a shift for Radioplayer, embracing a more innovative and forward-thinking approach as we transition into a future where radio is significantly more data-driven. All the products and services we are launching this year will create increased value and utility for radio listeners, broadcasters, car manufacturers, and tech giants alike. At the radio innovation and technology event Radiodays Europe, Yann Legarson, Radioplayer CEO stated: "This product launch represents a significant milestone for Radioplayer and the entire radio industry. We are committed to driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in radio technology. Our aim is to create products that not only meet the evolving needs of our listeners but also empower broadcasters, car manufacturers, and tech giants to deliver exceptional radio experiences."

(Radioplayer) Read more


DAB+ in NRW: STAR FM now broadcasts in FEMOTION slot
18.03.2024 - Germany Germany
STAR FM MAXIMUM ROCK - Germany's successful rock radio network is coming to its fans in North Rhine-Westphalia from 1 April - 100% digitally on the state-wide DAB+ multiplex. This means that around 18 million people from Bielefeld to Bad Münstereifel and from Kleve to Winterberg will finally be able to receive MAXIMUM ROCK in the best sound quality on the radio, whether at home, in the car or on the move. STAR FM MAXIMUM ROCK - Germany's successful rock radio network broadcasts via FM/DAB+ in Berlin, Brandenburg, Franconia, Saxony and now also nationwide in NRW.

(RADIOSZENE) Read more


Africa Radio reinvents a lifeline
18.03.2024 - France France
Paris-based Africa Radio is a lifeline for France’s African diaspora and a critical link in profiling Africa in the country, offering total immersion in African culture, music and information. It has three FM frequencies covering the Île-de-France region and 17 DAB+ frequencies serving the country’s major cities, including Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Last year, Africa Radio became part of the radio division of the La Manche Libre media group. Jean-Baptiste Bancaud, managing director of the group’s Normandy-based station Tendance Ouest, took over the helm of Africa Radio on July 1, with Maÿlis Leclerc de Sonis, general manager. In this interview, Bancaud discusses the change of ownership and the group’s vision and plans for Africa Radio.

(RedTech) Read more


JOE Media plans to expand DAB+ multiplex to South and West Bohemia
15.03.2024 - Czechia Czechia
The operator of the current multiplex for digital radios Color DAB+, the company JOE Media of entrepreneur Miroslav Pýcha (photo), is planning territorial expansion into other regions of the Czech Republic. Everything will depend on the interest of commercial radios. The already existing Color DAB+ multiplex, on which the Kiss, Classic Praha, Country Radio, Color Music, Hey, Expres FM, Beat or Spin radios broadcast digitally, covers mainly Prague and part of Central Bohemia. The result of the auction will thus have an impact on Color DAB+ in this region - as Pýcha told Borovan.cz, he would like to switch the digital radio multiplex from the current channel 7C to channel 6A within the auctioned frequencies (regional network R14) in the near future.

(Borovan.cz) Read more


Audio: "In less than three: The identity of radio"
15.03.2024 - RTVE WorldDAB Member - Spain Spain
"The other day I was at an event where many people said that the future of radio is that its content will end up exclusively on large third-party platforms. And it must have given them a great deal of satisfaction, because there is nothing like a renewal of votes for great and much-applauded nonsense. But no major radio broadcaster in the world is giving back its broadcasting licences to place its content offer exclusively on third party platforms. Among other things, because there seems to be nothing worse than ending up as something with no personality and hardly recognisable, with your content offer diluted among audio products of all kinds. But yes, there may be something worse: that radio loses its identity as a medium, which is what has brought it this far over the last hundred-odd years."

(RTVE audio) Read more


Aeranti-Corallo: "Ten-year exemption from DAB+ administrative fees"
15.03.2024 - Italy Italy
On 13 March 2024, the Joint Committees VII (Culture, Science and Education) and IX (Transport, Posts and Telecommunications) of the Chamber of Deputies invited the Government to consider the advisability of extending from 5 to 10 years the exemption of the payment of the administrative fees of the contributions for the use of DAB+ radio frequencies, as well as to provide for the starting date of such exemption from the actual beginning of the use of the frequencies and not from the date of issuance of the notices for the relevant assignment. Aeranti-Corallo takes a very positive view of this indication, as it incorporates its own proposals in this regard made at the hearing on 23 January.

(Aeranti-Corallo) Read more


Radio United boss: we want to get all our stations on DAB+
15.03.2024 - Czechia Czechia
Country Radio, Kiss, Radio 1, Radio Beat, Radio Spin and Signal Radio are the brands that their operator, Radio United Broadcasting, wants to distribute via DAB+ technology, its chief executive Martin Hroch told the Digital Radio portal. Negotiations are currently underway about the form of distribution. "We are in the early stages of negotiations so it would not be appropriate to comment on anything. But we want to distribute the signal of all our six stations in DAB+," Hroch said. As a result, Radio United Broadcasting plans to place Country Radio, Kiss, Radio 1, Radio Beat, Radio Spin and Signal Radio on the digital multiplexes. "Our goal is to cover the territory of the Czech Republic as efficiently as possible in terms of price-performance ratio," added Martin Hroch.

(Český rozhlas) Read more


DAB+ audiences up overall in Australia: GFK Survey 1
14.03.2024 - Australia Australia
The DAB+ audience size in Australia has increased in the first GFK Radio 360 survey of 2024, driven by substantial growth in Sydney and Melbourne. The MMM suite of stations gained 91k listeners collectively in Sydney, and another 26k in Melbourne. Double J put 43k listeners on in Sydney taking their Sydney cumulative audience to 105k, with more moderate gains and losses in the other capitals. Coles Radio are on top in Brisbane, adding 36k listeners and almost doubling their audience to 81k. CADA remains on top in Sydney despite substantial changes to its programming and personnel made at the end of last year. It rose by 5k listeners in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.

(RadioInfo Australia) Read more