News

In Bretzenheim, in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, a test facility has now started for the first DAB broadcast using a small broadcasting system and open source technology. The small scale DAB concept is designed to make digital radio attractive for small stations, offering affordable entry into the digital radio market.

With the IRS-650, VR Audio offers a wide range of functions thanks to a 3.2 screen, with digital radio reception via DAB+.

Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) has outlined plans for further expansion of the DAB+ broadcast network, which will begin in 2018.

Ahead of this year’s IFA in Berlin a great number of new DAB receivers are expected to be on show. Last year there were over 28 different companies showing DAB+ products, from standalone radios to Hi-Fi separates and portable radios to car head units. WorldDAB reports that the Norwegian switchover has had a significant impact on the receiver market.

Over the course of the last century, radio has proven itself as a resilient medium, capable of defying trends to consistently appeal to new generations. In the UK, which is at the forefront of DAB service, over 45 percent of all radio listening is done via digital formats, including DAB, up from 29 percent in 2011.

All examples of the 5 Series Touring come with DAB radio and sat-nav.

Medialaan, parent company of commercial radio stations Qmusic and Joe, has signed an agreement with network operator Norkring Belgium to allow both stations to broadcast via Norkring’s DAB+ network in Flanders. The partnership, which runs until 2024, lets Qmusic and Joe begin broadcasting on the DAB+ network from September.

With DAB+ in Germany going from strength to strength we’re expecting to see plenty of new receivers on show in Berlin at this year’s IFA. Last year there were over 28 different companies showing DAB+ products, from standalone radios to Hi-Fi separates and portable radios to car head units. Norway’s digital switchover has had a significant impact on the receiver market, but particularly for car and home adapter products, so expect to see more of these.

Belgian broadcaster Medialaan has announced an agreement to expand distribution of its radio stations Qmusic and Joe to the DAB+ network operated by Norkring. The contract runs until 2024 and covers the regions Flanders and Brussels.

Silicon Labs has announced a family of car radio receiver chips with a common software API, claiming designers can share R&D effort across multiple product lines, from low-cost, single-tuner AM/FM radios to high-performance systems with multiple tuners and antennas.