Germany - Current situation - History
12.08.2010
Germany’s public service financing committee, the KEF is to provide funding to facilitate the roll out of national DAB+ digital radio in Germany.
The funds, which allow public broadcaster Deutschland Radio, to build out a national digital radio network using DAB+ technology, will be available providing the industry meets a tight timetable set out by the KEF. Space on the network however will be shared between public and commercial broadcasters giving the whole industry the opportunity to secure future development of radio. Conditions require commercial and public broadcasters to sign contracts with Media Broadcast GmbH by the end of September. Funding will also be made available to ARD for programmes which will continue to be broadcast the federal states.
Germany’s commercial radio broadcasters and network operator, Media Broadcast, have agreed to work together to facilitate national digital radio.
25.03.2010
DAB in Germany covers nearly 70% of the population with over 60 different radio stations available. Having awarded the licence for running the network for the national multiplex to MEDIA BROADCAST, the ZAK (a commission supervising the regional media authorities) has to now choose the programmes for the first national digital radio services in Germany. In mid-March 2010 nine candidates with 14 programmes applied for capacity on the DAB/DAB+ multiplex in Germany this include: Radio Disney, Energy, Süddeutsche Zeitung Radio. As the capacity is not sufficient for such a large number of applicants, a selection procedure is likely to be initiated. A third of the overall capacities had been allotted to Deutschlandradio in advance.
The national digital channels will be supplemented by up to three multiplexes in each of the 16 regional states to provide regional and local radio from public service broadcasters who are represented by a group called the ARD and private broadcasters. Like Deutschlandradio, the ARD stations will broadcast one additional digital-only service in addition to simulcasting their current programmes in each region.
Thus, between 30 and 40 digital radio stations will become available in each regional state, offering a mix of local and nationwide, private and public radio stations. The relaunch of digital radio in the DAB transmission standard technology is planned for 2011.