News

Community leaders have united behind a campaign to bring digital radio services to Northern Tasmania. The ABC and the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia launched collaborative tests of DAB+ Digital Radio technology across the Launceston CBD in 2023. Launceston community radio stations City Park Radio, Way FM and Print Radio Tasmania have now joined forces to get an administrative ‘tick of approval’ from the federal communications regulator, so that they can go live with the technology permanently. “Digital radio receivers are standard in over 80% of all new cars sold in Australia,” said City Park Radio Public Officer Chris Ball. “Next year marks our 40th anniversary of community broadcasting here in Launceston, and wouldn’t it be great to give the gift of DAB radio to the north of the state on our 40th anniversary.”

Ards Community SSDAB is applying for the local DAB multiplex to cover the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland. The team behind Ards Community SSDAB includes Blast106, Belfast 89 and Sunshine 1049, who have also launched the Lagan small-scale DAB multiplex covering Greater Belfast. Sean Og Mac Braoin, launch coordinator for Ards Community says: “The experience that launching and successfully operating the Greater Belfast DAB multiplexes puts us in an unrivalled position to guarantee the success of a DAB multiplex for the people of the Ards Peninsula including the city of Bangor.”

As of today, eight community radio stations can be received nationwide via DAB+ for the first time. The Lower Saxony State Media Authority (NLM) is thus making it possible to receive non-commercial radio programmes digitally with immediate effect - regardless of location and in clear digital quality. The launch of DAB+ was made possible by the NLM in close cooperation with Milling Broadcast Services and Media Broadcast. Dr Klaus-Jürgen Buchholz, Deputy Director of NLM: "The availability of community radio stations via DAB+ is an important step towards greater diversity of opinion and media participation. This will enormously strengthen the visibility and audibility of civic engagement."

From 28 April, Radio Tonkuhle will start broadcasting via DAB+. The station can now be received digitally and noise-free with the appropriate devices. The signal will be broadcast via the Hanover multiplex on channel 8C, which also means a significant increase in the broadcasting area compared to the FM area on 105.3 Mhz. The DAB+ launch was made possible by the Lower Saxony State Media Authority in cooperation with Milling Broadcast Services and Media Broadcast. Its deputy director, Dr Klaus-Jürgen Buchholz, described the ability to receive community radio stations via DAB+ as an important step towards greater diversity of opinion and media participation.

Hit station 247Spice is back on air a week after losing its FM frequency in Amsterdam. Since Friday afternoon, the station has been broadcasting on DAB+ via the regional network for Noord-Holland and Flevoland (channel 8B). The move to DAB+ means 247Spice can be heard over the airwaves in a considerably larger area. On the old frequency 90.1 FM in Amsterdam, Kiss FM can be heard since Friday afternoon. 247Spice disappeared from FM over a week ago after a business conflict with the licence holder of the FM lot.

ARN and TikTok have announced that TikTok Trending – the DAB+ station for under-30s – will continue to grow in 2025, expanding its reach to Canberra. Described as TikTok for your ears when your eyes are busy, TikTok Trending broadcasts 24/7 on ARN’s iHeart and across DAB+, its eclectic mix of music decided by TikTok users themselves. Now, in addition to its established presence in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide, TikTok Trending has expanded into Canberra. Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, says “TikTok Trending has redefined Australian radio, combining the cultural impact of TikTok with the strength of radio’s reach. Its success with younger audiences and recognition as the Most Innovative DAB Format at the 2023 ACRA Awards speaks volumes.”

Radio Vaterland, the commercial successor to Radio Liechtenstein, will also be broadcast on DAB+ from May. Following the end of the public radio station Radio Liechtenstein, a successor is in the starting blocks: as reported, Radio Vaterland has initially been launched as a web radio station. From May, the programme will also be broadcast on DAB+. The organiser is now announcing the imminent digital terrestrial launch on air before the news on the hour. It is still unclear whether the broadcaster will take over Radio Liechtenstein's current broadcasting position in the SMC Mux Eastern Switzerland (SMC D03 O-CH, channel 9B) or whether there will be an alternative solution.

Car audio entertainment systems have come a long way, but there’s still further to go, as Steve Ahern found out when he visited the main players in car dashboard systems at the NABShow in America. "So what’s going on with in-car entertainment systems? There are three main providers proposing solutions in the car entertainment space: Xperi, RadioPlayer and GraceNote. Xperi and RadioPlayer are radio industry related companies that interface with car manufacturers, while GraceNote is an agnostic data provider that works with tv companies, streamers and car companies, as well as radio. I visited each of them at NAB, and also earlier at RadioDays Europe."

GB News has extended its distribution partnership with Arqiva, in a significant new agreement which will help the People’s Channel meet its aim of reaching every TV and radio device in the UK. The agreement, which spans multiple years, includes Digital Terrestrial Television (Freeview) and Direct To Home satellite TV spectrum, DAB+ Radio spectrum, and broadcast connectivity lines. The deal reinforces GB News' dedication to providing free-to-air mass reach linear distribution on TV and Radio. Commenting, Marc Schipper, Chief Operating Officer at GB News, said: “We’re delighted to expand on our relationship with Arqiva, who boast an unrivalled record in service delivery.”

Radio Proglas, currently the most listened to regional station in the Czech Republic, is starting to reduce its analogue network. During May and June it will stop broadcasting on the first four FM frequencies. The move is linked to the long-term transition to digital distribution. This is an important milestone for the Czech radio digitalisation. The exact schedule shows that the first broadcast will end in Žďár nad Sázavou on 31 May at 12:04. On the same day, the transmitter at Jested in Liberec will also go silent, namely at 21:15. This will be followed by switch-off in Písek (30 June at 12:04) and České Budějovice (30 June at 14:00). All of these locations belong to the original FM transmitters of Proglas, of which six areas are to be preserved.