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In 2025, Polskie Radio will spend more than PLN 11.4 million on modernising its production and broadcasting stations, expanding its systems and rebuilding its digital sound network. The financial and programming plans accessed by Wirtualnemedia.pl also show that the public broadcaster will further seek to expand the reach of its DAB+ multiplex. The plans for 2025 include the item Development of DAB+. After achieving signal coverage of 90 per cent of the country's area in 2024, work on increasing coverage will continue in 2025, announces Polskie Radio. The financial and programme plan shows that the costs of DAB+ broadcasting in 2025 will amount to PLN 24.7 million (analogue FM broadcasting is PLN 65.3 million).

The EBU has long recommended its members look to digitize their radio services due to the benefits it can bring to both broadcasters and listeners. Over the years that I have been involved with digital radio, the landscape of user device support has gone through many changes. Back in the mid-2000s, options for listening to DAB (the original MP2-encoded version, and not its more modern DAB+ variant) relied on tabletop radio devices valued in the 100s of euros. Now, I can easily find an equivalent at a fraction of this, and more than 125 million devices have been sold globally, according to industry figures as of 2023.

Digital broadcast radio continues to grow dynamically in Germany the first half of the year. Established and new DAB+ programmes are achieving record reach. The first federal state has announced that it will make the switch from analogue to digital. In neighbouring country Switzerland, public broadcaster has announced that it will phase out cost-intensive FM at the end of this year.

The Office of Electronic Communications has published a new list of DAB+ broadcasting permits. Over the past month, it has extended the permissions for the experimental multiplexes DABCOM, PSN Infrastruktura and Radio Express FM by one year. Information from Wirtualnemedia.pl shows that similar permits for BCAST should soon be added to the list.

Drivers can now spend the entire journey from Prague to České Budějovice on the D3 motorway listening to the digital radio broadcast of the COLOR DAB+ network operated by Joe Media. The operator has increased the power of the transmitter in České Budějovice. The Budějovice transmitter of the COLOR DAB+ multiplex was the first ever transmitter launched under the frequencies allocated in the auction of the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) at the beginning of this year. Joe Media launched it on technology it dismantled from the original old Prague transmitter at Strahov. In mid-May, it started test broadcasts with 200 W instead of the planned 2 kW. This changed at the end of last week. "We have made the wiring modifications necessary to increase the power at the DAB+ transmitter in České Budějovice and at the same time increased the power to about 500 W. We will make another increase soon," the operator announced via social media.

Cumbria.Digital has submitted an application to Ofcom to establish a small-scale DAB multiplex for Carlisle, Penrith, and surrounding areas. If approved, Cumbria.Digital says it aims to have the platform operational by early 2025, using two transmission sites in Carlisle and Penrith. Cumbria.Digital has committed to reserving capacity for up to six community services, exceeding the minimum requirement ofcom required of four. Jonathan Davies, Director of Cumbria.Digital, expressed gratitude for the support received from local organisations: “I would personally like to thank Eden FM, Cumberland Radio, Love Carlisle, and Penrith Town for their support. This has been a five-year journey for us, awaiting legislative and regulatory developments to catch-up with our plans. With Ofcom’s approval, Cumbria.Digital aims to unlock the potential of local digital radio capabilities to match other parts of the UK and also put us at the forefront of what DAB can do.”

The biggest fair in the Benelux region can again be followed extensively via radio, online and TV on Kermis FM. From 19 to 28 July, the broadcasts can be followed nationwide on DAB+ digital radio, online and in Tilburg via 105.9 FM. The Tilburg Fair is more than just a fair. It is a big festival with a Silent Disco Festival, hip-hop festival Het Moment, Holy Pink, the first Tilburg edition of Glitterbox in the Spoorzone and, of course, Pink Monday. ‘The fair is a big festival site and that only makes it nicer to report live,’ says Arno Leblanc, editor-in-chief of Kermis FM. ‘And, of course, we ourselves will be there as an attraction in front of the church on the Hill. Anyone can come and do a shout-out to family or friends or request a record.’ The jam-packed programming features many well-known names who could be heard at Kermis FM at the beginning of their media careers.

The Government of the Balearic Islands will implement, through DAB+ technology, IB3's digital radio in the first quarter of 2025. This was announced on 18 July by the director general of Digital Strategy and Administrative Simplification, Xisco Cànovas.‘We are pleased to see that we are the first autonomous community in which all three RTVE radio coverage (local, regional and national) will be offered with DAB+ digital technology,’ he said. The general director of IB3, Albert Salas, added: ‘The announcement by the Government of the Balearic Islands to launch DAB+ broadcasts on IB3 Ràdio is part of the digital strategy of the regional government. The digitisation of public radio and television in the Balearic Islands is a fundamental part of our project. DAB+ will allow us to improve the quality of transmission and coverage and will put us in a leading position in the national radio market.

Community station Corby Radio has announced plans to apply for the small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex for Corby and Kettering. The area is part of Round 6, which has a closing date of July 18. Des Barber, Founder and Station Manager of Corby Radio said: “From my days on AM with KCBC, I’ve seen progress to FM, and now to digital technologies. Corby Radio has always harnessed these developments for the enrichment of our community. It is hoped that the result of the application will be known by the end of the year and the service will go on-air in 2025.”

YourFM has confirmed it will be applying for the Portadown & Craigavon small-scale DAB multiplex licence. The community radio station has been broadcasting on FM since June 2015 and now says it wants to expand onto DAB. It has partnered with a neighbouring community radio station in Newry to create a not-for-profit multiplex offering low-cost carriage and free carriage for the four C-DSP services it would host. Director Niall O Corrain said: “We have brought in experienced people with a proven track record in delivering SSDAB projects in Northern Ireland to ensure the multiplexes success.” ABC Community SSDAB has ambitious plans to launch as early as six months if it is awarded the licence due to the preparations made in the last three months.