News

Voice lends itself perfectly to radio, enabling the implementation of new infotainment systems that are less distracting in the car – whether with a car manufacturer proprietary platform, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or other. At the WorldDAB Automotive 2021 conference on 23 June, industry experts will outline how broadcasters and vehicles manufacturers are working together to implement solutions that keep radio prominent, while building a great radio experience for the listener.

The big change that has thrust metadata to the forefront is the reality that the “car radio” as we once knew it is gone. There is no radio dial. There is now an increasingly large digital display and a built-in wireless connection. Fixing the management, delivery and rendering of metadata in dashboards is essential to the survival of broadcast radio.

MBT, the leading international broadcast conference in Central and Southeast Europe, has announced the launch of a webinar addressing the future of terrestrial broadcasting. Split across two sessions, the free webinar will take place on 19 May, and focus on digital radio and how to run a successful DAB+ project - from the business perspective of the network operator and from the broadcaster’s perspective.

Aimed at younger audiences, Arabella HOT is now available to listeners on DAB+ digital radio in the cities of Innsbruck, Kufstein and Wörgl.

As part of the UK's ongoing small-scale DAB licence allocation process, this week saw Ofcom award small-scale DAB licences to the cities of Cardiff, Edinburgh, Kings Lynn, Leeds and Norwich.

Monaco-based Premium Radio will launch on DAB+ digital radio in Monaco, Nice, Cannes and Menton on 1 July 2021.

Radio Advies Bureau (RAB), the marketing body for national, regional, public and commercial radio stations in the Netherlands, has released the net radio advertising revenue for Q1 2021. Digital radio advertising spending was €1.5 million in the first quarter.

“DAB+ at the Heart of Hybrid” - the live webinar jointly organised by WorldDAB and the EBU - delved into the advances being made in hybrid radio technology by various companies and associations, outlining the important role of DAB+ in keeping radio prominent in the car.

The total net radio advertising spend in the first quarter of 2021 has increased by 2.3% to 36 million euros, while the digital radio advertising spend for that same period stands at 1.5 million euros.

TechniSat and Media Broadcast have launched a new transmitter in the region of Daun in western Germany, bringing 12 DAB+ digital radio stations to over 10,000 residents in the region.