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Phil Becker writes: My radio people will lock into this instantly, but if you’re here for branding, marketing, or turning content into an immersive product experience, you’re in the right place too, because if Season 5 has taught us anything already, it’s that every signal matters, literally and figuratively. What Global and Netflix pulled off with pop-up station WSQK “The Squawk” is a rare example of a promotional idea and a content play landing with equal force. This isn’t a promo stunt. It’s an opportunity masterclass - inspired by the radio station utilized as a plot device in the Stranger Things Broadway show - and Netflix signing on as a creative partner says a lot. Live on DAB in London. Streaming on Global Player. Summoned by voice command “Play The Squawk.”

Radio Berg is modernising its broadcasting technology and preparing to launch DAB+. A new DAB+ antenna will be installed on the transmission mast in Lindlar next week, supplementing the existing FM service and ensuring better, more stable reception. The station expects to be clearly and reliably audible across a larger area in future – including for commuters from the Bergisch region via Cologne to Aachen. Editor-in-chief Alex Pesch says: ‘I am incredibly excited that we will soon be even easier to hear and will be able to offer our listeners even more services.’ Managing director Ralf Steinhausen adds: ‘We are investing in the future of Radio Berg because we believe in the strength and importance of our brand. Radio has a future, and we are actively shaping that future.’

Radio Caroline will broadcast live from Ross Revenge on Christmas Day for the first time since the ship last operated offshore. The programme will recreate the atmosphere of the station’s original pirate era from its mooring in the Blackwater Estuary. Listeners will hear a line-up of presenters closely linked with the 1970s and 1980s offshore years, offering a Christmas Day schedule designed to sound as authentic as possible. The broadcast will run on 648 AM, online and on DAB+, and is supported by US news agency Feature Story News. Radio Caroline says the event marks a significant moment for the station as it reconnects with one of the most recognisable parts of its heritage.

Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) is set to broadcast Australia’s biggest golf tournament with four days of live coverage from Royal Melbourne Golf Club, bringing fans closer to the action at the 2025 Crown Australian Open from December 4 to 7. Golf enthusiasts can tune in as SEN goes live on-course, providing expert commentary and updates across all four afternoon sessions, broadcasting from 12pm AEDT daily. SEN’s coverage will be available on SEN Fanatic DAB+ and the SEN app and all of the network’s sports stations nationally* from 12pm AEDT, before SEN’s sports stations move to coverage of the second Ashes Test live from the Gabba.

1 December 2025 marks the start of a new era for radio in Luxembourg, with the launch of the DAB+ system. Twelve radio stations have been approved by the government, following a public tender and a test phase, to broadcast via DAB+. One of these stations is Luxembourg's first multicultural radio station broadcasting in Portuguese. "Rádio Latina has difficulties with FM (Frequency Modulation) transmission in the southern part of the country and also in some locations in the north, where coverage is not the best or, in the worst cases, non-existent. This new digital technology will allow us to reach listeners anywhere in the country. The coverage is national," says Helder Rodrigues, director of Rádio Latina.

In-car listening is critically important to radio’s health. Making sure it stays that way was the theme of a sought-after session at the WorldDAB Summit 2025 at DPG Media in Antwerp, Belgium. The one-day event was hosted by WorldDAB, the global advocacy group for the DAB+ digital radio standard. The session, “Driving radio forward: metadata on the move,” focused on how stations and media companies are working together to ensure radio stays prominent and accessible in cars and trucks. The session opened with Tomas Granryd, Swedish Radio’s head of digital partnerships, speaking about the challenges that radio is facing in connected cars. Granryd referenced how simply finding FM and DAB/DAB+ radio in a vehicle’s infotainment system can be dizzying.

Radiodays Europe is excited to open applications for the Youth Fund 2026, supporting early-career audio talent (ages 18–25) from across Europe. If you’re starting out in radio, audio, or podcasting, this is a rare opportunity to accelerate your growth and connect with leaders shaping the future of the industry. Selected participants will join pre-conference meet-ups and a three-day guided programme in Riga, including workshops, summit sessions, networking events, Listening Lunches, and full access to the entire Radiodays Europe conference experience. Radiodays Europe will support 50 young professionals with full conference participation, meals, and evening events, while partner organisations cover travel and accommodation.

On 1 December, Broadcasting Centre Europe (BCE) officially launched Luxembourg's first DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) multiplex at its premises, in the presence of Elisabeth Margue, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister responsible for Media and Connectivity, as well as representatives of the eleven radio stations now broadcasting in DAB+. This official inauguration marks a major milestone for Luxembourg's radio landscape and for the future of broadcasting in the country. "The introduction of DAB+ and the arrival of new radio stations mark an important milestone for Luxembourg's radio landscape. This development will contribute to strengthening media pluralism in our country," said Margue, in June 2025.

Starting today, Arrow Bluesbox Radio can be heard in a larger part of the Netherlands via DAB+. Until now, the radio station could be heard via regional DAB+ networks in South Holland/Zeeland, Gelderland, Utrecht and Overijssel. As of today, Monday 1 December, this coverage has been expanded to include the provinces of North Brabant and Limburg. The station can be listened to on channel 7C.

Following an intensive planning and construction phase, the new transmitter site in Antholz has been successfully completed and is now fully operational in time for the start of the Olympics. The new transmitter location has significantly improved coverage in several areas of the valley. In particular, many users in Antholz Mittertal, in the area of the biathlon centre, around Lake Antholz and along the road to the Stallersattel pass now benefit from a more stable and better quality signal. ‘The new transmitter location will not only improve broadcasting services, but also significantly strengthen security-related communication services,’ explains Provincial Governor Arno Kompatscher.