News

The 5th Saudi Media Forum opened in Riyadh on 2 February. It ran through 4 February bringing together regional and international media leaders under the theme “Media in an Evolving World.” In her masterclass “DAB: The Future of Digital Radio Broadcasting and the Evolution of Audio,” Jacqueline Bierhorst, president of WorldDAB, outlined how digital broadcast radio is essential to keeping radio free, universal and resilient in a platform-dominated world. She highlighted Saudi Arabia’s rollout of DAB+, with coverage expanding across major cities and highways and noted that other Middle East and North African markets, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Tunisia, were also moving forward with DAB+, positioning the region as an emerging digital radio cluster alongside Europe and Australia.

In a session at the Paris Radio Show on Tuesday 3 February, Frédéric Gérand (RTBF) and Charles-Emmanuel Bon (Radio France), chaired by Maëlo Seuret (Ensemble pour le DAB+), compared how Belgium and France are approaching the rollout and promotion of DAB+. In Belgium, the approach to DAB+ promotion has evolved significantly over the past decade. Rather than focusing narrowly on DAB+ as a technology, the Belgian model has broadened to promote digital radio as a whole, integrating both broadcast and IP distribution into a single narrative. At this stage, France remains firmly in the installation and awareness phase. The emphasis is on ensuring that radio listeners — particularly those buying new receivers — understand what DAB+ is, what to look for, and why it matters. 

New local DAB coverage is now available across North Ayrshire and parts of West Renfrewshire. Caledonia TX Ltd has commissioned its North Ayrshire DAB digital radio network, bringing additional digital capacity and new services to listeners across coastal and inland communities. The network operates from two transmission sites, with transmitters at Routenburn Golf Club in Largs and a second site near Dalry. Caledonia TX says the dual-site approach has been designed to improve reception across a wide area, supporting coverage along the coast while also reaching further inland.

FáilteDAB are excited to announce the extension and expansion of its DAB+ trial networks in Ireland. With the support and license approval of the Irish media and communications authorities Coimisiún na Meán and COMREG, FáilteDAB will extend its current trial network FáilteDAB Mux 1 for another 12 months while also adding significant coverage to the DAB+ footprint with the rollout of its FáilteDAB Mux 2 network. The FáilteDAB Mux 2 network, planned to launch in April 2026, will be powered by up to nine additional high powered transmission sites, strategically located to deliver a strong DAB signal to all or parts of the North and South Midlands, the Southeast, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Galway and Mayo areas.

WorldDAB is pleased to partner with “AI × Radio Europe – From Trust to the Connected Car”, a European policy and innovation forum organised in the framework of UNESCO World Radio Day 2026, taking place on 12 February in Brussels (Residence Palace – International Press Centre). This year, World Radio Day focuses on Radio and Artificial Intelligence. AI × Radio Europe brings together institutions, broadcasters, industry and media to shape the future of radio in the AI era. WorldDAB is a supporting partner of the forum, addressing how radio can remain trusted, accessible and visible in an era of AI-driven production, hybrid distribution and connected dashboards.

The Bournemouth and Boscombe scale DAB digital radio multiplex has launched following 18 months of planning. The launch brings several community and local interest services onto DAB+ in the area for the first time, along with local and national commercial operators. The multiplex is run and operated by BH Community DAB, which was awarded the licence by Ofcom in 2024. “This marks a new chapter for local radio across our region. We can now reach more listeners, sharing local stories, music, and vital information that matter to our communities,” Gary Plumber, Chair at Dorset Coast Radio said.

WorldDAB has announced a technical seminar examining resilience and implementation challenges in DAB+ broadcast networks. The SNIC Seminar on DAB+ resilience and implementation will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. CET. The event will be held in a hybrid format, with in-person participation at the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva and an online option for remote attendees. According to WorldDAB, the seminar is organized by its Spectrum and Networking Implementation Committee. It is aimed at broadcasters, network operators and manufacturers involved in the design and operation of DAB+ transmission infrastructure.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, three new radio stations will launch via DAB+ at the beginning of February 2026. The stations Metropol FM, StreamD and Radio MusicStar will expand the range of digital radio options in several regions of the state. Metropol FM will soon be broadcasting its full Turkish-language programme nationwide via several regional DAB+ coverage areas in North Rhine-Westphalia. These include the Cologne/Bonn/Aachen, East Westphalia-Lippe, Lower Rhine, Dortmund and South Westphalia regions, as well as the Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Mönchengladbach areas. The programme is aimed at a Turkish-speaking audience and combines music, news and cultural content from and for the community.

There has been a short-term change in programming on Hamburg's radio landscape. Radio Wellenrausch has been relaunched on the private multiplex 2 on channel 12C. The station is thus returning to a prominent platform and taking over the slot previously occupied by FG Chic Germany. The latter had only been broadcasting on this channel since spring 2024, but now has to make way for the returnee. For listeners in the Hamburg area, this change means an expansion of the genre offering on DAB+. Since the slot has been swapped within the existing multiplex, all that is required for reception is a quick search on the digital radio, provided the device has not already updated the identifier automatically.

The digital broadcaster Sunshine Live is expanding its presence in the Swiss radio market. Since January 2026, the electronic music programme has also been available in the Bern-Fribourg area via the digital terrestrial network. It is broadcast via the SwissMediaCast multiplex on the regional DAB+ channel SMC D03 BE-FR, which operates on the 8B frequency. Technically, the station is broadcast at a data rate of 64 kbit/s. Within the multiplex, the programme occupies a capacity of 48 capacity units. With this step, Sunshine Live is further consolidating its broadcasting network in western and central Switzerland and using the existing infrastructure of regional digital packages to increase its technical reach.