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Radio is increasingly listened to via digital reception modes. Analogue broadcasting methods, such as FM, which have been in operation since 1952, are a thing of the past. DAB+ is the new international standard that is taking over from FM. In Switzerland, over 99% of the population already receives DAB+. The change in technology has been underway for several years, and sales of DAB+ radios are booming in Switzerland. DAB+ is now the new standard; remaining FM usage is stagnating at under 10%. SRG SSR has therefore decided to stop broadcasting its radio programmes via obsolete FM antennas from 31 December 2024.

In Athens, on 19 December 2024, at the company's offices, the Board of Directors of ERT SA met at the invitation of the Managing Director to discuss Item 90: Approval of the necessity to purchase DAB+ digital terrestrial broadcasting transmitters for the creation of a network of DAB+ transmitters of ERT SA. The Board of Directors, having taken into account the recommendation of the General Director of Technology and Media Operations, unanimously decides and approves the necessity of the supply of 19 DAB+ radio transmitters for the implementation of the first phase of the creation of the DAB+ radio transmitter network of ERT. The decision was published on the Government transparency website: diavgeia.gov.gr

On New Year's Eve afternoon, RTI cz, a Pilsen-based company, announced the launch of the first nationwide network for digital broadcasting of commercial radio in the DAB+ standard in the Czech Republic. According to Office Manager Andrea Jančová, the operator put nine new multiplex C transmitters into operation during the day and achieved coverage of 69.26 percent of the Czech population. RTI cz has thus met the development criteria set by the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU). "In total, RTI cz has launched 23 transmitters, and in the first months of the new year it will boost coverage from the transmitters in Prague - City Tower, Benešov - Kochánov and Mariánské Lázně - Dyleň," said Jančová.

Bournemouth-based commercial radio station Bournemouth One has joined the Arqiva Bournemouth DAB multiplex giving it coverage across Dorset. The station, which launched on New Year’s Day 2024, is looking forward to welcoming even more listeners around the area, as co-founder Sophie Greenwood told RadioToday: “Our first 12 months online has been so much fun, and so valuable in helping us welcome many loyal listeners, partners and advertisers to Bournemouth One.” Co-founder and CEO Roy Martin (owner of RadioToday) adds: “Our listeners have been asking for us to be on the actual radio ever since they discovered us online, so this is our birthday present to them.”

At the turn of the year, local radio in the Allgäu will be switched off via FM. This affects RSA Radio in particular, which will cease broadcasting after almost 40 years. The decision was made due to falling advertising revenues, rising costs and increasing requirements from the state media centres. The first six FM transmitter sites were already switched off at the end of October, and the final shutdown will follow on 31 December. From January 2025, local radio in the Allgäu will only be broadcast via DAB+ and the internet. The Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) has launched a digitalisation campaign to make the population aware of the remaining offerings via DAB+.

Mediahuis is changing the range of thematic channels on DAB+ from Monday 6 January. On channel 9C, Sunlite will make way for Veronica Goud van Oud, while on 7D (MTVNL) Vintage Veronica will be replaced by Veronica Non-stop. Veronica Goud van Oud is a spin-off of the radio programme of the same name, which can be heard on Radio Veronica every working day from 10am to 12pm.

During January and no later than in the first half of February, operators of the auctioned networks for digital terrestrial broadcasting of commercial radios must launch transmitters in all regions for which they have auctioned frequencies. This is required by the Electronic Communications Act. The one-year deadline is calculated from the moment the operators received the decision on the frequency allocation from the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU). This happened during January and February this year, and all participants in the auction of frequencies for DAB+ networks had to pay the auctioned amounts by 16 February.

The auction of frequencies for networks dedicated to digital broadcasting of commercial radios this year started the gradual building of infrastructure for 29 DAB+ multiplexes. The year 2024 in digital radio broadcasting got off to a literally bombastic start. On 5 January, the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) published the results of an auction of frequencies for two nationwide and 27 regional DAB+ networks for commercial radio. The Czech Digital Group (CDG), owned by Czech Radio Communications, won the all-screen multiplex B, while the competing multiplex C was acquired by RTI cz.

The switch-off of FM will begin at the end of the year. Unlike the SRG, which will switch off its FM broadcasting as early as 31 December 2024, the private radio stations will follow a different timing. The Association of Swiss Private Radio Stations (VSP) is providing information on the planned switch-off of FM broadcasting by its radio stations. Some private radio stations will gradually switch off individual FM transmitters in their broadcasting area from 1 January 2025 as part of a so-called ‘fadeout process’, while others will not cease their entire FM broadcasting until the end of 2026 directly. The different timing of FM switch-off for private radio stations is due to the specific circumstances in the respective broadcasting areas. Some FM sites of Radio 32 were switched off on 31 December 2024.

RTI cz's Central Bohemian transmitters are switching from channel 5A to the final channel 8D and increasing their power, which will require a lockout. Then, tomorrow night, the operator plans to re-identify all of the radio multiplex C transmitters that have been launched so far and regionalise its entire network. The changes to the Central Bohemian network for digital radio were announced by RTI cz this morning via its own Facebook profile. "On Monday, 30 December 2024, between 10.00 and 16.00, there will be a switchover to the final DAB frequency 8D on the Příbram and Beroun - Zahrabská sites. The transmitters will therefore be out of service for several tens of minutes," said the operator.