News

ZUN radio is expanding its coverage in Prague through the Fiera touch DAB+ multiplex. This decision comes as part of an effort to support the development of digital radio broadcasting in the Czech Republic. The station operator is responding to its good relationship with the multiplex operator while expanding the availability of its programme to listeners in the capital. ZUN radio broadcasts on the Fiera touch multiplex using the same technical parameters as the COLOR DAB+ network. ZUN radio now offers its programming on two DAB+ networks in Prague, significantly expanding the listening options for its fans.

The year 2025 will bring another significant expansion of DAB+ digital radio coverage. RTI cz and Teleko plan to launch new transmitters in five strategic locations. This network expansion will give listeners in other regions access to a wider range of radio stations with higher sound quality. RTI cz plans to launch a total of five new DAB+ transmitters. Three of them will be shared with Teleko - at Suchý vrch near Králíky with a power of 3.2 kW, in Třebíč na Vartemberku with a power of 5 kW and in Znojmo-Kuchařovice with a power of 1 kW for Teleko and 4 kW for RTI cz. The remaining two transmitters are planned by the West Bohemian company separately - in Mariánské Lázně on Dyléni and in Kutná Hora on Vysoká, both with a power of 5 kW.

The party station Radio Bollerwagen is expanding its broadcasting area and will be available via DAB+ in Rhineland-Palatinate from 1 March 2025. Broadcasting will take place via the Bad Kreuznach-Mainz-Bingen multiplex, which is distributed via three transmission towers. The station belongs to the ffn-mediengruppe and offers a music programme with a focus on ‘Xtreme Party Music’. Rhineland-Palatinate is already the eighth federal state in which RADIO BOLLERWAGEN is available via DAB+ after NRW, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony and Saarland. In addition to digital broadcasting in Germany, the station has also been available in Austria via DAB+ since 1 September 2024.

An important development for Radio San Marino: as of today, 1 March, the signal will be available in DAB+ in the Lazio Region, thanks to the collaboration with the MediaDAB consortium. This represents the first step towards expanding digital coverage nationwide, with the aim of reaching a wider audience and guaranteeing superior reception quality. This development is part of San Marino RTV's technological renewal plan, promoted by General Director, Roberto Sergio. During a press conference in Rome on 25 February, he emphasised that all the announced goals are taking shape: ‘by the end of the year, it will be possible to listen to Radio San Marino throughout Italy’.

Bauer Media Audio UK is announcing that Absolute Radio, KISS, KISSTORY, and Magic Radio will all make the shift to DAB+, in a move to improve sound quality for its audiences. The stations, which are currently on DAB, will make the switch on 31st March and are starting to communicate the news to listeners this week. UK listeners have been able to enjoy regular services on DAB+ since 2016, with the majority of digital radio devices produced in the last decade being DAB+ enabled. Peter Davies, Chief Operating Officer for Bauer Media Audio UK said: “We continually review how we can improve our audience’s listening experience, and this simple change allows us to deliver higher-quality audio to more of our listeners.”

WorldDAB had a busy week at the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium (DBS) 2025, in Klang, Kuala Lumpur. Held every year, the DBS is the premier event that provides a platform for broadcasters and industry leaders in the region to discuss key advancements, challenges, and innovations shaping the broadcast and media landscape. This year’s event had a significant focus on AI in broadcasting and media production, alongside the latest DAB+ developments. WorldDAB Project Director, Bernie O'Neill, looks back at WorldDAB's activities, presentations, and key findings during the event.

The MIDAS Survey is designed to provide context and insight into how, when and where audio content is being consumed in this current liberated environment. MIDAS shows how listeners are embracing the multi-platform and multi-device offering, as well as how audio-on-demand is contributing to listening behaviour. Weekly audio listening in the UK remains strong, albeit varied between age and gender. Listeners spend on average 28.7 hours a week engaging in their favourite audio type. The total number of weekly hours listened to audio is over 1.6 billion; this has increased by 16% since MIDAS Winter 2019. For all adults, the share of ‘live radio’ dominates audio listening (excluding visual) with 65% of their listening hours spent engaging in this audio type.

Radio Proglas is about to take a significant step in its history. At the end of May this year it will switch off its FM transmitter on Jested, which covered the Liberec area. The decision is part of a wider strategy to switch to DAB+ digital broadcasting and other modern technologies. Radio Proglas' strategy also includes expansion into new locations. This year, the station plans to launch broadcasts in five new areas, the closest of which is the launch of a transmitter on Suchý vrch near Králíky. The radio will continue to use DAB+ distribution in the RTI cz and Teleko digital multiplexes, which, according to director Holík, pays off economically. This strategy is made possible thanks to the gradual switching off of FM transmitters.

The Service des médias, de la connectivité et de la politique numérique (SMC) is launching a public call for applications for sound radio services to be broadcast on the DAB+ digital multiplex. The deadline for submitting applications is 18:00 on 4 April 2025. The call says: "As FM frequencies are saturated, there are currently very few possibilities for coordinating new frequencies or even developing new radio services with wide coverage. This limitation on the development of existing and new radio services is holding back media pluralism, which is of major democratic importance. DAB+ technology makes it possible to remedy this situation by extending the number of radio services that can be broadcast in Luxembourg."

Radio Netwerk Nederland has taken over the operation of the DAB+ network for the municipalities of Delft, Maassluis, Midden Delfland and Westland. Local broadcasters Omroep Delft and WOS (Westland, Maassluis and Midden Delfland) and commercial radio station Lega-C could already be heard via DAB+ on channel 9B for some time. Operation of the network was today taken over by transmitter operator Radio Netwerk Nederland. As a result, the two existing support stations in Delft have been switched off and replaced by one new strong support station in The Hague South. RNN has also temporarily taken over network operation for the municipalities of The Hague, Rijswijk, Leidschendam-Voorburg and Wassenaar on channel 5C.