News

On Tuesday, 18 February 2025, the members of Digital Radio Mitteldeutschland e.V. met in Halle for an important association meeting. Firstly, the founding members of the association, Prof Dr Ulrich Jumar from IFAK and Uwe Ludwig from Media Broadcast, retired after decades of commitment. Long-standing board member André Gierke, Head of Corporate Communications at Funkhaus Halle (Radio Brocken, 89.0 RTL), was then unanimously elected as the new Chairman of the Board. Together, the team is ready to tackle new challenges such as the introduction of the ASA standard, the optimization of DAB+ tunnel coverage and further marketing strategies in the three federal states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.

A new pop-up station from Virgin Radio UK launching today, will play music from the Britpop era. Virgin Radio Britpop, which is available on DAB in London, on the Virgin Radio UK app and smart speakers, will take the Chris Evans Breakfast Show every weekday morning from 6.30am – 10.00am. The station will play a mix of non-stop music, specials and sessions from the Virgin Radio archive, with bespoke programming from those who were a part of Britpop in the 1990s. Artists played will include the likes of Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Elastica, Cast, The Charlatans and Manic Street Preachers; with live tracks from Shed 7, Richard Ashcroft, Suede and many more.

A SERIES of new digital radio stations have been announced by Wireless Ireland. The company said the new stations would be hosted on a new DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) platform, partnering with FailteDAB. The broadcaster said it will "work closely with Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s media regulator, to secure the necessary content licences to ensure compliance with broadcasting standards and regulations". It added: "The new radio services will offer a diverse range of content, catering to a wide range of interests and tastes." The new stations are set to launch in the spring, with more details announced in coming weeks. Sean Barry, Managing Director of Wireless Ireland, said: “Wireless Ireland is proud to lead the charge in Ireland’s transition to digital broadcasting.”

The Digital Radio Broadcasting Technology DAB+ launch, which symbolises Turkey's digital transformation in radio broadcasting, was held at Çamlıca Tower in the heart of Istanbul, under the leadership of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and hosted by PTT Kule A.Ş. The launch was attended by Turkey's leading radio channels, as well as the presidents and delegations of TVYD, RATEM, URYAD. PTT General Manager Dr Hakan Gülten pointed out the advantages offered by Digital Radio Broadcasting Technology DAB+ and said: ‘Thanks to DAB+ technology, which redefines the radio listening experience in the modern digital age, we will offer a high quality, uninterrupted, efficient and wide coverage service in radio broadcasts.’

Radio Byoblu is being connected to DAB+ in Italian-speaking Switzerland. The station is the first Italian news & talk station to have a widespread presence in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland (with coverage of 95% of the territory). The initiative follows the agreement reached between Swiss Media Cast, the main Swiss network operator, and Media Pluralisti Europei, s.p.a., of which Radio ByoBlu is part. Broadcasting of the signal will take place from March 2025. ‘Being the first Italian news radio station present in the most important Swiss multiplexer, and therefore in the relevant territory, is a source of pride for us,’ comments Claudio Messora, publisher of ByoBlu.

A year and a half earlier than the development criteria required by the Czech Telecommunications Authority, the Czech Radiocommunications (CRA) nationwide network for digital broadcasting of commercial radios will reach coverage of over 80 percent of the population and the motorway network in the Czech Republic next month. While 48 per cent of the Czech population can tune in to the network from 17 transmitters and repeaters since 4 February, when the nationwide multiplex B started, CRA plans to launch 14 more transmitters in March. These will provide a radical increase in coverage, as 11 of these transmitters will transmit at 10 kW, one even at 20 kW.

Radio Metro continues its expansion and is now extending its broadcasts to Telemark and Vestfold, on local DAB. With this expansion, Radio Metro ensures continuous coverage from Mandal in the south to Røros in the north, which marks a milestone for the channel. ‘This is an important strategic investment that strengthens our position in southern and eastern Norway. We want to provide our listeners with an even better radio service and look forward to welcoming new listeners,’ says CEO Yvonne Stikbakke. ‘We are proud to be able to expand our distribution to Vestfold and Telemark. With this expansion, we can reach even more listeners and offer our unique combination of experienced presenters, good music and exciting competitions.’

Almost half of the 57 planned local DAB+ networks are now on air. With the switch-on of transmitters in Leeuwarden and Winschoten, the number has reached 28. The remaining 29 networks should be commissioned by 1 September this year. Some of the networks (allotments) were already on air before last September through temporary licences and have remained on air on a temporary basis or otherwise until the cooperation agreement between all licence holders is concluded and a definitive network can be built. Local commercial broadcasters that do not yet have a DAB+ licence, but still want to get in, will soon get a new chance. The RDI is currently preparing a second distribution round.

A first look at the life-saving Automatic Safety Alert (ASA) system on DAB+ will be available to delegates at this year’s Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Digital Broadcasting Symposium (DBS), held from 24 - 27 February in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event is the premier technical symposium in the APAC region focussing on the broadcasting industry. WorldDAB — the global industry forum for DAB+ digital radio — is again a major sponsor of ABU DBS, presenting an expert DAB+ workshop and hosting a DAB+ Pavilion at the conference exhibition. The Pavilion features several major solution providers: Aldena, AVT Audio Visual Technologies, Paneda, and RadioDNS. WorldDAB member Digidia is also exhibiting at ABU DBS.

Wireless Ireland is planning on launching “a suite of new digital radio services” on DAB+ this year. The move comes as RadioToday breaks the news that a new DAB+ trial will operate for 12 months from April by FáilteDAB. The new stations are set to launch in the spring, with more details announced in coming weeks. Sean Barry, Managing Director of Wireless Ireland, said: “Wireless Ireland is proud to lead the charge in Ireland’s transition to digital broadcasting. The new FáilteDAB platform will offer listeners a broader and more immersive experience, with a blend of existing and new content offerings, creating diversity of choice for listeners across a large coverage area. Wireless Ireland’s commitment will see us become the largest content provider on this new and exciting platform.”