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ON AIR support switches on Reutlingen and Witthoh sites
04.12.2024 - Germany
Network operator ON AIR support GmbH writes: "At the turn of November/December 2024, we were able to put the Reutlingen and Witthoh transmitters into operation. The Reutlingen transmitter significantly improves indoor coverage in Reutlingen and Tübingen and also covers some streets in the two cities that were not optimally covered. The Witthoh transmitter improves reception on the A81 motorway, section Geisingen - Beuren. The district of Tuttlingen is also covered throughout." The sites are part of the commercial DAB+ network in Baden-Württemberg.
(ON AIR support GmbH) Read more
Five more small scale DAB licences awarded in UK
03.12.2024 - United Kingdom
Five more small-scale DAB licences have been awarded for Round Six – in Halifax, Huddersfield, South Craven, Sunderland and Wigan. All licences will need to be on-air within 18 months.
(Radio Today UK) Read more
KISS FM now broadcasts in Hamburg via DAB+
03.12.2024 - Germany
Hamburg has a new radio station: KISS FM ‘Home of HipHop & R'n'B’. The young, urban programme can now be heard by two and a half million people throughout the greater Hamburg area via DAB+. The programme is broadcast via the DAB+ multiplex on channel 10D. ‘KISS FM is the hip-hop station in Germany, which is why it was more than overdue for us to be available here on DAB+. I'm delighted that we can now offer the unique KISS FM style and the best hip-hop playlist 24/7 on all digital channels in Hamburg - especially via the dashboard in the car radio, when car sharing or in a taxi. We are where our community is. Now also in Hamburg,’ says KISS FM programme director York Strempel.
(RADIOSZENE) Read more
UK regulator consults on request from talkSPORT to reduce AM coverage
02.12.2024 - United Kingdom
The UK media regulator Ofcom is consulting on a request from talkSPORT to reduce its AM radio coverage. The Licensee is proposing to switch off seven of its existing 18 transmitter sites. This will would reduce the coverage of its AM national commercial radio licence from 92% to 88.9% of the UK adult population. The reasons given by talkSPORT for these proposed changes include declining listenership to its AM service as people turn to alternative platforms, considered against the ongoing viability of each transmitter site.
"We are minded to approve this request, but before reaching a final decision we are giving affected and interested parties an opportunity to have their say," Ofcom says.
(Ofcom UK) Read more
Radio Orient strengthens its broadcasts with 15 new zones
02.12.2024 - France
Radio Orient is continuing to expand with the award of 15 new FM and DAB+ broadcasting areas, announced by Arcom on 27 November 2024. These extensions will enable the station to cover strategic territories while offering optimised sound quality and an enhanced listening experience for listeners.
(La Lettre Pro de la Radio) Read more
Serbia to increase DAB+ coverage to 90%
01.12.2024 - Serbia
The Ministry of Information and Telecommunications highlights another achievement this year: the public company "Broadcasting Techniques and Connections" significantly improved its operations by modernising the network for broadcasting radio and television signals. In the coming period, the plan is to continue the digitisation of radio through the DAB+ platform, including the modernisation of broadcast equipment and an increase in the number of radio stations, which would fully cover around 90% of the population of the Republic of Serbia with a digital signal, as well as all highways and highways in the country. The Ministry has also opened a consultation on "a Proposed Rulebook on the Introduction of Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting of Radio Media Services and Access to the Multiplex."
(Ministry of Information and Telecommunications Serbia) Read more
The future of digital at the heart of debates at the Maison de la Chimie
01.12.2024 - France
On 28 November, the Maison de la Chimie in Paris hosted the 4ᵉ Colloque Avenir de la TNT, with a focus on key issues such as UHD, DAB+, technological innovation and content accessibility. As far as radio is concerned, the roll-out of DAB+ was presented as an essential development, necessitating the gradual switch-off of FM in order to guarantee the economic viability of stations. During the conference, Hervé Godechot, member of the Arcom College and chairman of the Radio and Digital Audio working group, stressed that the transition to all-digital - DAB+ and IP - is essential to preserve the sovereignty of the link between radio and its listeners, while renewing the terrestrial listening experience.
(Smart Integrations mag) Read more
The initiative ‘RNE para todos’, winner of the Contigo Award in the category of ‘Media in action’.
30.11.2024 - RTVE WorldDAB Member - Spain
RNE para todos', the world's first radio experience for deaf people, has been awarded in the IV edition of the Contigo Awards, given by the City Council of La Roda. This RTVE initiative has been awarded the prize in the category ‘Media involved’. The award ceremony was held on Friday 29 November in the Auditorium of the Casa de la Cultura in La Roda. The head of Strategy at RTVE's Innovation Centre and member of the WorldDAB Steering Board, Javier Sánchez, and RTVE's Director of Audiovisual Policies, Public Service and International, Ángel García Castillejo, collected the award during the ceremony, which was attended by personalities from different fields.
(RTVE) Read more
Max 80s returns on Newcastle small-scale DAB
29.11.2024 - United Kingdom
Former Manchester digital station Max is relaunching this weekend playing 80s music on DAB in Newcastle. The station, run by ex-BBC radio executive John Ryan, has hired actor Louise Jameson as the station voice. John says: “Max is the 1980s radio station for people who were there, back then. For me, it meant the years between 12 and 22 – leaving home, first jobs, first loves – and three very happy years living and working in Newcastle! Give us a try and relive your 80s memories – with Max.” Max 80s will launch at 1200 on Sunday 1 December 2024 on DAB and online at max80s.co.uk. The station previously existed from 2015 to 2020 on the Manchester small-scale multiplex.
(Radio Today UK) Read more
The duplication of FM-DAB+ networks cannot be a permanent solution.
28.11.2024 - Spain
Gorka Zumeta writes: The 30s is shaping up to be the decade of FM switch-off in Europe. The latest WorldDAB summit recently held in Croatia, another of the countries that has made a firm commitment to the implementation of Digital Terrestrial Radio in DAB+ standard, has highlighted the problem of costs when it comes to dealing with the analogue-digital migration of radio. The aim is to reduce them and not to increase them with an unnecessary landscape of duplicity of networks to be rearranged with the FM switch-off.
(Gorka Zumeta) Read more