News

News Broadcasting is to launch a new station, Virgin Radio 90s, on DAB digital radio in London and online across the UK. The station will launch on Monday 9th March from 10am. Bosses says Virgin Radio 90s builds on the success of Virgin Radio Britpop, the pop-up station which launched in February 2025. “Virgin Radio 90s takes that spirit and broadens it, delivering non-stop 90s hits, from dance floor anthems and R&B classics to pop icons and music legends of the era,” they say in a press release. The station will be nonstop music apart from a simulcast of the Chris Evans Breakfast Show. In the latest RAJAR, Virgin Radio 80s saw listening hours grow by 12.1% year-on-year.

Nation Radio will introduce regional programming across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall and has hired former Pirate FM host Scott Temple as PC. The service, currently broadcasting as Nation Radio Somerset, will add regional presentation and local content from 9 March before extending on DAB into Devon and Cornwall on 30 March 2026. Group Programme Director Neil Greenslade said: “The addition of local content and programming and the extension of Nation Radio’s coverage in the Westcountry is a huge development for our business. We see a significant audience opportunity for audience growth across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.”

Radio station KISS FM has further expanded its reach via digital terrestrial broadcasting (DAB+). The radio station can now also be heard outside the Randstad via digital terrestrial broadcasting. KISS FM had already expanded its DAB+ reach on 1 September last year and has since been available in North Holland, Flevoland, South Holland and Zeeland via DAB+. In parts of North Holland and Flevoland, the radio station can also be heard via FM. As of 6 March, the radio station can also be heard in the provinces of Utrecht (channel 12B), Gelderland (channel 12B), Overijssel (channel 6A), Friesland (channel 5A), Drenthe (channel 7C) and Groningen (channel 7C) via DAB+.

The Swedish Media Authority has now published a list of companies that have applied for regional FM licences and DAB+ licences. As regards DAB+, Aftonbladet has applied for one licence, Bauer for three, DB Media for two, Viaplay for twelve, Mad Men for three, Nayomi Elias Bairu for one, NRJ for two, Prodraft for one, Radio Nova for two, Skärgårdsradion for one and Tre 14 Media Group for two. This means a total of 30 applications, which happens to be exactly the number of stations that can be accommodated in the two commercial DAB+ networks. The licences are for the period 1 August 2026-31 July 2034.

The ACMA has released new research highlighting key trends in Australian viewing and listening habits. The research comprises two reports which have been published on the ACMA website: How we watch and listen to content; and Trends and developments in viewing and listening 2024–25. The latter finds that "For the first time since 2017, overall radio ownership rose compared with the previous year, increasing to 43% (from 40% in 2024). Digital radio (DAB+) ownership also grew, reaching 26% (up from 23%) and more devices were capable of running on battery power (55%, up from 49% in 2024). Increases in both overall radio ownership and digital radio ownership were driven by younger Australians. Compared with 2024, more 18–44-year-olds owned a radio (27%, up from 18%) or a digital radio (21%, up from 14%)."

France’s DAB+ industry association, Ensemble pour le DAB+, has called on the French government to increase financial and political backing for digital terrestrial radio following the appointment of Catherine Pégard as minister of culture. The association says it “reaffirms the support of radio publishers for the development of DAB+” and intends to continue working with the new minister to promote what it describes as a “modern, sovereign and accessible” terrestrial distribution platform. It frames its appeal within what it calls a broader transformation of the audio sector, marked by changing listening habits and the need to maintain radio distribution “without intermediation from digital platforms.”

A new small-scale DAB service has gone live across parts of East Devon. ExeDab has extended its Exeter-based multiplex into coastal and market towns including Sidmouth and Honiton, bringing additional digital radio services to the area. To coincide with the expansion, Devon’s three small-scale DAB networks, ExeDab, TorDab and PlymDab, have introduced a spring offer enabling stations to access audiences across the county at a discounted rate. Paul Nero, managing director of Radio Exe, said: “This new investment in East Devon means listeners in growing towns such as Honiton and Sidmouth can now enjoy additional digital radio stations that cover their areas, while opening up new services for advertisers too.”

In 2025, people in Germany consumed media for an average of 10 hours and 53 minutes per day. Of this, 9 hours and 38 minutes were spent on audio and audiovisual content – including radio and television as well as audio and video streaming – equivalent to 88.5% of total media consumption. Compared with the previous year, both overall media consumption and the use of audio and audiovisual content remained stable. These are the key findings of the VAUNET Media Usage Analysis 2025, published on 16 February. Average daily audio consumption in 2025 amounted to 4 hours and 19 minutes, representing an increase of 6 minutes on the previous year (2024: 4 hours and 13 minutes). Of this, 3 hours and 9 minutes – the largest share – continued to be accounted for by weekday radio listening (2024: 3 hours and 3 minutes).

The third digital radio network has begun broadcasting from the Lanová site in Ostrava. Paradoxically, it belongs to the transmitter operator, Broadcast Services. Until now, the operator has covered the Ostrava region from Velký Javorník near Frenštát pod Radhoštěm. Before launching its own broadcasting from Lanová, it secured it for its partners – GG Omikron, which has Broadcast Services provide turnkey operation of its digital radio broadcasting networks, and RTI cz with its nationwide multiplex C. The last to launch from Lanová was its own Regional Network 9, which includes Čas, Čas Rock, Fresh Radio, Astra Radio, and Energic Radio.

ABC Radio Australia is now available on DAB+ digital radio in Australia, making it easier than ever for Pacific communities to connect with trusted news, music, sport and culture from home. Listeners in Australian capital cities, the Gold Coast and Launceston can tune in to ABC Radio Australia on DAB+, bringing the ABC’s international Pacific and Timor-Leste broadcast service to digital radio for the first time in Australia. ABC Radio Australia offers 24-hour programming including Pacific-focused news and current affairs, music, sport and cultural storytelling. The service has long been available internationally, and via the ABC Pacific website and ABC listen app, and its arrival on DAB+ expands access for audiences across Australia.