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Radiocentre has announced that commercial radio in the UK achieved its highest-ever advertising revenue in 2025, hitting £747 million and surpassing the previous record of £740 million set in 2022. The record performance was driven largely by continued growth in digital audio revenues underpinned by strong broadcast and branded content revenues. Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton said: “Reaching record revenues underlines the strength of UK commercial radio and its evolving multiplatform offer. Advertisers are increasingly embracing the combined power of broadcast and digital audio, where scale, targeting and proven effectiveness drive results.”

During the press conference held on 27 February, on the occasion of the Sanremo Festival – broadcast by Rai1, Rai Radio2, Rai 4K and RaiPlay – Carlo Conti, presenter and artistic director of the event, appealed to car manufacturers: do not remove radios from vehicles. Conti stated: ‘I heard that they want to remove radios from cars: that would be a huge mistake. Radio is essential for me... The greatest satisfaction is driving around after Sanremo and listening to the songs from the Festival on the radio.’ These words are not simply nostalgic statements but reflect a broader concern about a phenomenon currently underway in the automotive sector: the elimination of traditional radio stations from the infotainment systems of new cars.

IB3 Radio will celebrate its 21st anniversary on Sunday, 1 March 2026, with four days of special live programming from the IB3 marquee on Passeig Sagrera in Palma. In addition, on 1 March IB3 will become the first autonomous community radio station in the State to broadcast across its entire territory on DAB+, a milestone that will open a new chapter for the public radio of the Balearic Islands: more modern, more stable and designed to reach the public more effectively. Following the switch-on in Ibiza, held on 30 January, and that of Menorca, carried out on 20 February, the culmination of the rollout will take place in Mallorca on 1 March. And finally, the Day of the Balearic Islands will also be the date on which the IB3 Música project is launched, a DAB+ music channel.

In its regular monthly monitoring report published on Tuesday, the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) announced that all operators of regional networks for DAB+ digital radio broadcasting had successfully met the specified conditions. Fiera touch and Teleko digital achieved the first development criterion by February 8. GG Omikron and Broadcast Services also achieved the same success. According to the applicable rules, holders of regional network allocations were required to ensure coverage for at least 40% of the population of the Czech Republic within 24 months of the date on which the decision to grant the allocation became final. Current data confirm that all these operators met the first development criterion ahead of the deadline. In its monitoring report, the Office states that the process of building transmitters and expanding the availability of digital signals is proceeding in accordance with the approved schedule.

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Romain Laleix, a member of the Arcom board, is concerned about the possibility that some car manufacturers may remove radio receivers from their vehicles. ‘The absence of car radios in vehicles would amount to the immediate marginalisation of the medium (radio, editor's note) and its disappearance in the near future.’ It is with this blunt warning that Romain Laleix, member of the Arcom college in charge of radio issues, begins his opinion piece published in Les Échos on 13 February 2026. The warning comes after the launch of the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 last October, which will not be equipped with either AM or FM radio. Yet Romain Laleix points out that DAB+ technology — “the radio equivalent of digital terrestrial TV” — still allows drivers to receive stations in vehicles that include it.

Radio MK is and remains number one in the Märkischer Kreis district. This is confirmed by the latest audience survey conducted by Electronic Media Analysis (EMA), which was published on 25 February 2026 throughout North Rhine-Westphalia. Since the turn of the year, Radio MK has finally been broadcasting on DAB in addition to FM. ‘Commuters in particular can now receive Radio MK far beyond the Märkischer Kreis district,’ emphasises Editor-in-chief Holger Jahnke. ‘Motorists can now listen to Radio MK without interruption on their way to Dortmund, Unna, Hagen or, for example, the Hochsauerlandkreis district. Even in the Münsterland region, Radio MK still has excellent reception,’ says Jahnke.

Radio Hollandia can now be listened to in the The Hague region via DAB+ on channel 5C. Until now, Radio Hollandia could only be listened to via the Internet. In the 1980s, the radio station was active as a pirate broadcaster focusing on Dutch-language music. ‘Today, Radio Hollandia is a proud part of Radio Excellent, continuing its rich history and passion for radio,’ the radio station says on its website. Radio Excellent recently obtained an additional licence from the Dutch Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate (RDI) to broadcast via the local DAB+ network in the The Hague region. As of today, Radio Hollandia can be heard via this network on channel 5C. Radio Excellent itself has been broadcasting via DAB+ in the The Hague region for some time.

From 16 February to 2 March 2026, the association ‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ (Together for DAB+) is launching a new campaign to promote DAB+ on radio stations. The initiative aims to inform and raise awareness among the general public about the benefits of digital terrestrial radio. ‘DAB+ radio offers exceptional sound quality, more stations and more information about what I'm listening to!’ Since 2024, the association ‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ has been supporting the roll-out of DAB+ across the country. The messages produced by the association emphasise the benefits of DAB+ for listeners.

Radio Maria England now broadcasts on 17 DAB areas following a three-year expansion under its outgoing Operations Manager. Pierre Petrou has stepped down from the Christian station after overseeing significant changes to its distribution, fundraising and internal systems. During his tenure, the station increased its DAB digital radio coverage from four local multiplex areas to 17 across the UK, widening access to its programming. Pierre said: “It has been a privilege to help strengthen Radio Maria England’s foundations and broaden its reach. I’m particularly proud of the Listen Again facility and the expansion in DAB coverage.”