News

Phoenix FM is finally making the leap onto DAB radio in our home town. In the New Year, our small community station, which fought for an FM licence for 12 years before getting one, is getting a step up, with the launch of a new multiplex serving Ilford, Romford and Brentwood. Ofcom has created licences for smaller stations, and we're hoping to launch in the first week of January - or maybe a few days earlier. Over the last two weeks, we've been installing all the necessary equipment in some of the tallest buildings in our area to maximise the number of people who can hear our signal. We're expecting to increase the number of people who can pick us up on their radio from 200,000 to somewhere between 1.5 and two million - so it's a big step up for us.

ORF, Austria’s publicly funded national broadcaster, has reversed its long-standing resistance to digital audio broadcasting by launching a pilot terrestrial broadcast of its flagship station Hitradio Ö3 on DAB+ across Austria from Dec. 19, 2025. ORF operates nationwide radio and television services and plays a central role in public service broadcasting in the country. The broadcaster had previously declined to participate in DAB+ unless additional program services could be introduced, rejecting a straightforward FM simulcast. Under the current pilot, ORF is transmitting Ö3 via the MUX II platform operated by ORS, its transmission subsidiary, with national coverage.

Shortly before the end of the year, the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) launched a new tender for digital radio capacities. It is looking for a provider for a contiguous broadcasting area covering large parts of Bavaria: Upper Bavaria-Swabia, Middle Franconia and Upper Franconia. What makes this tender special is the network solution, as there are no technical or legal provisions for separating the programme or advertising into individual regions. Interested radio producers can apply for a capacity of 54 capacity units. Broadcasting will commence on 1 July 2026, with the new station required to be on air by October 2026 at the latest. The allocation of capacity is limited to a maximum of ten years.

The ORF is softening its previously consistent rejection of DAB+. Since Friday, Ö3 has also been available on digital radio, a pilot project, as the ORF emphasises. ‘As part of the technical pilot project, Hitradio Ö3 has been broadcast throughout Austria via the MUX II platform of ORF subsidiary ORS since 19 December 2025 until further notice,’ the ORF announced. "Among other things, the coverage of the current DAB+ transmitter network in the high-level road network, in tunnels and when switching from FM to DAB is being tested. Subsequently, innovative offerings in the areas of traffic radio, metadata and crisis information will be tested, and an accompanying analysis will also cover the economic efficiency of DAB+ broadcasting."

With seven new cities covered by DAB+ for its Radio FG and FG Dance stations, Maison FG continues to expand its broadcasting reach. The group now has 136 cities covered by DAB+ for Radio FG and 14 for FG Dance. Maison FG announces the launch of Radio FG in Saint-Malo, Vitré, La Roche-sur-Yon, Les Sables d'Olonne and Challans. The station is now broadcast in DAB+ in 136 towns, complementing its FM presence in 41 towns, including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Lille and Bordeaux. FG Dance is expanding to Lorient, bringing the number of cities covered by DAB+ to 14, including Paris, Marseille, Nice-Cannes, Bordeaux and the Arcachon Basin. Maison FG's Parisian DAB+ package includes Radio FG, FG Dance, Maxximum and FG Chic, the latter also available in Monaco-Nice, Ibiza, Berlin and Hamburg.

The Digital Radio Austria Association, the industry platform for the promotion and further development of digital terrestrial broadcasting (DAB+) in Austria, is delighted to welcome the addition of the ORF radio station Ö3. This marks an important step by public service broadcasting towards the digital future of radio – a step that has long been standard practice in most European countries. Roman Gerner, Chairman of the Digital Radio Austria Association, emphasises: ‘The ORF's decision is a historic moment for the radio market in Austria. With the entry of public broadcasting, DAB+ is finally becoming the common, future-proof standard. We cordially invite the ORF to actively continue shaping this path with us and to join us in igniting a real turbo for digital radio.’

DAB+ continues to roll out across France. On Wednesday 17 December, digital terrestrial radio reached a new milestone with the launch of new DAB+ sites in several areas. In some areas, DAB+ is arriving for the first time, offering unprecedented access to this radio revolution. In others, coverage is expanding, with more radio stations joining those already available. This includes: The Brittany region (mainly Morbihan, Finistère and Côtes d'Armor), The Vendée department, The Charente department, Bourges, Montluçon, Cholet, as well as many other areas. The result: more radio stations, unrivalled quality and enhanced coverage for equipped listeners. The momentum continues, area after area.

maRadio.be has launched a new identity campaign as part of its strategic communications plan, “Horizon maRadio 100% digitale,” to promote digital radio listening in the French-speaking part of Belgium. The initiative is designed to encourage audiences to adopt digital radio, particularly via DAB+, the digital terrestrial radio standard widely used across Europe. The repositioning of the group’s consumer-facing campaigns began about a year ago. Under the banner “Ecoutez vos oreilles,” which translates as “Listen to your ears,” the campaign seeks to accelerate the uptake of digital radio listening by highlighting its advantages and encouraging listeners to transition to DAB+ receivers. The campaign also emphasizes the importance of locally produced music and content in an increasingly globalized media environment.

Radio Città Fujiko has launched DAB transmissions in Lombardy, marking a significant step forward in the station's growth. The digital signal was switched on a few days ago and can be heard not only in Bologna and Emilia-Romagna, but also in the provinces of Como, Lecco, Bergamo, Brescia, Milan, Monza and Brianza. Technical tests are planned in the coming days to stabilise the broadcast; the official launch of the new coverage area is set for 1 January 2026. The expansion into Lombardy is part of a broader development process that began in recent years. After almost half a century of broadcasting mainly on FM in Bologna and its province, Radio Città Fujiko has gradually expanded its reach thanks to streaming and, more recently, DAB, which has already allowed coverage to be extended to other areas of Emilia-Romagna.

On 18 December 2025, the regionalised DAB+ platform went live in five regions of North Rhine-Westphalia. Listeners can now receive 42 different private radio stations in five coverage areas in North Rhine-Westphalia via DAB+. Local radio stations in North Rhine-Westphalia and other attractive radio stations will be available digitally via antenna for the first time. The final coverage of the programme distribution will be very high and unprecedented in Germany. The following programmes have been on air since the start of broadcasting: 40 local radio stations in North Rhine-Westphalia; Antenne Schlager; DOMRADIO. Metropol FM, Music Star and Stream D will go on air in February 2026. With the launch of regionalised DAB+ broadcasting in North Rhine-Westphalia, a total of 21 transmission sites have been put into operation in five regions.