News

There has been a short-term change in programming on Hamburg's radio landscape. Radio Wellenrausch has been relaunched on the private multiplex 2 on channel 12C. The station is thus returning to a prominent platform and taking over the slot previously occupied by FG Chic Germany. The latter had only been broadcasting on this channel since spring 2024, but now has to make way for the returnee. For listeners in the Hamburg area, this change means an expansion of the genre offering on DAB+. Since the slot has been swapped within the existing multiplex, all that is required for reception is a quick search on the digital radio, provided the device has not already updated the identifier automatically.

The digital broadcaster Sunshine Live is expanding its presence in the Swiss radio market. Since January 2026, the electronic music programme has also been available in the Bern-Fribourg area via the digital terrestrial network. It is broadcast via the SwissMediaCast multiplex on the regional DAB+ channel SMC D03 BE-FR, which operates on the 8B frequency. Technically, the station is broadcast at a data rate of 64 kbit/s. Within the multiplex, the programme occupies a capacity of 48 capacity units. With this step, Sunshine Live is further consolidating its broadcasting network in western and central Switzerland and using the existing infrastructure of regional digital packages to increase its technical reach.

IB3 Radio takes a decisive step towards the radio of the future with the start of DAB+ digital broadcasts from Ibiza. With this launch, IB3 becomes the first public radio station in the State to begin broadcasting on DAB+, a milestone that opens a new chapter for public radio in the Balearic Islands: more modern, more stable and designed to better reach the public. The broadcast begins from the Sant Llorenç de Balàfia Telecommunications Centre, a strategic location that ensures solid coverage across the island. The rollout will continue over the coming weeks in Menorca, while Mallorca will come on board in early March, completing the first phase of the timetable for the introduction of public digital radio in the Islands.

Since the end of January this year, residents of Třebíč and the surrounding area have been able to tune in to new radio stations as part of DAB+ digital terrestrial broadcasting. Radio Energic has joined Seejay Radio and World Radio on the airwaves, significantly expanding the range of programming available in the region. The signal is broadcast from a newly launched transmitter, which is technically provided by Fiera touch as part of Regional Network 25. The new transmitter is located on the chimney of the heating plant in Třebíč, specifically on Velkomeziříčská Street, which allows for effective signal propagation in the urban area and surrounding countryside. Channel 6B is used for this purpose, on which stations broadcast in vertical polarization.

Starting in February, ZUN Radio is changing its signal distribution strategy within the DAB+ networks in northern and eastern Bohemia. This change will mainly affect its cooperation with Teleko, with the station focusing on more efficient use of available capacity in these locations. The aim of these changes is to optimize broadcasting with regard to the current commercial potential of the region and to ensure the further development of the station. Listeners in eastern Bohemia will still be able to tune in to the station via the Teleko multiplex on channel 10D, which is broadcast from the Králíky – Suchý vrch transmitter. Another stable reception option is the Fiera Touch network operating from the Trutnov – Černá hora transmitter on channel 7D.

At the beginning of February, new radio programmes will be launched on DAB+ digital radio in North Rhine-Westphalia. The Turkish-language Metropol FM will go on air for the first time in Germany's most populous federal state. The launch is scheduled for Monday, 2 February at 11 a.m. The launch of StreamD on DAB+ has already been announced for 1 February. The Düsseldorf-based programme, which can already be heard on the internet, aims to reach a more discerning audience with information, talk shows featuring guests from the worlds of culture and business, and music programmes covering a wide range of genres. Both programmes benefit from the new regional multiplexes that went on air in North Rhine-Westphalia shortly before Christmas.

The Government of the Balearic Islands has launched IB3 Radio's digital DAB+ broadcasts, which begin from Ibiza and make the Balearic public radio the first autonomous broadcaster in the State to take this step. The switch-on takes place at the Sant Llorenç de Balàfia telecommunications centre and marks the start of a phased rollout that will soon extend to Menorca and culminate in Mallorca on 1 March, coinciding with the Day of the Balearic Islands. The introduction of the DAB+ standard improves sound quality, signal stability and the listening experience, especially when on the move, while also preparing public radio for the technological challenges of the future.

France is one of the fastest-growing DAB+ markets, making this year’s Paris Radio Show on 3-4 February a key event in the digital radio calendar. The show is described by the organisers as being “where decision-makers and players in the digital audio, radio and podcasting industries come to learn, exchange ideas and discover suppliers for their technical, editorial, strategic or other needs.” WorldDAB, the global industry forum for DAB+ digital radio, will again be represented. It will demonstrate advances in the new life-saving Automatic Safety Alert (ASA) system, as well as new features incorporated in the latest domestic receivers. DAB+ continues its rollout across France. In December 2025, a further 90 transmitters were brought into service.

In 2025, the significant increase in communication activities around DAB+ led to a spectacular rise in awareness of this technology, which is now much better recognised by listeners. In 2026, we will be working twice as hard to continue communicating and raising awareness of this technology and its advantages, and to promote radio stations broadcasting on DAB+. Radio stations, manufacturers, distributors, producers: Come and talk to us at the association's stand at the Paris Radio Show to: find out about the actions planned for 2026; become a radio partner to promote your radio station locally on DAB+; and identify, together, concrete levers for promoting DAB+. Let's also meet on Tuesday 3 February from 4pm to 5pm at the HUB PRO, with maradio.be, for a discussion dedicated to strengthening communication around DAB+ (speaks, fill-in, reports, local actions), in addition to radio and television spots.

When we talk about the digital transition of radio (from FM to DAB+), we tend to focus on technology: new frequencies, coverage or sound quality. But the real change that DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus) is driving in Europe goes further: it is redefining how plural access to information is guaranteed in the digital age. DAB+ is the European standard for digital terrestrial radio. It offers better sound quality, greater efficiency in spectrum use and the possibility of broadcasting several programmes on the same frequency. But above all, it opens the door to a more plural and inclusive model, where public and private broadcasters share the same infrastructure. In Spain, it is precisely the public sector that is driving the implementation of Digital Radio, which has been on standby since 2011.