News

At its general meeting, Verein Digitalradio Österreich [Digital Radio Austria Association], the central industry platform for the promotion and further development of DAB+ in Austria, elected the board for the next three years and confirmed the management. With this broad-based team, the course that has been set and the implementation of the Radio 2035 roadmap will be consistently continued and further developed. Public broadcasting has also recently begun to rely on digital technology – the joint task now is to further expand the most modern radio standard across the board. Roman Gerner, CEO of Digitalradio Austria, explains: ‘The focus is on raising awareness of DAB+ in Austria, which is characterised by its programme diversity, innovative content and formats, and high quality.’

DAB+ continues to expand in western France. On 17 and 18 December, 90 new transmitters were brought into service, mainly in Brittany and the Pays de la Loire region. This expansion of the network has enabled several radio stations belonging to CORLAB (Coordination des Radios Locales et Associatives de Bretagne) to extend their coverage area on digital terrestrial radio. This operation is part of a national initiative to increase DAB+ coverage to 80% of the population by the end of 2026, compared to around 70% today. This new roll-out now provides almost complete coverage of the main urban areas in Brittany and major road networks. Twenty-six national radio stations previously only available between Rennes and Brest now have their coverage extended southwards, between Rennes and Quimper.

A new project called Šlágr rádio is heading to DAB+. Česká muzika has applied for its terrestrial digital licence. The station will follow up on the television channels of the Šlágr media group, which focus on folk music and domestic performers, combining them with teleshopping. Šláger muzika and Šláger originál are broadcast nationwide in DVB-T2. According to available information, Šlágr Radio will primarily be intended for reception on the DAB+ digital radio network, which has become the standard for modern radio broadcasting in recent years.

Liberec will soon have two new digital radio networks. One will be available from the transmitter in Ještěd and the other from the Liberec Regional Authority building in the city center. One of them, Regional Network 5 from Play.cz, which uses CRA infrastructure, has already obtained a broadcasting license. Specifically, Regional Network 5 has been broadcasting from Buková hora in Ústí nad Labem, and now it can add Ještěd. It will broadcast from there on channel 10C with a power of 10 kW. The multiplex includes Relax, Expres FM, Classic Praha, Slow Down Radio, Hey, and Color Music Radio. Play.cz operates several regional DAB+ networks covering the entire Czech Republic, except for the Vysočina and Pardubice regions.

Ofcom has today published the list of applications received for the eighth round of small-scale DAB multiplex licences. The regulator says it has received 21 applications for the 50 small-scale DAB radio multiplex licences that were advertised as part of the latest phase of the rollout. Ofcom says each submission will be considered against its statutory criteria, with decisions on which licences will be awarded expected in the coming months. Any comments on the applications must be sent to Ofcom’s licensing team by 5pm on Friday 6 February this year. The round eight applications cover a wide range of areas across the UK.

The digital radio offering in South Tyrol has been expanded: the music station ‘Beats Radio’ has recently started broadcasting via the province-wide DAB+ network of Rundfunkanstalt Südtirol (RAS). The provincial government approved the corresponding agreement at its meeting on 19 December. ‘With Beats Radio, we are making targeted use of free capacity in the existing DAB+ network to further diversify radio offerings in South Tyrol,’ emphasises RAS Director Georg Plattner. ‘The programme brings a music genre to South Tyrol that was previously not represented in the province-wide radio offering.’

‘Just one month after its launch, Radio Tutto Napoli continues to grow and expand its offering.’ With this message, the Neapolitan radio station announced its arrival on DAB+ in Campania. For the past few days, it has been available on the MediaDab multiplex on channel 10B. The station ID is ‘TUTTONAPOLI’.

Even more for everyone: The new year kicks off with news for all radio listeners in Berlin and Brandenburg. Non-commercial radio stations in Berlin and Potsdam will be available exclusively via DAB+ from January onwards. FR-BB and 24/3 FM can be found on channel 7D in Berlin and the surrounding area. Listeners can now find ALEX Berlin's radio programme on DAB+ channel 12D, which covers Berlin and large parts of Brandenburg. The distribution costs for the non-commercial programmes are covered in full by mabb through subsidies. The non-commercial radio stations from Brandenburg – Radio Ginseng, Radio Woltersdorf, Radio Slubfurt and Freies Radio Potsdam – can also be received on DAB+ channel 12D.

Flanders is a true radio country. Every week, 87% of Flemish people listen to the radio. Digital listening is also rapidly gaining in importance: in 2025, 54% of listening volume was via digital channels such as DAB+. However, Flemish radio legislation has lagged behind this evolution. Flemish Minister for Media Cieltje Van Achter is therefore amending the Radio Decree to bring it back into line with today's reality and prepare it for the future. ‘Our radio regulations were written for an analogue world. Digital radio is now the norm, but the decree did not take sufficient account of this. We are rectifying that,’ says Minister Van Achter. With the amendment of the decree, Flanders is now taking the first steps to allow local radio stations to broadcast fully via DAB+.

2025 is shaping up to be the year of definitive recognition for Radio Mitology 70-80, which is strengthening its role as a benchmark for music from the 1970s and 1980s, consolidating significant results - as highlighted in a press release - both in terms of listenership and presence in the region. On the strength of these results, the broadcaster is now embarking on a new phase of expansion of its editorial project. Starting on 1 January 2026, Radio Mitology will significantly expand its DAB coverage, making the signal available in Puglia and Lazio (with the exception of the provinces of Viterbo and Rieti), in addition to the areas already served in Tuscany, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Lombardy.