News

WorldDAB has selected South 180 to produce a DAB+ Public Policy Toolkit. The project was announced yesterday at WorldDAB Summit 2025 in Antwerp. The goal is to identify the most effective and efficient public policies for rolling out DAB+, thus accelerating the digital switchover. The scope is global and encompasses all the stakeholders involved in this process. As highlighted by Jacqueline Bierhorst, president of WorldDAB, this project should allow WorldDAB to address two of the key challenges experienced by those undertaking the digital switchover: obtaining support from governments; and ensuring that public administrations take the appropriate measures to promote the implementation of DAB+.

DAB has simply become crucial for Norwegian local radio stations. This is the opinion of Eivind Engberg, technical advisor at the Norwegian Local Radio Association, after recent figures show that more people now listen to local radio on DAB+ than on FM. In the third quarter of 2025, 51.2% of listeners used DAB+ as their platform for listening to local radio, while 49.5% listened via an FM radio. This is according to figures compiled by Kantar Media for the Norwegian Local Radio Association. "DAB has simply become crucial for Norwegian local radio stations. With good technical conditions and a well-developed network, the user experience of local radio on DAB has become exemplary, and local radio stations are now present on the same platform as NRK – which is absolutely crucial for growth," says Engberg.

This is a historic moment for the industry. For the first time, more people are listening to local radio via DAB+ than via FM. This is according to figures from Kantar. In the third quarter of 2025, 51.2% of listeners used DAB+ as their platform for listening to local radio, while 49.5% listened via an FM radio. This is according to figures compiled by Kantar Media for the Norwegian Local Radio Association. This is the first time this survey has recorded higher listening figures for DAB than for FM. As is well known, the national radio stations switched off their FM transmitters in 2017 and have since only been available digitally. They are therefore not included in these figures. In the second quarter of 2025, 49.0% of listeners stated that DAB was their platform of choice, compared to 51.1% who preferred to listen via FM.

Agnieszka Glapiak, the new chairwoman of the National Broadcasting Council, declares herself a supporter of the radio digitisation bill. She calls analogue ‘an anachronism’. ‘Further competitions for broadcasting on local DAB+ multiplexes are planned after the competitions for the nationwide DAB+ multiplex have been decided,’ assures Dr Glapiak. The number of stations and multiplexes broadcasting in DAB+ is growing in countries such as the Czech Republic, France and Italy. “In the era of widespread digitisation, analogue radio broadcasting is an anachronism. As in the case of television, it is worth introducing a law to transition from analogue terrestrial radio broadcasting to digital broadcasting,” argues the chairwoman of the National Broadcasting Council.

Schleswig-Holstein is pushing ahead with the digitisation of radio: delta radio completely discontinued its FM broadcasts at midnight, making it one of the first private stations in the state to be available exclusively in digital format. The background to this is a state-wide decision to gradually switch off FM between 2025 and 2031 at the latest. The switch-off is not a decision taken by delta radio alone. The state government, the Schleswig-Holstein State Media Authority (LMK) and private radio operators had already agreed to end simulcasting – i.e. parallel broadcasting via FM and DAB+ – in order to switch radio broadcasting completely to digital in the long term. Several stations in Schleswig-Holstein have already made the switch, such as RADIO BOB! (9 April 2025) and Deutschlandfunk and Dlf Kultur (30 June), with more to follow in the coming years.

Those who listen to radio via DAB+ in parts of North Brabant and Limburg will be able to receive more stations starting this week. This expansion involves switching on a new transmitter for a DAB+ allotment for local broadcasters. It is intended for the Helmond region in the south-east of the province of North Brabant, and can also be received in parts of Limburg and the region around Eindhoven. The new DAB+ transmitter package can be received via channel 6A. This channel is used by several local broadcasters in the Netherlands, such as in South Holland South in the Drechtsteden region, with transmission points in Dordrecht and Gorinchem. The transmitter for this new local DAB+ allotment in North Brabant is located at a transmission mast in De Mortel.

At the WorldDAB Summit in Antwerp on 20 November 2025, Usha Parmar and Raj Parmar delivered a high-impact presentation showcasing their leadership in DAB+ innovation and their pivotal involvement in securing Small-Scale DAB multiplex licences across multiple UK regions. British Asian media leaders Usha Parmar and Raj Parmar received a warm reception at the prestigious WorldDAB Summit 2025, where they were invited to present their insights on digital radio growth, listener engagement and the future of DAB+ broadcasting in the UK. Speaking in a session titled “A DAB+ business success: Sunrise Radio,” the Parmars highlighted how their strategic direction has helped position Sunrise Radio (Yorkshire) as one of the UK’s most successful and forward-thinking digital broadcasters.

Youth DAB+ station CADA has reached an impressive 150K cumulative audience in Sydney in GfK Survey 7 with Coles Radio top in Melbourne, Mix 80s in Adelaide and smooth in Brisbane and Perth. In Sydney: CADA’s cumulative audience was up to 151,000 with audience gains in the 25-39 age group and listening to the AI voice clone Thy across mornings and afternoons. ARN‘s KIIS 90s and KIIS Australia both had more than 100K cume audience. KIIS Australia growth should extend into Survey 8 to include the impact of AusMusic month in November.

Lyca Radio has expanded its reach across the Midlands, with transmission now live in Coventry, Derbyshire, Wolverhampton and Shropshire, on full-scale DAB digital radio. The expansion builds on Lyca Radio’s existing presence in Birmingham and Leicestershire, extending its audience base across the region. Raj Baddhan, CEO of Lyca Radio Network, said, “We are delighted to strengthen our presence in the Midlands, enabling more listeners to enjoy Lyca Radio’s award‑winning output. We are deeply grateful to our audiences who have embraced the brand in such a short time, and to our commercial partners whose support has made this expansion possible.” Lyca Radio first launched in Leicestershire in October 2024, followed by Birmingham earlier this year.

The 2025 WorldDAB Summit convened on Nov. 20 at DPG Media’s headquarters in Antwerp, bringing together broadcasters, policymakers and industry partners. In her opening keynote, WorldDAB president Jacqueline Bierhorst emphasized the technology’s operational and commercial significance. “DAB+ powers the business of broadcast, and it delivers real value for listeners at home, at work and on the road,” she said. Bierhorst highlighted the continued relevance of the European Electronic Communications Code, which requires that any radio installed in new vehicles sold or rented in the European Union must be capable of receiving digital terrestrial radio. “But this requirement applies only if a radio is installed in the vehicle,” she noted.