News

Boom Radio, which launched in February 2021 [and broadcasts nationally on DAB+], is booming. In that short time it has built a loyal audience of more than 641,000. Listeners tune in for over ten hours, on average, each week. Its founders are two commercial music radio stalwarts: David Lloyd and Phil Riley. Lockdown gave them the impetus to pursue a hunch that older listeners felt cut adrift by BBC Radio 2 and its commercial rivals. All those stations were targeting a working, aged 30-59 audience — for advertisers that’s where the money is supposed to be. But Boom is proof there’s gold in them there not-over-the-hills too.

A new factsheet on DAB+ digital radio in France has been produced for automotive manufacturers, as the country achieves over 50% DAB+ population coverage, and more than 60% to be covered by early 2024. The factsheet from WorldDAB - the global industry forum for DAB digital radio - was produced as part of the work of its Automotive Working Group, in partnership with network operator TDF, and RadioDNS which promotes hybrid radio. The new French DAB+ broadcast networks factsheet provides an essential guide for the automotive industry on what to expect to receive via digital radio in-car.

Now available on Global Player and DAB+, it’s Heart Xmas! This year our much-loved station is switching on earlier than ever before, with just over three months to go until the big day! Due to the growing popularity of Heart Xmas every year, this year the seasonal spin off station will be available on digital radio across the UK meaning Christmas fans can tune in from wherever they are in the UK on DAB+ as well as Global Player, bringing even wider coverage!

Radio in Germany turns 100. On 29 October 1923, the first broadcast of "entertainment radio" went over the airwaves from the Vox House in Berlin. Since then, the success story has been unstoppable. DAB+, the radio standard of today, continues the successful tradition. With the thematic focus "100 Years of Radio", a large prize draw of DAB+ devices will be launched on the ARD radio stations. From 26 October to 12 November, the joy of listening to the radio and enjoying the clear, digital sound via DAB+ will be the focus of a subsequent campaign period in which public radio stations, private radio stations, manufacturers and other members of the Digitalradio Büro Deutschland will participate.

DAB+ digital terrestrial radio continues to roll out across France. The number of radio stations available on DAB+ recently doubled in Angers, Limoges and Rennes. With its arrival in towns such as Bayonne, Besançon, Brest, Clermont-Ferrand, Metz, Nancy and Pau, this summer DAB+ passed the symbolic milestone of covering 50% of the French population. A trial has also been underway in Martinique since January. With the continued roll-out of national antennas between October 2023 and March 2024, more than 60% of the population will be covered by DAB+ by early 2024. A national communications campaign will be launched shortly to raise awareness of the benefits of digital radio among the general public.

Two companies who had their small-scale DAB licences revoked have been awarded the licences for a second time.The licences cover the Isles of Scilly, Merthyr & Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales, and Alnwick & Morpeth. The three awards are the first in Round 5 of the small-scale DAB licensing process, with another 26 awards to be made in the coming months.

In a joint press release on 20 September, Belgian German language public radio station BRF and commercial stations 100.5 Das HitRadio, Radio Contact Ostbelgien Now, Radio Sunshine and Radio 700 announced they will broadcast on DAB+ from 1 October. Management representatives of the five broadcasters gathered in the BRF headquarters in Eupen, where they signed a collaboration agreement in the presence of Media Minister Isabelle Weykmans. Under the banner “DAB+ in Ostbelgien,” public broadcaster BRF will manage the multiplex on which the five stations will broadcast using the 8A Block (195.936 Mhz). The first transmitter is operational at the Petergensfeld/Raeren site. Early next year, a second transmitter in Wallerode/Amel will cover the southern part of the German community.

DAB+ adoption in Indonesia has been confirmed with the publication of the "Regulation of the Minister of Communication and Informatics No. 5 of 2023 on Master Plan and Operational Technical Provisions for the Use of Radio Frequency Spectrum for the Purpose of Radio Broadcasting Services Through Terrestrial Media". The document sets out that "VHF Band III in the 202-230 MHz radio frequency range uses digital technology standards based on Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+)," and this will be used for the public broadcaster Radio Republik Indonesia.

The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces has announced available licences for DAB+ in the country's third digital broadcasting network and all licences in a brand new fourth network. The licences are available in 13 regions and each region can accommodate up to 32 licences. If there are more applications than licences, the Radio and Television Board evaluates the applications in a kind of "beauty contest" based on economic conditions and experience in radio or media activities. The announcement is made because there is free capacity on the third DAB+ network and new broadcasting opportunities have been requested by the radio industry, resulting in the opening of a fourth network.

DAB+ digital radio is being launched in East Belgium. From 1 October, in addition to the programmes of BRF1 and BRF2, four other radio stations will be heard via DAB+. These are the four private radio stations 100,5 Das Hitradio, Radio Contact Ostbelgien Now, Radio Sunshine and Radio 700. The managers of the transmitters signed a cooperation agreement on 20 September. The first transmitter in Petergensfeld (Raeren) is already in operation. A second transmitter is expected to be added next spring at the Wallerode site (Amel) to cover the south of the DG (German-speaking community).