News

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.

MBS is continuing to develop its radio offering as it expands its DAB+ broadcasting coverage. The station will soon be available in Agen, Angoulême, Mont-de-Marsan, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Vichy, Nevers, Épinal, Forbach, Blois, Châteauroux and Niort. In this context, MBS announces the launch of ‘MBS West Coast’, a new weekly programme presented by Jean-Michel Canitrot. ‘MBS West Coast’ explores the great classics of Californian sound from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s, also known as ‘Yacht Rock’. The programme draws on a musical universe combining soft rock, jazz and soul, a genre that has left a lasting mark on the history of music and radio.

Coimisiún na Meán has announced that it has become a member of WorldDAB – the global industry forum for Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) radio. This comes following the announcement last year that An Coimisiún supported a new DAB+ trial in Ireland, which began in April 2025. Aoife MacEvilly, Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said: “Coimisiún na Meán supports creativity and innovation in the radio sector. DAB+ offers opportunities to enhance radio’s accessibility and the diversity and relevance of its content for Irish audiences. We are delighted to have become members of WorldDAB at this exciting time for radio broadcasting in Ireland, and look forward to exploring the potential for DAB as a complementary platform for terrestrial radio.’’

A NEW era of digital radio is arriving in East Hertfordshire and West Essex with the launch of Xtra DAB, a brand-new digital radio network dedicated to expanding listener choice, championing local voices, and supporting independent broadcasters. The official public launch will take place on Saturday 14th February from midday at The Harvey Centre, Harlow, where visitors are invited to celebrate the arrival of the region’s newest digital radio service with a free, family-friendly event. Wayne, Founder of Xtra DAB, said: “This launch is all about giving our communities more choice, more creativity, and more opportunities to be heard. East Herts and West Essex are full of incredible voices and vibrant stories — Xtra DAB is here to amplify them.”

At its meeting on 27 January 2026, the Media Council of the Saxon State Media Authority (SLM) decided to grant VIUS SE & Co. KGaA the requested DAB+ transmission capacities for the nationwide distribution of the full radio programme "NIUS – Das Radio" on the nationwide DAB+ multiplex, which covers the entire Free State of Saxony, for a limited period of 10 years. The programme focuses on politics, business, society and sport. In addition, the Media Council has decided to grant Medienpiraten GmbH, Ismaning, transmission capacities in the DAB+ standard on the four DAB+ coverage areas for the digital terrestrial distribution of the Saxony-wide full-service radio programme ‘egoFM’ for a limited period of 10 years.

A new report from the Norwegian Media Authority says the diversity of broadcasters in the national radio market is stable, with NRK being the largest in terms of listener numbers, accounting for 66 per cent of daily listening in 2024. This is followed by P4 with around 22 per cent and Bauer Media with close to 12 per cent. The market shares of the national radio players have been stable in recent years. The local radio market is becoming more concentrated, with more and more licences being concentrated among the largest owners. Figures from December 2025 show that 41 per cent of local radio licences are now concentrated among the three largest local radio owners. The largest growth in licences has been on DAB.