News

The FM switch-off in Schleswig-Holstein is entering the next round. On 23 November, a station that can be received throughout the state will bid farewell to analogue broadcasting. Since the beginning of this year, the FM switch-off has been in full swing in the far north of Germany. The goal is to switch completely to DAB+ digital radio. In the run-up to this, the DAB+ transmitter networks in Schleswig-Holstein were consolidated to such an extent that digital reception of programmes is still guaranteed. On 23 November, the private broadcaster delta radio will withdraw from FM and will only be available digitally in future. The date of 23 November 2025 is no coincidence, but coincides with the expiry of delta radio's FM broadcasting licence.

Another federal state wants to strengthen DAB+ digital radio and gradually phase out analogue FM radio. According to the draft of a new state media law, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will no longer issue new licences for vacant FM frequencies in future, in order to promote the gradual digitisation of terrestrial radio, in particular DAB+. The northern federal state is thus following a similar path to Rhineland-Palatinate, where the aim is now also to phase out FM. Exceptions, such as to close FM coverage gaps, remain possible. If a frequency becomes available, it can still be allocated to an existing provider if they register a need for it. However, there will be no new programmes on the FM dial and no corresponding tenders.

The music station Slow Down Radio has begun broadcasting in the DAB+ digital standard on the Play.cz multiplex. The station has thus become the fourth programming service within this multi-regional operator. Slow Down Radio complements the existing offering consisting of Radio Relax, Expres FM, and Classic Praha. The project focuses on black music, including jazz, soul, funk, and hip-hop. Slow Down Radio is broadcast on the Play.cz multiplex with a standard data rate of 64 kbps in AAC codec with EEP 2-A protection, as are the three other stations in the multiplex – Classic Praha, Expres FM, and Radio Relax. This technical parameter ensures consistent sound quality across all programs.

GatesAir says that its long legacy of high-efficiency transmission continues with the release of a new DAB+ transmitter infrastructure. Affecting GatesAir’s entire family of Maxiva VHF TV and DAB/DAB+ digital radio solutions, the modernized architecture improves efficiency percentages by up to 50%, with adjustable voltage capabilities of new power supplies minimizing power consumption, according to the company. GatesAir was an early pioneer of the modern high-efficiency movement in transmitter design, nearly 20 years ago, with the launch of its PowerSmart architecture. This architecture recrafted the internal design of power amplifiers, power supplies and other components to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.

Digital radio is getting better and better: Hessischer Rundfunk (hr) is continuing to expand digital radio reception via DAB+ in Hesse. Newly installed transmitters at five Deutsche Funkturm GmbH (DFMG) locations are improving coverage in buildings and closing reception gaps – especially in cities and valley locations. Numerous regions in the broadcasting area from northern to southern Hesse will benefit from significantly improved reception quality and further enhanced digital radio coverage. The new transmitter locations: Hohes Lohr (Kellerwald); Driedorf (Lahn-Dill-Kreis); Wippershainer Höhe (Osthessen); Hoherodskopf (Vogelsbergkreis); and Krehberg (Südhessen).

Starting this Thursday, the first DAB+ signals for Luxembourg will be transmitted from Dudelange, marking the beginning of a new digital era for radio broadcasting in the country. Additional transmitters at Housen and Jardin Napoléon will follow in the coming days, expanding coverage across the region. Once the first transmitter is fully configured, the affected radio stations, including RTL Today Radio, will go live in 'TEST' mode. "This has been almost four years in the making, so we're absolutely delighted to finally reach this milestone", said Sam Steen, Head of Programming at RTL Today Radio. "It's a huge moment for the station, we're excited to be in people's cars more readily and to bring listeners the best music mix in Luxembourg, alongside news, local info, and lots of big giveaways."

Radio Proglas will switch off two of its FM transmitters this Friday, October 31. This measure will affect listeners in the vicinity of Velké Meziříčí, where broadcasting on the 100.6 MHz frequency will be terminated at exactly 12:04 p.m. Less than two hours later, at 2:00 p.m., the Třebíč-kostelíček transmitter, which has been broadcasting on 96.4 MHz, will also go silent. The station will continue to reduce analog broadcasting in the coming month. Another shutdown is planned for Friday, November 28, which this time will affect the Tábor transmitter on the 88.7 FM frequency. Listeners can continue to use alternative distribution channels, including listening via the internet or on DAB+ digital radio.

Audio appears to be one of the winners in the Norwegian advertising market, where the rest of the industry is struggling. This is according to the report “Norwegian Media Economy 2020-2024” from the Norwegian Media Authority. ‘Large parts of the Norwegian media industry have had challenging financial years,’ said Hanne Sekkelsten, acting director of the Norwegian Media Authority. The exception is commercial national radio, which has delivered very strong financial results over several years. The two national radio operators, the P4 Group and Bauer Media, are almost fully financed by advertising revenue, writes the Norwegian Media Authority. With an operating margin of 24 per cent, the two companies performed even better in 2024 than in 2023.

The third operator of digital terrestrial broadcasting networks for commercial radio stations will use the Ostrava location of television multiplex 24. The Lanová transmitter will broadcast networks belonging to Broadcast Services, RTI cz, and GG Omikron. The Lanová transmitter in Ostrava, which uses the nationwide TV multiplex 24, will become the location from which three different digital networks with commercial radio stations will also broadcast. Following RTI cz, which has already confirmed that it will cover the Ostrava metropolitan area from Lanová with its nationwide multiplex C, and Broadcast Services, which will operate this DAB+ transmitter, GG Omikron will also use it, for which Broadcast Services provides turnkey operation of its digital radio networks.

DAB digital radio has been on the air since 1995 and as an early adopter of the technology the UK used a form of encoding called Mpeg Layer 2 known as standard DAB. Almost every other country around the world has adopted AAC+ encoding known as DAB+ and UK broadcasters are now adopting this encoding and upgrading their services. DAB+ encoding generally allows a wider range of services to be broadcast in an area and/or an improved sound quality for listeners. On 3 November 2025, we have converted Dragon Radio, Nation Radio Wales, Nation 80s and Bridge FM Radio to DAB+ in South Wales. This has enabled us to add coverage of Nation 60s, Nation 70s, Nation 90s and Nation Rocks in this area.