News

The news that Thy, CADA‘s mornings announcer, was an AI voice clone, broke after the GfK Radio 360 Survey 2 measurement period had concluded. None the less I was particularly interested when the survey results came out this morning to see how the station was faring. It was the second best result the station has ever seen in Sydney, with 14,000 additional listeners tuning in largely aged 18-24, exactly who ARN and CADA are targeting. In Melbourne, alongside Gold 104.3 being one of the few top Melbourne stations to attract listeners this survey, ARN’s associated DAB+ station Gold 80s had the largest listenership in the city with SCA‘s DANCE HITS, Coles Radio and smooth relax also seeing gains.

NOVA Entertainment’s streaming station Nova Fresh Country is now being made available on DAB+ digital radio in Brisbane. Nova says that since making its streaming debut on the Nova Player in June 2024, Nova Fresh Country has experienced remarkable growth. Scott Baker-Smith, Head of Music at Nova Network, said: “The response to Nova Fresh Country since its launch has been amazing. Country music has blended into the Nova playlists for some time now, with artists pushing the boundaries and redefining what both pop and country sound like today." It’s the latest in a line of Nova streaming and DAB+ stations including Nova Nation, Nova Throwbacks and Nova 90s.”

In the aftermath of the power outage in Spain and Portugal, radio futurologist James Cridland spoke to Radio 4's PM programme about the medium's importance in an emergency. "Of course, most radio is on DAB now and that means you need to find a wind-up DAB radio," he says. "Radio has always made sure that it is an emergency service... the radio is the one thing that you can pretty well guarantee will work because it's not reliant on cellphone connections and wires."

ExmouthDAB, operated by DevonAir Radio, has submitted its application to run the small-scale DAB multiplex for the Exmouth and Dawlish area. As part of the next phase of small-scale DAB rollout, the proposed multiplex will cover a population of over 70,000 adults. Andy Green, Chair of ExmouthDAB and Station Manager at DevonAir Radio, said: “This application gives us the opportunity to bring DevonAir Radio to even more listeners across Exmouth and Dawlish on DAB. The multiplex will also carry our new station, DevonAir Gold playing music from the 50s,60s and 70s, and we’re delighted that Exeter-based Access All Aerials – a fantastic station championing presenters with disabilities – plans to join the service, helping them reach a wider audience.”

UlsterMUX Ltd has submitted an application to Ofcom to operate a new small-scale DAB multiplex for Enniskillen. The not-for-profit operator wants to build on the launch of its Newry multiplex in 2024 and plans to deliver DAB+ coverage to over 28,000 residents. UlsterMUX is led by a team of engineers, broadcasters, and community radio advocates. It has already secured heads of terms with over a dozen stations, including Panjab Radio, Eirewave, Energy 106, Wild Country, and Blast-branded services. It’s also in discussions with regional broadcasters from the Republic of Ireland, such as Radio Nova and Northern Sound Radio, in anticipation of future changes to allow lawful cross-border carriage.

Community leaders have united behind a campaign to bring digital radio services to Northern Tasmania. The ABC and the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia launched collaborative tests of DAB+ digital radio technology across the Launceston CBD in 2023. Launceston community radio stations City Park Radio, Way FM and Print Radio Tasmania have now joined forces to get an administrative ‘tick of approval’ from the federal communications regulator, so that they can go live with the technology permanently. “Digital radio receivers are standard in over 80% of all new cars sold in Australia,” said City Park Radio Public Officer Chris Ball. “Next year marks our 40th anniversary of community broadcasting here in Launceston, and wouldn’t it be great to give the gift of DAB radio to the north of the state on our 40th anniversary.”

Ards Community SSDAB is applying for the local DAB multiplex to cover the Ards Peninsula in Northern Ireland. The team behind Ards Community SSDAB includes Blast106, Belfast 89 and Sunshine 1049, who have also launched the Lagan small-scale DAB multiplex covering Greater Belfast. Sean Og Mac Braoin, launch coordinator for Ards Community says: “The experience that launching and successfully operating the Greater Belfast DAB multiplexes puts us in an unrivalled position to guarantee the success of a DAB multiplex for the people of the Ards Peninsula including the city of Bangor.”

The Flemish Government remains committed to digitising the radio landscape, but will not accelerate the FM switch-off. "Digitalisation is not a sprint, but a relay race. We take all radio listeners to the finish line," says Flemish Media Minister Cieltje Van Achter. ‘So we are not opting for an accelerated switch-off of FM, but for a realistic, supported and smart transition to digital radio.’ Digital radio is clearly on the rise: between 2018 and 2023, the listening volume doubled from 21% to 49%, mainly thanks to the growth of DAB+. The Flemish government continues to work on the digital transition, together with the sector. The goal is a well-timed and widely supported phase-out of FM, tailored to technological and social reality.

As of today, eight community radio stations can be received nationwide via DAB+ for the first time. The Lower Saxony State Media Authority (NLM) is thus making it possible to receive non-commercial radio programmes digitally with immediate effect - regardless of location and in clear digital quality. The launch of DAB+ was made possible by the NLM in close cooperation with Milling Broadcast Services and Media Broadcast. Dr Klaus-Jürgen Buchholz, Deputy Director of NLM: "The availability of community radio stations via DAB+ is an important step towards greater diversity of opinion and media participation. This will enormously strengthen the visibility and audibility of civic engagement."

From 28 April, Radio Tonkuhle will start broadcasting via DAB+. The station can now be received digitally and noise-free with the appropriate devices. The signal will be broadcast via the Hanover multiplex on channel 8C, which also means a significant increase in the broadcasting area compared to the FM area on 105.3 Mhz. The DAB+ launch was made possible by the Lower Saxony State Media Authority in cooperation with Milling Broadcast Services and Media Broadcast. Its deputy director, Dr Klaus-Jürgen Buchholz, described the ability to receive community radio stations via DAB+ as an important step towards greater diversity of opinion and media participation.