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Radio Essentials has started broadcasting in Sheffield offering local residents another choice of music radio stations. Essentials has been streaming online since October 2022 but has now made the move to DAB. The station’s programme director Lee Glasby commented: “We’re so excited to be bringing the station to the people of Rotherham and Sheffield. “Our journey up to now has been amazing from setting up the station a year ago with business partner Stephen to now, broadcasting on DAB. “The station plays a mix of the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and selected hits from today along with specialist music shows at the weekend including Essential, Rock, Cheese, Synthwave, Dreamscapes, Soul and dance classics.”

Video Killed the Radio Star, sang The Buggles, but more than 40 years later we know that radio, thanks to digital, survived the bombing and is in excellent health. 13 February is World Radio Day and thus the anniversary of the first UN radio broadcast in 1946. It is therefore an ideal time to take stock of the spread of the most cutting-edge technology: DAB (digital audio broadcasting). It is little known to the general public, although it is used daily by millions of Italians. Unbeknownst to them during so-called drive time, its frequencies are being played on their car radios. As of 2020, in fact, all cars purchased in Europe will be compulsorily fitted with DAB (actually DAB+) and also FM systems.

On World Radio Day, this year under the slogan 'Radio and Peace', RTVE has launched an initiative to support the Ukrainian people and its public radio, within the framework of the public service function of the Corporation: the temporary broadcasting of the generalist channel of the Ukrainian public radio, Suspilne Ukraine, which can be heard through Radio Nacional de España in its DAB broadcasting in Madrid and Barcelona.

Digital radio use is increasing across all regions, age groups and places of use, while FM continues to decline. Radio listening via the internet is becoming increasingly popular, although DAB+ remains the most widely used platform for radio listening. Last year, almost half a million new DAB+ radios came into use. In autumn 2022, radio listeners used digital platforms for an average of 77 out of 100 minutes of radio every day. Home is by far the most popular place to listen to the radio (63% of all radio use), followed by the workplace (18%) and the car (13%). The highest proportion of radio use in cars is now via DAB+ (51%). What's more, for several years now 99.9% of all new passenger cars have come with a DAB+ radio fitted as standard.

On 13 February, UNESCO celebrates World Radio Day. The date reflects the founding of United Nations Radio on 13 February 1946. Radio is the information medium that reaches the most people worldwide. They value it as a reliable source of relevant, authoritative news, even in times of crisis. The ARD information stations broadcast regionally and nationally, as well as the national station Deutschlandfunk, play a part in this. Radio is listened to around four hours a day in Germany - digitisation is driving progress: the use of DAB+ stations in particular is growing, reported the market research institute agma. In the widest listener group, DAB+ has a share of 27.0% (listeners aged 14 and over, ma 2022 Audio I: 24.5%).

On Friday 10 February, maRadio.be, the cooperative in charge of the digital transition of Belgian French-speaking radio stations, presented the results of its fifth annual IPSOS study on the consumption of digital radio in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. DAB+ is preferred by French-speaking listeners with 20% of digital listening, followed by streaming (listening to radio via the internet) with 16% and listening via television with 7%.

The Czech Telecommunications Office does not want to hesitate with the digitalisation of radio broadcasting under the new chairman of the ČTÚ Council, Mark Ebert, and is open to the technology. Ebert indicated this on his Twitter account, which he set up last July. He plans to discuss the digitisation of commercial entities with stakeholders as early as next week. "Right again. On Wednesday 15 February this year, the ČTÚ will present and explain the draft terms and conditions for the future DAB networks at a workshop. I look forward to a constructive debate," Marek Ebert, chairman of the Czech Telecommunications Office's Council, wrote in his first and so far only tweet on Wednesday 8 February.

Radio FG has started broadcasting in Caen, Deauville and Alençon on DAB+, which is experiencing a strong acceleration in its deployment and audience in France. Radio FG now broadcasts in 32 cities on FM and DAB+. Maison FG also operates the radio stations FG Chic (lounge and nu-disco), broadcast on DAB+ in Paris and Monaco, and Maxximum (alternative and techno) broadcast on DAB+ in Paris, DanceOne (dance, EDM) present on DAB+ in Paris, Marseille and Nice, as well as FG -Xtra. on FM in Antwerp in Flemish Belgium.

Kral FM can be heard over DAB+ in the Stedendriehoek in the coming weeks. This is a Turkish radio station that broadcasts regular updates on the disastrous consequences of the earthquake. "We know that there are many people living in the Stedendriehoek who have close ties to the affected area,'' says Christiaan Gijtenbeek. He is secretary of Coordination Digital Radio Stedendriehoek (CDR). "They obviously want to be as well informed as possible. Now you can stay informed at home, but also, for instance, from the car via DAB+ in the Turkish language. We would like to offer that."

On Monday, RNE begins temporary broadcasting of the Ukrainian public radio channel, Suspilne Ukraine, on DAB radio. This is a solidarity initiative in support of Ukrainians fleeing the war and seeking refuge in the country, and of Ukrainian public radio, as part of the Corporation's public service function. The acting president of the Corporación RTVE and its Board of Directors, Elena Sánchez Caballero, together with representatives of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, will visit on Monday the Centre for Care, Reception and Referral of Ukrainian Refugees (CREADE) in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid), located a few metres from Prado del Rey, to "switch on" the signal of 'RNE - Suspilne Ukraine' and to hand over DAB receivers.