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The ‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ association has announced that Radio Nova has joined its ranks. As a key player in the French radio sector, Radio Nova has been committed to the roll-out of DAB+ for several years. The station shares a common objective with the other members of the association: to support the evolution of radio listening habits and to promote public access to a diverse range of programmes via digital terrestrial radio. This move forms part of the DAB+ development strategy championed by the various players in the sector. According to Frédéric Antelme, deputy director of Radio Nova, “DAB+ represents a major step forward for radio. Joining ‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ is a natural step in line with our commitment to this technology and our desire to support new ways of listening.”

Multiplex operator TELEKO writes on its website:"Dear DAB listeners: We have recently put a new transmitter into operation in Boskovice. The area with high-quality coverage extends from Brněnec to Blansko and from Rozseč nad Kunštátem to Boskovice. The station broadcasts on channel 10D with a power output of 5 kW."

Ofcom has awarded small-scale DAB multiplex licences for six more areas in the UK, drawing the successful nationwide rollout programme to a close. So far, 108 multiplexes have launched, supporting a wide range of hyperlocal digital radio stations, delivering a total of 1,152 programme services to listeners across all four nations of the UK. Including today’s awards, a further 50 multiplexes have been licensed, which Ofcom expects to launch at various points over the next 18 months. Paul Mercer, Ofcom’s Director of Broadcast Licensing, said: “The innovative small-scale DAB programme was designed to help grassroots community broadcasters, specialist music stations, and services for minority and other underserved populations take to the digital airwaves. With more than 1,000 programme services being broadcast, listeners up and down the country are benefiting from local, diverse content.”

Many automotive suppliers still believe DAB+ is only relevant for Europe. That assumption is becoming increasingly risky. Over the past few years, digital radio has evolved from a regional requirement into a growing market-access consideration for automotive manufacturers targeting Europe and the Middle East. For vehicle infotainment suppliers, IVI manufacturers, head unit vendors, and automotive OEMs, understanding DAB+ requirements is becoming just as important as understanding connectivity, navigation, and smart cockpit technologies. The challenge is simple: Many product teams discover DAB+ requirements too late in the development cycle. By then, redesign costs, testing delays, and certification challenges are much harder to manage.

BBC Radio 4 broadcasts on Long Wave will end on 27 June 2026, ahead of the Long Wave platform closing on 30 June 2026. The Long Wave infrastructure is owned and operated by a third party who have advised us the platform is now coming to the end of its life as a technology. Continuing would require significant investment to replace ageing equipment and sustain a platform now used by a very small proportion of listeners. Digital listening has also grown significantly over the past decade, with the majority of UK radio listening now taking place digitally or online. The BBC’s focus is on investing in platforms that best serve audiences and provide resilient coverage for the future.

Radio listening in Bavaria continues to shift towards digital platforms. In 2026, 48.1 per cent of the population aged 14 and over in Bavaria will listen to the radio via digital platforms on an average working day – and for the first time, this will be significantly more than via FM. DAB+ is the key driver of this shift. These are the initial preliminary findings from the ‘Funkanalyse Bayern Hörfunk 2026’ (FAB) study, which will be presented tomorrow at the Local Media Days in Nuremberg. Dr Thorsten Schmiege, President of the Bavarian State Office for New Media (BLM): “Radio usage in Bavaria is becoming increasingly digital. A turning point has been reached this year: digital radio usage will overtake FM in 2026.”

At its meeting, the Assembly of the Hesse State Media Authority took decisions on the allocation of digital capacity for two radio stations: RADIO BOB GmbH & Co. KG, based in Kassel, will also broadcast its Hesse-based niche radio programme ‘RADIO BOB!’ via DAB+ from 1 September 2026. The allocation is valid until February 2030, in line with the temporary state-wide licence. In addition, the broadcaster’s nationwide programme “RADIO BOB!”, for which it holds an indefinite licence, will continue to be available via the first DAB+ national multiplex in Hesse and throughout Germany. The full-service radio programme “ANTENNE MAINZ” from Radio Mainz Live Rundfunk GmbH, which has been broadcast via the “Hessen Süd” DAB+ multiplex (channel 12C) since 2016, will continue to be available via DAB+ in southern Hesse for the next ten years following the extension of the allocation.

From 2028, the DAB+ programmes from BB Radio, 94 3 rs2, Berliner Rundfunk 91.4 and Schlager Radio will be split into five regional channels in Brandenburg. For listeners, this means they will receive local news, weather and traffic updates tailored precisely to their region. The Media Council of the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Authority (mabb) awarded the necessary DAB+ allocations in June. Martin Gorholt, Chair of the mabb Media Council: “You can’t get any more regional than this! This technical change will enable radio producers to respond even better to the needs of their listeners in Brandenburg. And for the listeners themselves, it represents a huge benefit, as they will be provided with even better locally relevant information.”

Germany has become a power for DAB+ digital radio. Digital radio is quite strong, particularly in vehicles.DAB + is destined, at least in some important core markets, to eventually replace analogue FM radio. The basis for this is the availability of corresponding home radios, and this trend is steadily increasing. World-wide sales of DAB + receivers have now surpassed 166 million. Recent data from Germany produced by the Xperi software company showed a clear trend of use: in modern vehicles equipped with hybrid radio reception (FM, DAB+, web radio), DAB + accounts for almost 90 percent of radio usage.

The first test broadcasts have been on air for a few days now, and the service is set to launch on 1 July. The Münsterland region is the last in North Rhine-Westphalia to receive a regional radio package via DAB+. The launch will take place later than the other regional multiplexes, which were launched as early as the end of 2025. This was due to difficulties in finding a free channel for the multiplex. With Channel 10D, we have finally managed to secure a suitable channel. This means that from Wednesday 1 July, six local radio stations will be able to launch their programmes via digital terrestrial transmission: Antenne Münster, Radio Kiepenkerl, Radio WMW, Radio RST, Radio WAF and Radio Vest.