News

Groupe 1981, which describes itself as ‘France's leading independent radio station’, has taken another step forward in its commitment to DAB+ with the allocation of 18 new frequencies to its Wit FM, BlackBox, Ado, OÜI FM, Forum and Vibration stations, now covering 12 additional départements. Already a forerunner in the adoption of this digital technology, the 1981 Group is consolidating its position by increasing the population covered by its DAB+ radio stations fivefold compared with its traditional FM frequencies by 2024. For Jean-Éric Valli, Chairman of Groupe 1981, DAB+ represents a major revolution: "We have supported DAB+ since its launch 10 years ago, because this technology is transforming the way French people listen to the radio. With its superior sound quality, free listening and more stable, energy-efficient broadcasting, I'm convinced that this standard will become the benchmark."

Radio Mainz Live Rundfunk GmbH has been granted a licence for the full radio programme ‘Antenne Wiesbaden’. The licence was approved by the Hesse Media Authority at its meeting on 9 December and will be valid for a period of five years from February 2025. The aim is to continue to promote and ensure programme diversity in Hesse. As part of the licence, Antenne Wiesbaden will be allocated digital transmission capacities in the DAB+ multiplex ‘Hessen Süd’ (channel 12C) for the same period. The programme will offer a broad spectrum of music with a special focus on regional reporting in order to provide the region with the latest news and information.

The radio programme bigFM Hessen will be available throughout Hesse via DAB+ in future. In addition to the existing distribution in North Hesse, listeners in South Hesse will now also be able to receive the programme. This is made possible by the authorisation for broadcasting in the DAB+ state mux ‘Hessen Süd’ (channel 12C), which was approved by the meeting of the responsible media supervisory authority. The musical focus of ‘bigFM Hessen’ is on the genres of pop, rock, black, urban and R'n'B. The programme is complemented by news and information formats. The licence for ‘bigFM Hessen’ was granted to Audiotainment Südwest GmbH & Co. KG this year from the Hessen Media Authority.

Much has been said these days about the role of radio in natural disasters. However, little or nothing has been said about the life-saving safety alerts that can be automatically broadcast to the public via DAB+ radio. Today we talk about the system behind these safety alerts, known as ASA (Automatic Safety Alert).

Owners of DAB+ receivers in Prague and its surroundings can count on better coverage of the RTI cz radio multiplex from Thursday, 12 December. The operator will be switching its Strahov transmitter containing seven stations from the existing channel 5A to the new frequency block 8D between 10am and 2pm. Andrea Jančová, the operator's manager, told our editorial office that the current transmitter power will increase from 1 kW to 10 kW after the changeover to the new frequency. The multiplex includes stations such as Radio Proglas, Radio 7, Signal Radio and others.

On December 11, a seminar on "The Past, Present and Future of Radio Broadcasting in Azerbaijan" was held, organised by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport (MIND) and the Audiovisual Council. As a result of the implementation of the "Action Plan for the Implementation and Development of Digital Radio Broadcasting in the Territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan", it is planned to expand the DAB+ standard digital radio, which began broadcasting in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula in 2019, to the entire territory of the country. For this purpose, it is planned to replace the DAB+ radio broadcasting equipment taken from the Baku TV Tower Complex with new ones by the end of this year and organise DAB+ broadcasting from the Gulustan Radio and Television Broadcasting Station located in the Agsu district.

In the coming years, it is planned to cover 70% of the territory of Azerbaijan with DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus) digital radio broadcasting. Report informs that Elman Hasanov, Acting General Director of the Teleradio Production Association, said this at the event titled “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow of Radio Broadcasting in the Republic of Azerbaijan”. “DAB+ technologies are applied in more than 55 countries. They are mainly used in Europe, Australia and some Asian-African countries. This technology allows broadcasting 12-18 FM (Frequency Modulation) channels at one frequency. At the initial stage, it is planned to install a 3-kilowatt DAB+ transmitter at the Baku TV tower complex and the Gulustan station in the Agsu district. This is expected to be implemented by the end of 2024,” he noted.

CADA showed strong DAB+ listening in Sydney in the final GfK survey of 2024. In the other metros, smooth DAB+ continued to be the most popular option where there is no FM smooth station. Coles Radio regained No 1 in Melbourne from Gold 80s. Elf Radio returned, much like Mariah Carey and Michael Buble do, for the festive season. It would be interesting to see how many listen if the station played year round! There was also a debut for MMM 70s in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and a strong showing for iHeart Australia in Sydney for what is typically Oz-tober, a month of locally focused music on radio.

As reported, at the outcome of the Mimit's expression of interest procedures for the start-up of DAB+, it emerged that local broadcasters in several regions, do not have sufficient frequencies to broadcast the programmes of all the current analogue FM licensees. In order to provide a solution to this serious concern, Aeranti-Corallo has been asking for some time for more frequencies to be identified in addition to those planned by Agcom in 2022. Mimit has now asked Agcom for an opinion on the retrieval of additional radio resources to be allocated to DAB+ local networks in areas with greater demand, through the reallocation of part of the frequencies of TV mux 12.

Südwestrundfunk (SWR) is further expanding its transmitter network for DAB+ digital radio reception in Rhineland-Palatinate. The commissioning of the Bleialf site will improve DAB+ coverage in the respective regions. The Bleialf site will go into operation on 11 December 2024, improving DAB+ coverage to the right and left of the A60 between the Steinebrück border crossing and Waxweiler, along the E29 between the Arla roundabout and as far north as Olzheim and between Lützkampen, Waxweiler, Schönecken, Weinsheim, Schönfeld and in the border area with Belgium in frequency block (channel) 11A.