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As DAB+ continues gaining traction in Europe, analog FM stations are set to be shutdown entirely in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein and all of Switzerland. The details of these “FM switch-offs” were discussed during the WorldDAB Summit 2024 session, “Switchover is Happening Here and Now.” WorldDAB, the industry group promoting the DAB+ digital radio standard, hosted the summit on Nov. 14 in Zagreb, Croatia. Dirk Schrödter, head of the state chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein, opened the session by declaring his state home to the happiest people in Germany. “This is surely due to the great radio stations we have in the north,” Schrödter proclaimed. “And now,” he added, “we are making people even happier: Schleswig-Holstein will be the first in Germany to fully switch to the new, more convenient DAB+ standard.”

The network and platform operator ORS comm has received expressions of interest for all regional DAB+ bouquets of Mux II for part of the advertised capacity of 54 CU each, which would correspond to a programme with a data rate of 72 kbit/s for error protection PL 3A. Other interested parties have until 27 December 2024 to also apply for this free capacity. It is not yet known which programme provider(s) would also like to broadcast in the regional bouquets, which enable national broadcasting as a whole.

Radio Sabbia, the historic radio station in Riccione, is back on the air in Emilia. As of Monday 9 December, it is present in the CRdab mux on channel 9B, for the provinces of Bologna and Ferrara. The broadcaster is identified as *SABBIARICCIONE. The second network ‘Balla coi miti - Radio&Disco’ is also present. In this case, however, the identifier shows SABBIA 70/80/90. The broadcasters currently present in the mux, therefore, are as follows: Dimensione Suono Soft, Radio Cusano Campus, Radio Fresh, Radio Number One, Discoradio, Radio Città Fujiko, Radio 80 Dab, Giornale Radio, Radio Venere, Ritmo 80, Mitology 70-80, Radio Sound Dab, Radio Sound Italia, Diva FM, Canale Italia, Radio Onda d'Urto, Stereocittà, Love FM, Radio Subasio, Radio Sabbia Riccione, Radio Sabbia 70/80/90.

RTI cz's nationwide radio multiplex C already has 21 individual frequency licences. The latest additions are four regional cities, three in Moravia and one in Bohemia. These are locations where digital radio is already operated by partner operator Teleko digital, which will provide transmitters for RTI cz north and east of Prague. The South Moravian region will be covered by multiplex C on channel 9B from the Brno - Barvičova transmitter. The Olomouc Region will be covered from a transmitter located at the Regional Office building next to the main railway station. For the Zlín region, RTI cz will use the Zlín - Mladcová transmitter. Finally, with Liberec, it will use a transmitter in Proseč.

Local radio company Nation Broadcasting has abandoned two of its UK FM licences in Scotland and will switch off two of its FM transmitters in Wales next year. The broadcaster has told UK media regulator OfCom - which handles radio licensing - that it expects that its two affected services, Nation Radio Scotland and Radio Pembrokeshire, will see DAB listeners overtake FM audiences at some point during the next licensing period. While there are still a large number of commercial FM stations broadcasting in the UK - 246 according to OfCom’s licensing portal - shifting consumption has made FM less important than it once was. With many cars now coming with DAB radios installed as standard, many people are naturally shifting to DAB stations when on the go.

Bayerischer Rundfunk is now also broadcasting its DAB+ programme from the transmitter site in Hammelburg in Lower Franconia. The new transmitter improves DAB+ reception in Hammelburg and the surrounding area. Ten BR programmes and the following private radio stations can be received with a DAB+ radio: ANTENNE BAYERN, Arabella Bayern, egoFM, Radio Charivari Würzburg, Radio Galaxy Aschaffenburg, Radio Gong Würzburg, Radio Hashtag+, Radio Primaton, Radio Primavera, Radio TEDDY and ROCK ANTENNE. With the launch of the new transmitter, the DAB+ transmitter network will increase to 91 locations throughout Bavaria. Currently, 97.6 per cent of people in Bavaria can receive DAB+ radio indoors.

Nation has surrendered two FM licences in Scotland and will give up two transmitters in Wales. Requesting the change, Nation says there is a continuing trend of declining analogue listening and it expects its DAB listening to overtake analogue within the next licensed period. Information was provided to Ofcom which highlighted the range of cost increases across a number of areas, which the Licensee has been considering in the context of maintaining the existing transmitter network. Further, the proposal highlighted that in order to maintain the current levels of service, the existing transmitter network would need to be updated or replaced, which would require immediate capital expenditure on behalf of the Licensee.

Subject to the necessary authorisation procedures, NDR is planning the further expansion of DAB+ in the following regions: Spring 2025: Nordfriesland (Langenhorn, Leck, Süderlügum), Osnabrücker Land (Ostercappeln, Ankum, Berge), Niedergrafschaft (Emlichheim, Uelsen, Itterbeck); Summer 2025: Lauenburg region,Ticino region; Autumn 2025: Verden region, Mirow region, Stadtoldendorf. Further regions are being planned for the roll-out from 2026. In the Cuxhaven area, NDR DAB+ programmes will change frequencies in the course of 2025.

A young target group and more programme diversity: Radio Galaxy Allgäu, a station produced especially for the region by Digitaler Rundfunk Bayern GmbH & Co. KG, will receive the DAB capacity put out to tender for the Allgäu-Donau-Iller broadcasting area. The corresponding data capacities will be allocated for ten years, limited until 31 December 2034. This was decided on 5 December by the Media Council of the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM). Dr Thorsten Schmiege, President of BLM: ‘With the special Galaxy music format, the station has the potential to reach young listeners for radio who are not covered by existing programmes. Today's decision by the Media Council therefore contributes to the balance of all programmes in the Allgäu.’

In an effort to expand country music’s reach across major markets, ARN is officially relaunching “iHeartCountry Australia" as a national DAB+ network. The revitalisation will see iHeartCountry added to ARN’s superbrands portfolio – a catalogue that already contains CADA, GOLD, KIIS and fellow country radio station KIX Country. While under ARN, iHeartCountry and KIX are expected to work in tandem to deliver contemporary country music to major cities Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and important markets, such as Darwin, Hobart, the Gold Coast and Canberra, giving ARN the ability to better service regional and metro country music audiences with a dedicated network.