News

BBC Radio 5 Live will lose two medium wave transmitters next month. Redruth in Cornwall, and Folkestone in Kent, will both cease transmissions on 31st July 2026. The station’s medium wave switch-off appears to have begun on a transmitter-by-transmitter basis, ahead of the BBC’s wider plan to close the AM network by the end of 2027. The BBC tells listeners: “To continue listening to BBC Radio 5 Live in the Truro/Folkestone Areas, please retune your radio to 693/909 Medium Wave. Alternatively, you may listen via DAB digital radio by selecting BBC Radio 5 Live on your device’s display.” A plan was announced in 2002 that the station would lose its AM network by the end of 2027.

The new radio station, Bounce, will launch on 13 July at 8.00 am, combining club music, hip-hop and underground sounds. According to the broadcaster, the station will be available via streaming and terrestrially using DAB+ technology on DABCOM multiplexes in Warsaw, Katowice, Poznań and Kraków, with coverage set to be expanded gradually. In March, Bounce, a company based in Suwałki, announced that it had been granted a licence by the National Broadcasting Council to broadcast a new music radio station via cable networks. This licence allows the station to broadcast not only via pay-TV providers but also via DAB+ multiplexes.

Inntot Technologies, a leading provider of Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and in-cabin audio technologies, successfully showcased its production-proven digital radio solutions at WorldDAB Automotive 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany, reinforcing the company's leadership in enabling scalable and cost-effective radio architectures for next-generation vehicles. "WorldDAB Automotive 2026 provided an excellent platform to engage with OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and industry stakeholders who are increasingly embracing software-defined architectures," said Rajith Nair, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inntot Technologies.

RTÉ Gold is available on DAB digital radio in Ireland again. The classic hits service has returned to digital radio after RTÉ’s national DAB transmissions ended in March 2021, when the broadcaster moved its digital stations to online and television platforms. RTÉ Gold was one of the services previously created for digital radio in Ireland, alongside RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉjr Radio and RTÉ Radio 1 Extra. All other services closed last year. The station continued after the original closure plans were changed in 2021, following listener feedback, but the DAB network itself was switched off. Gold appeared on both Trial multiplexes by FáilteDAB this morning in DAB+. RTÉ has been contacted for a comment.

Global sales of DAB and DAB+ receivers have surpassed 166 million units, according to new figures unveiled at WorldDAB Automotive 2026 in Frankfurt. The new figure was announced alongside new international consumer research which confirmed that broadcast radio is a core part of the in-car experience which drivers still expect to be present, easy to find and simple to use. The findings underline why DAB+ matters as the modern digital broadcast foundation for radio in connected cars. Sales across 11 core markets now total 166.6 million devices, representing growth of more than 10% since the previous figures were published in February 2025. France and Italy were the fastest growing large markets, with strong increases in receiver numbers, coupled with coverage in France expanding to 80% of the population.

Spanish radio is entering a new era. After more than two decades of uncertainty, the Government has, for the first time, set out a ‘roadmap’ for the roll-out of Digital Terrestrial Radio. RTVE will spearhead the process, which aims to achieve 80% coverage by 2029 and ensure radio is available in the connected cars of the future. The details were outlined by Javier Sánchez, Director of Audiovisual Policy and Public Service at RTVE, during WorldDAB Automotive, where the challenges facing radio in the connected mobility ecosystem were analysed. It is noteworthy that the public broadcaster has announced it is working on up to six new stations that will broadcast exclusively via DAB+ and the internet (IP), and will not be available on FM.

WorldDAB's Program Manager for France, Jean-Marc Dubreuil, reports from the 2026 Assises de la Radio in Paris. "Organised by the French regulator (Arcom), the symposium marked a historic, structural shift in state policy," he writes. "France is moving away from a passive, "natural" digital transition (that was one of the conclusions of the 2024 “Livre Blanc de la Radio”). Instead, the government and the regulator are launching a proactive modernisation roadmap consultation. A core argument is driving this shift: broadcast radio is no longer just a commercial or public media market—it is a vital pillar of national sovereignty, democratic cohesion, and emergency resilience."

The Flemish Government has approved an initial version of the preliminary draft of the new licensing decree for radio broadcasters. This decree sets out the future allocation of FM and DAB+ frequencies. The new licences are due to come into effect on 1 January 2028. One change concerns the issuing of DAB+ licences. Previously, an operator was granted a licence to operate an entire multiplex. The operator then had to enter into agreements with radio stations itself, similar to MTVNL in the Netherlands. From 2028, broadcasters will be granted DAB+ licences themselves and will be required to form a partnership within a multiplex. They will then need to find a transmitter operator themselves. This so-called broadcaster model is also used for most multiplexes in the Netherlands.

Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) has welcomed the GfK Metro Survey 3, 2026 results. Commercial radio reaches 12.8 million Australians weekly – up 350,000 listeners year-on-year (YOY). Nearly four consecutive years of audiences above 12 million reinforce the medium's resilience and scale with growth recorded across breakfast, daytime, and drive dayparts. All demographics and listening locations also experienced growth.Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA, said: “In uncertain times, audiences turn to what they trust. Week after week, listeners choose commercial radio for news, entertainment and connection. That consistency matters. It gives brands the opportunity to reach Australians at scale while building the kind of trusted relationships that drive long-term results.”

A major new international study launched today at WorldDAB Automotive 2026 has delivered compelling evidence that broadcast radio — with DAB+ as the established digital terrestrial broadcast radio platform — is essential, expected and embedded in the in-car experience. Presented to senior automotive, broadcast and policy leaders at the annual event in Frankfurt, the findings underline the continued importance of ensuring broadcast radio’s prominence and easy access in the dashboard as vehicles become increasingly connected. The study shows that 83% of car buyers listen to radio in the car, making it the number one in car audio source by a clear margin. Radio is also the most frequently used: half of all respondents said it is the audio they listen to most often.