News

Ofcom has today awarded small-scale DAB multiplex licences for five more areas in the UK. Small-scale DAB is an innovative technology which provides a low-cost way for local commercial, community and specialist music services to take to the digital airwaves. These latest awards mark the conclusion of the round six small-scale DAB multiplex licences. Alongside these awards, we have published the 24 applications we have received for the 33 licences advertised in round seven. We are also today announcing the list of areas that we will be advertising later this year in round eight. This will be the last currently planned round of small-scale DAB multiplex licensing as part of this programme.

Nova Classic Rock has joined the DAB+ digital radio line-up in Ireland, offering a 24-hour stream of classic rock music across Dublin and Leinster. The station, which replaces Nova Xtra, is now available on the Fáilte DAB multiplex on a 12-month trial basis. Radio Nova CEO Kevin Branigan described the new service as “an experiment” and a niche extension of the main Nova output, created for fans of classic rock. He said: “It’s the perfect channel for the Fáilte DAB trial.” DAB+ continues to be tested in Ireland as part of ongoing digital broadcasting trials. Nova was one of the original participants in the Fáilte DAB project and has maintained a presence as the platform develops.

STV has announced it is extending into audio with the launch of a new Scotland-focused commercial radio station. The studio will be based at STV’s headquarters in Pacific Quay, Glasgow, and the mainstream music station, predominantly aimed at 35-54 year olds, will be available on DAB and online. Key presenters along with the name of the station will be revealed later this year. The new station will be headed up by radio industry stalwart Graham Bryce, who was previously Chief Operating Officer of Bauer Media UK. Graham will report to Bobby Hain, who takes on the newly created role of MD Audience – News, Audio and Regulatory at STV (previously MD, Broadcast), and who has worked in the radio and TV sector for more than 40 years.

Klassik Radio is implementing one of the final steps in its digitisation strategy and will bid farewell to FM in Bavaria from 2026. The programme will remain available nationwide via DAB+, via app and web streaming as well as via cable and satellite. Back in 2012, the audio company was the first radio station in Germany to launch this consistently digital approach, which has so far seen over 30 FM frequencies switched off. These voluntary returns are considered a ‘milestone in the digitalisation of radio in Germany’, says Ulrich Kubak, founder and CEO of Klassik Radio. ‘With the current expiry of FM frequency allocations in Bavaria, our home state of Bavaria is finally becoming a pure digital location. That suits Bavaria, that suits us,’ Kubak continues.

Bingo FM in Utrecht will soon expand to DAB+. The local radio station says it will undergo a refresh. As part of this, frequency 105.7 FM will be switched off on Monday 26 May. 107.7 FM will still remain available as the local frequency for the city of Utrecht. Bingo FM can also be received via DAB+ after the summer. From September 2025, the DAB+ transmitter should be on in Utrecht. ‘We are making a nice step towards the future,’ says Gerard Schuiteman, director of Omroep Utrecht Stichting, which includes Bingo FM. ‘By making smart choices, we can use our resources where they have the most effect: for our listeners. Thanks to this move, Bingo FM will maintain a strong presence on FM and expand to DAB+.’

Gorka Zumeta reflects on the lessons learned from the events of 28 April: Radio has shown, as a medium, that it is capable of reassuring a frightened country, it is capable of informing when no one else can, and it is capable of bringing light into the darkness. But we must draw from this crisis the main lesson, which is none other than the channel: terrestrial radio, the one transmitted over the airwaves, is the safest in the face of a catastrophe or emergency, in the face of which the internet is weak and defenceless. The blackout on 28 April at 12:33 collapsed the country's entire media system, except for radio. The lack of electricity supply meant that television was useless, and the digital press did not work.

Since 12 May 2025, Radio Grand Lac has been broadcasting on DAB+, terrestrial digital radio. This is a historic date for the local independent station, marking a new stage in its development, three years after its arrival on FM. Officially authorised by ARCOM (Autorité de Régulation de la Communication Audiovisuelle et Numérique), this step forward was published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française on 16 April. It rewards years of commitment, rigour and enthusiasm in the service of the region. Thanks to DAB+, Radio Grand Lac is greatly extending its broadcasting area - the radio can now be listened to across a large part of Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Isère, using a simple DAB+ radio.

On Saturday 17 May, the DAB+ digital radio signal was activated on channel 7B in the city of L'Aquila, marking an important step forward for regional information and communication. The Abruzzo DAB Consortium, in cooperation with the broadcaster Radio L'Aquila 1, proudly announced the early start of digital broadcasting, which represents a historic milestone for the capital of Abruzzo. The "Consorzio Abruzzo DAB", which brings together local broadcasters from across the region, aims to manage and promote the technological transition to digital, guaranteeing equal access to the new platform and enhancing the voices of the territory.

From James Cridland's "Radioland": Here’s something seemingly unreported by any of the radio trades - the great Google smart speaker bug of 2025, which wiped thousands of radio stations off these smart speakers for weeks. As I understand it, here’s the story - Google rolled out new firmware to their smart speakers and Nest displays about four weeks ago. This new firmware had the side-effect of breaking support for streaming AAC, a format of audio streaming that many radio stations use (higher quality at a lower bandwidth than MP3). So, asking for “Hey, Google, play FM105” resulted in nothing working, as some aggregator apps have mentioned online. It was a worldwide glitch, and affected every radio station streaming in AAC variants.

The Vinkovci kindergarten is now richer by as many as 44 DAB+ radios, worth a total of around 2,000 euros. The donation was made possible by Bravo Kids – the first children's radio in Croatia, in collaboration with partners from the technical sector, all with the aim of bringing educational radio programming closer to the youngest. Bravo Kids Radio's Program Director, Aleksandra Milinković Dadić, expressed her gratitude to the hosts and the City of Vinkovci for enabling them to continue implementing their goal, which is for all kindergartens in Croatia to listen to the first radio for children in our country.