News

Arabella Bayern, the nationwide DAB+ format of the successful Munich regional station Arabella München, is now listed as a single station for the first time in the recently published ma 2025 Audio II Update by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse e.V. (agma). From Monday to Friday, the programme broadcast via DAB+ now reaches 37,000 listeners per average hour. During the week, 136,000 people listen to the station every day, with an average listening time of 116 minutes. With the biggest hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s, the music format perfectly suits the tastes of listeners in Bavaria. ‘The single listing we have now achieved is an important milestone for our team in the still young success story of our nationwide DAB+ programme,’ says Till Coenen, Managing Director of Radio Arabella Studiobetriebsges. mbH.

On 14 October 2025, NBTC Air Chief Marshal Dr. Thanapan Harijaroen presided over the opening ceremony of a workshop titled "Building your own digital broadcasting (DAB+) receiver using a small data processing device and a receiver" at the Pullman Khon Kaen Hotel in Khon Kaen Province. The workshop, organized by the Broadcasting and Television Engineering Standards Certification Office (B.T.S.C.), aimed to enhance the process and expand the reach of the broadcasting system. The focus was on building knowledge and understanding of building your own digital broadcasting receiver. This training reflects the NBTC's role in promoting and supporting the development of the capabilities of technical and engineering personnel.

On 23 October, RAJAR announced 50.1 million adults or 86% of the adult (15+) UK population tuned in to their selected radio stations each week in the third quarter of 2025. The total average number of weekly hours listened to radio for this Quarter is 1.0220 billion hours. In terms of reach 44 million adults aged 15+ are now tuning in to radio via a digitally enabled platform (DAB, DTV, Website/App, or Smart Speaker) each week. 76% of the population tune in to digital radio every week. In an average week, digital listening accounts for 754 million hours; DAB has a 56% share of digital listening hours, Smart speaker 25%, Website/Apps 16%, DTV 3%.

Adam Bowie writes: "There is some new RAJAR data, with much of the listening taking place over the summer months. That does mean that some falls are likely as routines are changed which impacts on how people listen to the radio. All Radio reach is now at 50.1m a week, that’s up 0.3% on last quarter, but down 1.5% on last year. 86% of the population listens to the radio each week. This quarter saw the lowest ever reach for listening to the radio via AM/FM with just 27.1m listening via that platform compared with 35.2m who listen via DAB. It was also the lowest ever number of hours on AM/FM with 268m or just 26.2% of listening hours being via AM/FM."

Despite the growing abundance of content that connected consumers have access to, Gracenote’s 2025 Automotive Infotainment Report says drivers “overwhelmingly” listen to radio the most. “For entertainment lovers, the expanding wealth of media choice now permeates every screen we own, except the ones in our cars,” the report says, underscoring how the vehicle remains one of the last frontiers for integrated digital media. Despite new options, radio’s ease and familiarity continue to make it the most-used in-car audio choice. “About half of the respondents in Gracenote’s in-car infotainment survey enjoy the live and local information they have access to, as well as the human element that the on-air personalities provide,” the report says.

WorldDAB Summit 2025 will convene broadcast leaders and digital radio experts from across the globe in Antwerp on 20 November to explore how DAB+ is powering the business of broadcast. Opening the event, Jacqueline Bierhorst, President of WorldDAB – the global industry forum for DAB+ digital radio – will share insights into the continued global growth of DAB+. In a keynote panel, Jonathan Wall, Director, BBC Sounds and Charles-Emmanuel Bon, Secretary General, Radio France will join journalist and former Arcom board member Hervé Godechot to discuss how major public broadcasters are delivering public value through the launch of new stations on DAB+. The summit will also spotlight commercial DAB+ success stories from around the world. WorldDAB Summit 2025 will be held in-person at DPG Media, in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium. Registration is now open.

The NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission) is proceeding with a regional trial of digital audio broadcasting using DAB+ technology on 14 October 2025, the first of its kind in Khon Kaen Province. The trial will cover Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, and Roi Et provinces, marking a significant step forward for Thailand in its digital radio development. Air Chief Marshal Thanapan Haricharoen, NBTC official, revealed that this digital audio broadcasting trial and test represents another significant step forward for Thailand in its push towards digital radio. In addition to being the first regional trial, it also involves the development of transmitters and broadcasting network controls entirely by Thais.

Digital radio, or DAB+, is now available to 85% of the population after all transmitters have started operating, including coverage of all major roads and larger cities in Estonia. Digital radio transmitters are now operational in Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Koeru in Järva County, Valgjärve in Põlva County, Uuemõisa in Lääne County, Kohtla-Nõmme in Ida-Viru County, Pehka in Lääne-Viru County, and Orissaare in Saare County. "Since most DAB+ listeners are in cars today, all major highways and larger cities are covered by the broadcast," said Indrek Lepp, member of the board of Levira and director of media services, head of Digiraadio MTÜ. A brand new radio channel, RaadioX, was also added in October.

The Flemish radio landscape is likely to be shaken up again at the end of 2027. Flemish Minister for Media Cieltje van Achter has announced that there will be a new round of radio licensing. In the short term, there will be three new local pilot projects on DAB+. Van Achter announced the news on Friday afternoon during a digital meeting for local radio stations. From 2028, the recognised radio stations will become joint owners of the DAB+ networks, as is already the case in the Netherlands. The licences for the five local pilot projects (one per province) on DAB+ will be extended. In addition, three new pilot projects will be added in the near future, giving the local sector more scope. Specifically, these are the Bruges-Ostend, Flemish Ardennes and Kempen regions.

Fiera touch has quietly launched its radio network broadcasting from Klínovec in western Bohemia, specifically from the cable car complex. The new DAB+ multiplex currently features seven stations: Color Music Radio, Energic, Hey Radio, Rádio Sázava, SeeJay Radio, World Radio, and ZUN Radio. The operator has thus expanded its coverage with its first transmitter in this part of the country. Fiera is thus continuing the gradual expansion of its DAB+ network, which is to be extended in the future to include the Ústí, Liberec, and Pardubice regions.