News

The year begins with a change at the top of Bayern Digital Radio GmbH. After almost 20 years as Managing Director of BDR, Johannes Trottberger will retire at the end of January 2024. From 1 February, Frank Strässle will take over until further notice. As project manager for the DAB pilot project in Saxony-Anhalt from 1997 - 99, Johannes Trottberger was one of the pioneers of digital audio broadcasting. He took over the management of BDR in June 2004 and was largely responsible for the successful establishment of BDR as a transmitter network operator for DAB+ in Bavaria.

A WIRRAL Christian and community radio station aims to reach a new audience after launching on a new digital service. Flame CCR, which was established in 2000, already entertains listeners from around the world through its online service and its recently launched app. After acquiring a digital licence to broadcast on the new Liverpool DAB+ in December, programme makers are excited that they can now reach many more people in the region. Station manager, Norman Polden, is very excited about its future. He said: “Now Flame CCR is a lot busier, broadcasting 24/7 from our own studios in via internet www.flameradio.org and the Flame Radio App to the world, and now also on DAB+ to Merseyside, via a transmitter on the St John’s Beacon in Liverpool city centre."

From 1 February, you can tune in to Classic FM in the Channel Islands on DAB+. Classic FM says: "We are delighted to announce that Classic FM is now available to listeners in digital quality, in the Channel Islands. Local DAB digital radio comes via DAB digital transmitters, which first went live from Les Platons in Jersey and Les Touillets in Guernsey in 2021, bringing a much bigger range of radio listening. Classic FM is now available on DAB+ for listeners in Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Alderney."

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) has put another transmitter for DAB+ digital radio into operation. The state-wide multiplex (channel 11D) and the Upper Franconia mux (channel 10B) are broadcast from the Ebermannstadt/Pretzfeld site, each with a transmission power of 5 kW. As reported, BR had previously connected the Geigant transmitter (Waldmünchen-Sinzendorf) to the network. The Upper Palatinate mux is broadcast here on channel 6C and the Bavaria-wide ensemble on channel 11D with a power of 6.3 kW each.

Preparations are in full swing towards one of the ABU’s star events, the ‘Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2024’. The event takes place at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, March 4 – 7, 2024. Themed ‘NAVIGATING AI HORIZON’, the DBS2024 event is planned as yet another exciting and lively chapter in this series. The symposium, comprising of conference sessions, panel discussions, focused workshops, and masterclasses, will be led by eminent experts from across the globe. The sessions will address challenges, find solutions and share experiences related to digital transition, technology implementation, creative content ideas, and enhancing user experiences.

The entertainment experience in cars is changing fast, and there are threats — and opportunities — facing radio. If you buy a new car today, you will likely have a whole new experience regarding the technology, the dashboard and the entertainment options available. Expect built-in internet connectivity and an operating system that, among other things, allows you to download apps to the dashboard, with hundreds of options. There will be a large, high-resolution dashboard screen and even passenger screens in the back, with access to on-demand video and games from the cloud. But how easily will you find the radio, and will it provide a great experience or look poor compared to the other audio services? Will you keep listening to the same amount of radio, or will the new services and apps grab your attention?

From now on, listeners in Central Hesse can receive the programmes of the FFH MEDIENGRUPPE (HIT RADIO FFH, planet radio, 80er-Radio harmony) in even better quality on their digital radio. The expansion of the private digital radio transmitter network in the DAB+ standard continues with the activation of a further transmitter in Hesse. The network operator Hessen Digital Radio is putting the DAB+ transmitter at the 'Giessen-Dünsberg' site into operation with immediate effect. This will improve the reception of HIT RADIO FFH, planet radio and the 80s radio station harmony in Central Hesse. Last year, the DAB+ channel was already expanded with the regional news from the FFH studios in Kassel, Giessen, Fulda, Darmstadt and Rhine/Main including Wiesbaden. In addition, a new DAB+ transmitter for the Rheingau and western Taunus regions was switched on at Hohe Wurzel near Wiesbaden. The transmission power of three other existing transmitters - Großer Feldberg, Hardberg in the Odenwald and in Fulda - has been increased in 2022.

Saxony State Media Authority licences a further four radio stations for DAB+ local muxes in Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig. The Media Council of the Saxon State Media Authority (SLM) today decided to award four further radio licences for the DAB+ local muxes in Chemnitz, Dresden and Leipzig. The stations are: HITRADIO RTL SACHSEN, PRIMAL.FM, RADIO BOLLERWAGEN and Gewandhaus-Radio.

After the expression of interest, the procedure leading up to the beauty contest for the assignment of DAB usage rights for national networks 1 and 3 between the two contenders who did not reach an agreement beforehand will begin. "By public notice of 25/01/2024, the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy announced the procedure for the assignment of the rights of use of the frequencies in band VHF-III planned for national networks 1 and 3 for the DAB+ digital radio broadcasting service, pursuant to the resolution of the Communications Guarantee Authority no. 286/22/CONS "Provisional national plan for the assignment of the frequencies in band VHF-III for the DAB+ digital radio broadcasting service (PNAF-DAB)"."

In northeast Italy the Radio Digitale Veneto DAB+ consortium is trialling a DAB+ network broadcasting from Roncà, on Monte Calvarina in the Lessini Mountains, between Verona and Vicenza. The Italian local radio and TV association Aeranti-Corallo made the announcement. Radio Digitale Veneto operates on the 8C frequency (199.360 MHz). The Radio Digitale Veneto group consists of 20 local radio stations.