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The transmitter network of the 2nd national digital radio platform continues to grow and will receive eight new transmitter sites in six federal states on 1 June 2024. From July 2024, a further site will be added in Bavaria. With this expansion, Antenne Deutschland, operator of the 2nd national DAB+ platform, together with the platform's private programme providers, is expanding its network to 91 locations throughout Germany. The commissioning of the nine transmitter sites means that around 59 million people in Germany can receive the programmes at home. This corresponds to over 70 per cent of the population. The area coverage for mobile reception increases to 82 per cent and covers more than 73 million people on the move. Along the motorways, mobile reception is then at over 92% with over 11,000 kilometres.

On the Flemish-Brabant trial mux (block 10B), EazyFM has turned up as the eleventh radio station. EazyFM uses the remaining 64 kbp/s that was still free on the mux. Nothing changed to the bitrates of the other 10 stations on the Flemish Brabant mux. So they all remain at 80 kbp/s. Flemish Brabant is the only one of the five test muxes to use protection level EEP A-2. This level does guarantee a slightly better coverage compared to other muxes (which use the general standard EEP A-3), but it comes at the expense of the available bandwidth for the participating radio stations. It is the first time that the Flemish-Brabant mux, with 1 kW transmitters in Laken, Leuven and Testelt, is completely full.

In this capacity, Alain Liberty will steer the pooling strategy within the Lagardère Radio division, taking care to preserve the identity of the brands - Europe 1, Europe 2 and RFM - while pursuing audience development objectives. Stéphane Bosc has also been appointed Managing Director of RFM, reporting directly to Alain Liberty. These appointments will take effect from 1 June 2024. "Alain Liberty's appointment to Les Musicales is part of our strategy to consolidate the Radio Division. Thanks to his expertise, he will be able to continue the work of relaunching Europe 2 by defining a new on-air strategy for the next radio season 2024/2025," said Constance Benqué, President of Lagardère Radio

Spotify’s announced discontinuation of its Car Thing interface, a dedicated device for streaming Spotify in-car, has been met by owners with disappointment, bafflement, requests, and anger. In the company’s official public announcement, Spotify seemed to acknowledge the specialness of the device, even as it presaged its discontinuation: “Car Thing is our first hardware product that allows users to control Spotify through car speakers when connected to a phone by using both voice recognition and preset buttons. The device launched in April 2021, and from the start seemed to us a splendid idea.” But soon enough — 15 months later to be exact — signs emerged that Car Thing would not be a long-term offering; in July 2022 Spotify shut down production of Car Thing, while maintaining service to existing devices. The current announcement which is causing so much upset specifies that Car Thing service — the connection to Spotify — will stop at the end of this year.

With changes in audience habits and rising costs and energy bills, what does the future hold for community and local independent radio stations? Madu Ellis, director and acting CEO of Ujima Radio CIC, said their stations had struggled. Ujima Radio was founded in 2008 and was primarily given a licence to provide a platform to empower black people of African and Caribbean communities to become involved with radio. "Our main source of income is advertising. We target small upcoming black businesses. The cost of living - if it impacts them - it no doubt will impact on us," Mr Ellis said. Despite this, Mr Ellis said since their move to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), their listener figures had increased.

Broadcast Services, which is one of the future operators of commercial multiplexes in Czechia, has extended the tests of its experimental network from the Benesov and Buchovo regions to the South Moravian Region, specifically to the metropolis of Brno. Unlike in Central Bohemia, the experiment in Brno is being carried out from a single transmitter, namely the Hády tower. The company Broadcast Services, which holds an individual authorisation, has been allocated 10 kW of power in vertical polarisation.

None of the comments sent by DAB+ network operators on the proposed update of the Radio Spectrum Utilisation Plan (RUP) for the frequency band 174-380 MHz passed the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU). The draft revision of the part of the broadcasting spectrum related to terrestrial digital radio broadcasting DAB+ remains unchanged. In a public consultation announced in mid-March, the telecoms authority did not accept any of the arguments from operators of DAB+ networks for commercial radio.

Virgin Radio Pride UK is returning for a fourth summer season of amazing shows. Another roster of incredible LGBTQ+ talent features on the 2024 Virgin Radio Pride lineup, with some of the best broadcasters, comedians and DJs in the country ready to go air from 1st June to 31st August. There will also be a wealth of must-listen regular speech based shows that will aim to move the dial on the LGBTQ conversation over the next three months on Virgin Radio Pride, with honest and raw conversations about the issues impacting the broader LGBTQ+ community in 2024. Virgin Radio Pride UK will be broadcast from 1st June to 31st August 2024 on DAB Digital radio in Greater London and Scotland.

Flemish Media Minister Benjamin Dalle has revealed the results of the Radiostudie (Radio survey), setting a horizon for the transition from analog to digital radio, the transitory process and the timing for an FM switch-off in the primarily Dutch-speaking Flanders region of Belgium. In 2023, Dalle assigned a consortium of sustainable transformation management consulting firm BrightWolves and Ghent University research group imec-mict-UGent to conduct a new survey, investigating the tools to set up a viable digital radioscape. The consortium analyzed scenarios for the transition from analog to digital radio and optional timing for the FM switch-off.

Czech Digital Group wants to copy the multiplex of Czech Radio, whose multiplex is technologically provided by Czech Radiokomunikace. In June, the operator will launch its regional network for Prague on channel 6B and switch off the programme offer on channel 7A. Plans for the construction of DAB+ multiplexes were presented by representatives of Czech Radio at today's Innovation Day conference. Czech Radiokomunikace, or its subsidiary Czech Digital Group, expects to start construction of its national multiplex B in July. Broadcasting from the first sites will start this September. Marcel Procházka, director of the operator's legal and regulatory department, made the announcement at the Innovation Day conference. By the end of this year, namely in December, the operator wants to reach 50% coverage of the population, and by March 2025 it will reach more than 80%.