News

Ofcom has today awarded small-scale DAB multiplex licences for seven 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. So far, 75 multiplexes have launched broadcasting to listeners across all four nations of the UK. And in total, the small-scale DAB programme will enable the launch of over 100 multiplexes. Following a competitive process, where each applicant was judged against specific criteria, multiplex licences have now been awarded for the following areas: Banbury and Bicester; Enniskillen; Rugby and Daventry; Stockton-on-Tees; Western Isles; Weston-super-Mare; Worcester.

The festive season has officially begun as Heart Xmas, the UK’s most loved Christmas radio station, launches today (29 September). This morning, Heart Breakfast’s Amanda Holden, the nation’s ultimate Christmas enthusiast, switched on Heart Xmas! During Heart Breakfast this morning, Christmas superfan Amanda left her co-host Jamie Theakston live on-air as she dashed next door to the Heart Xmas studio to officially switch on Heart Xmas for the season. Heart Xmas is home to the nation’s favourite Christmas hits, playing non-stop music 24/7 to get everyone in the festive spirit. Also back for the festive season is Smooth Christmas after a huge demand following last year’s launch. Heart Xmas is available across the UK on DAB digital radio, Smooth Christmas is available on DAB digital radio in London.

Milling Broadcast Services GmbH has been granted a licence by the Rhineland-Palatinate Media Authority for the long-term operation of the DAB+ media platform in the Bad Kreuznach region. The decision was made unanimously at the recent meeting of the Media Authority. The licence is valid for ten years from 1 April 2026, creating reliable conditions for local and regional radio broadcasting – including in Bingen and Stromberg / Hunsrück. The platform is based on the successful pilot project on channel 12A, which has been on air for five years and now covers several locations. With the new licence, the test operation will be converted into stable regular operation.

With a ceremony at the Nanos Transmission Centre, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, RTV Slovenija officially launched two new national digital radio networks DAB+ - R4 and R5, ushering radio into a new digital era. At event on Nanos, RTV Slovenija launched broadcasting on two new national terrestrial digital radio networks (T-DAB+) - R4 and R5. This marks another step in the process of digitalising radio in Slovenia, bringing listeners wider coverage, more stable reception, and a greater variety of radio content. At the event, Andrej Trojer, Head of the Transmitters and Networks Unit at RTV Slovenija, stated: "Today, 59 radio stations are already available via DAB+, and with the new networks even greater opportunities will open up for both broadcasters and listeners."

Radio Jade from Wilhelmshaven launches on DAB+ digital radio and significantly expands its reach. Until now, Radio Jade has only been available in and around Wilhelmshaven on the FM frequency 87.8 MHz. From 1 October 2025, the station will significantly expand its technical reach via DAB+ digital radio. Radio Jade will then be available via the ‘NI Nordsee 11A’ multiplex on channel 11A. The bouquet is currently broadcast by the Aurich transmitter in East Frisia with a transmission power of 8 kW. A repeater transmitter with an output of 200 watts is also planned for Wilhelmshaven. With the launch of DAB+, Radio Jade can be heard via DAB+ in large parts of north-western Germany, from the Dutch border to Bremerhaven.

At the IBC conference in Amsterdam last week, WorldDAB demonstrated the new DAB+ Automatic Safety Alerts (ASA) system. Explaining the enhanced feature for DAB Radios, Lindsay Cornell, Principal Systems Architect at the BBC and Chair of the WorldDAB Technical Committee explained that the receivers are geosensitive so that they will know where they are and only wake up if the emergency is in their location. “We developed a standard with the greatest functionality across all receivers… they are certified through a testing lab,” said Cornell. “The new ASA enabled receivers are coming into the shops over the next few months, showing the speed that the industry is reacting to the new standard and producing new receivers.”

A few of Santa’s helpers let me know that ARN‘s DAB+ Elf Radio station appeared fresh from the North Pole yesterday reminding us all that is it just 13 weeks (!!) till Christmas. Those sleigh bells are jangling, drummers have starting drumming and the scent of frankincense and myrrh is beginning to waft in the air. All your non stop Christmas favourites are there with a guarantee to be knocked out of Whamageddon on December 1.

In the run-up to the expiry in 2026 of the licences for the operation of the two oldest nationwide transmitter networks for digital terrestrial television in Austria, the media authority KommAustria is updating its digitisation concept. The ‘Digitalisation Concept 2025’ is an official regulation that will come into force on 10 October 2025 and serves to introduce, expand and further develop digital broadcasting. The inclusion of the Automatic Safety Alert (ASA) emergency warning system for DAB+ radio devices in the digitisation concept is of particular importance to consumers. Now that the world's largest chip manufacturer for DAB+ radios has integrated the ASA standard into its production, ASA-enabled DAB+ radios will quickly become widespread and are easily recognisable by the ASA logo on the packaging.

Audio Time is a "state of the nation" report on UK audio consumption, drawing on insights from the RAJAR Audio survey, known as MIDAS. It notes that DAB is the largest platform for live radio listening, accounting for 48% of hours. FM/AM now makes up just 19%. Reviewing the last decade, the report states: "In 2015, 86% of all live radio listening was still through a radio set itself, with AM/FM the single biggest platform, accounting for 52% of listening. Ten years on, that picture has changed significantly. DAB has now overtaken AM/FM which has reduced to 19% of all listening. With almost a half of all listening on DAB and a further third on some form of connected device, this means that UK radio is now overwhelmingly a digital medium."

Unity 101 Community Radio is now broadcasting on DAB in Winchester. The Southampton-based station, run entirely by volunteers, has been on air for nearly 20 years, serving the city's Asian and ethnic communities, and now reaches across Hampshire and parts of Dorset. Station manager Ram Kalyan, known as Kelly, said: "Unity 101’s motto is for the community, to the community, by the community. "We’ve always been about giving local people a platform - and that includes you. Whether you're a listener, a local hero, or a small business owner, there’s a place for you on our airwaves." Unity 101 broadcasts in ten languages, including English, and provides full radio training for volunteers.