News

The Government of the Balearic Islands will implement, through DAB+ technology, IB3's digital radio in the first quarter of 2025. This was announced on 18 July by the director general of Digital Strategy and Administrative Simplification, Xisco Cànovas.‘We are pleased to see that we are the first autonomous community in which all three RTVE radio coverage (local, regional and national) will be offered with DAB+ digital technology,’ he said. The general director of IB3, Albert Salas, added: ‘The announcement by the Government of the Balearic Islands to launch DAB+ broadcasts on IB3 Ràdio is part of the digital strategy of the regional government. The digitisation of public radio and television in the Balearic Islands is a fundamental part of our project. DAB+ will allow us to improve the quality of transmission and coverage and will put us in a leading position in the national radio market.

Community station Corby Radio has announced plans to apply for the small-scale DAB digital radio multiplex for Corby and Kettering. The area is part of Round 6, which has a closing date of July 18. Des Barber, Founder and Station Manager of Corby Radio said: “From my days on AM with KCBC, I’ve seen progress to FM, and now to digital technologies. Corby Radio has always harnessed these developments for the enrichment of our community. It is hoped that the result of the application will be known by the end of the year and the service will go on-air in 2025.”

YourFM has confirmed it will be applying for the Portadown & Craigavon small-scale DAB multiplex licence. The community radio station has been broadcasting on FM since June 2015 and now says it wants to expand onto DAB. It has partnered with a neighbouring community radio station in Newry to create a not-for-profit multiplex offering low-cost carriage and free carriage for the four C-DSP services it would host. Director Niall O Corrain said: “We have brought in experienced people with a proven track record in delivering SSDAB projects in Northern Ireland to ensure the multiplexes success.” ABC Community SSDAB has ambitious plans to launch as early as six months if it is awarded the licence due to the preparations made in the last three months.

Two groups have announced plans today to apply for the upcoming Poole, Purbeck and Wimborne small-scale DAB multiplex licence in Dorset. Poole based telecommunications company, Wide FM, has teamed up with Poole’s Hot Radio and Bournemouth’s Hope FM to create a bid, who together are also applying for the nearby Bournemouth and Boscombe licence. In addition, P&P Digital Media describe themselves as a team of committed broadcast professionals, many of whom are based in the local area. P&P Digital Media’s Operations Director is Paul Sutton, who says DAB listening is higher than FM so now is a great time for the application, which is supported by local and regional stations including Radio Wimborne.

The Govern de les Illes Balears will implement, through DAB+ technology, IB3's digital radio in the first quarter of 2025. This was announced on 18 July by the director general of Digital Strategy and Administrative Simplification, Xisco Cànovas, at a joint event with Radio Televisión Española (RTVE), in Ca n'Oleo (Palma), to celebrate the start of broadcasts in Mallorca of Radio Nacional, Radio Clásica, Radio 3 and Radio 5 in DAB+, with a transmitter centre located in Alfàbia. "We know that public channels can be a catalyst for the transition from analogue to digital. And this transition is an essential element of the Balearic Islands Government's strategy. An administration that is committed to digitalisation is an administration that is more agile, more efficient, more effective and that adapts to the new times," said Cànovas.

RNE has started broadcasting Radio Nacional, Radio Clásica, Radio 3 and Radio 5 in DAB+ in Mallorca, from Cellnex Telecom's broadcasting centre in Alfàbia. This start of broadcasts responds to the commitment to increase coverage on a monthly basis until the end of the year, with the aim of reaching around 50% of the population coverage. Coinciding with the start of broadcasting, an informative session was held in Palma de Mallorca, attended by leading national and Balearic Islands experts in the field. The session highlighted the historic milestone for radio in Spain that this start of broadcasting represents. The Balearic Islands becomes the first Autonomous Community in which all three radio coverage (local, regional and national) will be offered with digital technology in DAB+.

At its meeting on 16 July 2024, the Media Council of the Saxon State Media Authority (SLM) decided to invite tenders for digital transmission capacities for the Saxony-wide multiplex. This involves remaining transmission capacities of at least 96 capacity units of DAB+ coverage for the Free State of Saxony. The decision was preceded by expressions of interest from commercial radio broadcasters. Applications are expected for 24-hour private radio programmes in the form of full or special-interest programmes as well as for broadcasting-like telemedia that complement and enrich the terrestrial programme offering in the broadcasting area. The call for applications is expected to be published in the Saxon Official Gazette and on the SLM website at the beginning of August 2024.

The Radio Maria England broadcasting service is now available on DAB+ Digital Radio in England’s Greater Manchester and Stockport areas. To celebrate the development, and to pray for the success of the Catholic radio station’s mission to spread the Gospel, Radio Maria England has organised a blessing of the new antenna facilitating the new digital service, accompanied by praying the Rosary, on Saturday 20 July. Earlier this month, Radio Maria England established a DAB+ Digital Radio service in Norwich. Next month, it plans to start broadcasting digitally in Peterborough and King’s Lynn, a port and market town located 36 miles (58 km) north-east of Peterborough. Its DAB+ digital service is also available in parts of London, Cambridge, Bristol and South Birmingham. “As we grow, and our community of supporters grows too, we are trying to expand further and further in England,” Helena Judd, Radio Maria England’s promotions, events and fundraising manager, tells the Catholic Herald.

With the publication of ma 2024 Audio II, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse presented the latest results on radio and audio usage in Germany. The audio offerings are very popular: almost 53 million of the German-speaking population aged 14 and over use at least one audio offering from Monday to Friday, regardless of how they receive it. And they do so for more than four hours a day (dwell time: 248 minutes). Broadcasting via DAB+ continues to be on an upward trend: DAB+ is listened to by 29.1 per cent in the WHK (ma 2024 Audio I: 28.5 per cent) and is used disproportionately, particularly in the target group of 30 to 59-year-olds (WHK: 34.4 per cent - ma 2024 Audio I: 34.0 per cent). Listeners use a variety of devices to consume audio content. On average, listeners have more than three radio devices, including car radios (average 3.25 devices). A DAB+ radio device is already available in 34 per cent of German households.

UlsterMUX has launched a small scale DAB Service across Newry, Armagh, and Down Newry in Northern Ireland using ten transmitters. Operating on DAB Block 9c, UlsterMUX has constructed a network of transmission sites to deliver coverage from Dromore to Banbridge and extending to the City of Newry and beyond to the border at Dundalk. The service will also encompass Castlewellan, Kilkeel, Warrenpoint, Crossmaglen, and Forkhill, making it the largest small scale DAB network in operation across the UK to date. “We are thrilled to bring this innovative DAB service to the region, enhancing radio accessibility and diversity for our communities,” said John Gartlan, CTO of UlsterMUX. “Our extensive network ensures excellent coverage and provides a new platform for stations to connect with audiences in Newry, Armagh, Down, and beyond.”