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Swiss radio listeners will soon have to toss out their old sets, as the country plans to end analog FM broadcasting on December 31, 2024, in favor of a total conversion to digital. The move has been a long time coming in Switzerland, which has largely already transitioned to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+, an evolution of standard DAB that was designed to address early issues). More than 99 percent of the country have access to a DAB+-compatible receiver and fewer than 10 percent of radio signals in the country still being broadcasted in analog FM, according to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. FM receivers in automobiles are nearly completely gone in Switzerland, with 99 percent [PDF] of vehicles sold in the country shipping with DAB+ radios as of 2019.

Residents of Szczecin and the surrounding area can once again listen to stations included in DABCOM's DAB+ trial multiplex. They returned to the airwaves after a one-and-a-half-month break, which occurred as a result of the expiry of a licence decision by the Office of Electronic Communications. As Radiopolska.pl reports, the multiplex currently includes: Radio Super FM (Szczecin), Muzyczne Radio (Jelenia Góra), Radio Jasna Góra (Częstochowa), Radio Profeto, Disco Radio, Radio Nuta, Mega Radio. The broadcast is carried out from the Pazim Center skyscraper on channel 12B with a power of 1 kW. DAB+ trial multiplexes are an opportunity for many regional broadcasters to test their popularity in other regions.

Telecommunications operator Towercom today officially launched two new 5 kW digital radio transmitters in the DAB+ standard. Specifically, these are the already announced transmitters Ruzomberok - Úložisko (8A/195,936 Mhz) and Poprad - Hranovnica (9A/202,928 Mhz). The operator tested the transmitters several days before their official launch, so the listeners could tune the signal from these transmitters earlier. "It is a priority for us to ensure reliable coverage and high quality of service for our customers. The deployment of the DAB transmitter is a key step that will allow us to strengthen our broadcasts and at the same time improve the overall radio experience for residents and visitors to the region," said Zsolt Nagy, Towercom's CTO. The DAB+ multiplex in Slovakia currently includes 12 radio stations.

Founded by Christophe Mahé in Lyon in 1987, the Espace Group has established itself as a significant player in the French broadcasting sector. It has a diversified portfolio of 11 radio stations broadcasting live between 6 a.m. and midnight, including two national stations — M Radio and Jazz Radio. The Espace Group story is marked by a series of geographical and technological expansions, reinforcing its footprint through targeted acquisitions and the modernization of its studios. The impact of digital technology and DAB+ has also allowed Espace Group to distinguish itself as the leading independent group of digital broadcasters, increasing its visibility and engagement with the audience.

SRG SSR, the Swiss public broadcaster and the nation’s largest, will decommission its obsolete FM antennas by the end of the year. The move is not unexpected. The Swiss are increasingly turning to DAB+ or internet broadcasting technology to listen to the news, music, weather or traffic announcements on the radio. Fewer and fewer FM receivers are still in use. Since 2020, Swiss radio stations have not been obligated to broadcast programs on FM. Given the shift in audio consumption and the cost of maintaining three parallel broadcasting technologies, the SRG SSR Board of Directors decided to stop broadcasting programs via the now obsolete FM antennas on 31 December 2024.

"Given the current economic climate, we fully understand SRG's decision, as it is playing a pioneering role," Philippe Zahno, President of the Association des radios régionales romandes (RRR), told Keystone-ATS. "At present, we are planning to cease FM broadcasting in November 2026," he adds. In his view, the French-speaking regional radio stations cannot afford to lose market share and advertising revenue, which are linked to the number of listeners. They want to take advantage of the extra time to reduce the number of listeners who listen exclusively to FM and who follow French radio stations. The Swiss Association of Private Radio (ASRP), which represents private radio stations in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, also welcomed the "important and courageous" decision taken by SSR. "This will advance the digital transformation of radio in Switzerland," said ASRP president Nicola Bomio.

Media Broadcast is further expanding the transmitter network of the first national digital radio programme package in 2024. The expansion starts today with the Bad Tölz site in Bavaria. Over the course of the year, a total of five new transmitter sites will be added in four federal states and in Austria near the German border. Listeners can look forward to even better reception of Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Deutschlandfunk Nova and nine other private programmes in the respective reception areas. By the end of 2024, the transmitter network of the first national DAB+ platform will consist of 170 locations throughout Germany.

At the fifth edition of the "DAB+ in Dialogue" networking event at the State Representation in Berlin, one of the main topics was the advanced digitisation of radio broadcasting in Schleswig-Holstein. During his presentation, Dirk Schrödter, Minister for Digitisation and Media Policy, announced to the 80 or so guests from the worlds of business, broadcasting and politics that Schleswig-Holstein will be the first federal state to switch from FM to DAB+ digital radio by mid-2031. "Media play a central role in our society. And that will remain the case in the digital age, but radio must face up to the digital future. In Schleswig-Holstein, as a digital pioneer region, it is our ambition to shape the path to the digital future and thus also the migration from FM to DAB+ together with all stakeholders - with public and private broadcasters, large and small in the state," said Schrödter in his speech.

Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) Chairman and ARN CEO, Ciaran Davis, today announced the appointment of Lizzie Young as the industry body’s new CEO. Young was most recently CEO APAC & Global Growth Officer of WeAre8. Young is a media and technology executive with 25 years’ experience across multiple global markets and has worked on all media platforms in roles spanning commercial, content and operations. She has also spent over a decade in the audio industry, including 7 years at GWR Radio/GCap (now Global Radio) in the UK where she held various roles including Commercial Programming Controller and Head of Agency Sales and 4 years at Austereo in Brisbane and Sydney in various promotions, marketing and integration roles. Young will commence her role at CRA on August 7, 2024.

Radio in Schleswig-Holstein is going digital. Private and public radio stations have reached an agreement with the state government and the state media authority to gradually switch to DAB+ digital radio broadcasting via FM antennas in the northernmost federal state from 2025 to 2031. Radio stations have been working on expanding their DAB+ networks and increasing the variety of programmes for years, after the legal requirements for this have been created. For listeners in Schleswig-Holstein, the switchover means more diversity in radio broadcasting, which can only be achieved with digital programmes. For programme providers and the state government, the focus is always on the listeners who are provided with outstanding radio quality. The demand for linear radio programmes is consistently high.