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Mario Frühauf, Managing Director of kronehit and Chairman of the Private Broadcasters Association (VÖP): "With the DAB+ stations, we have succeeded in switching from a single-brand to a multi-brand strategy. This was very important in order to put our company on a broader footing and to have the opportunity to address new target groups. The stations are positioned in such a way that they a) do not cannibalise our main channel kronehit and b) represent music clusters that are in high demand on the listener market. We did a lot of research beforehand and are more than satisfied with the launch. With Radio Rot-Weiss-Rot and Super 80s, we have already caught up with the reach of the established DAB+ stations within six months - a huge success."

Gorka Zumeta writes: "if radio has a future, it is in DAB+, whether Spanish private broadcasters like it or not. In fact, public and private, in the eyes of the administration, are condemned to understand each other. And the best thing is for them to start as soon as possible, and not wait for the European Union, under pressure from Belgians and Germans, to decide to publish a Directive obliging all member states to establish DAB+ by, say, 2035, the year in which FM would also be switched off. Before then, inevitably, there would be a switch-off of AM, which no longer makes sense in a network hyper-diversified in channels (AM, FM, DAB, DAB+, DTT, App, Webs). The most important reason for this decision would focus on the energy aspect and on the high level of pollution caused by AM and FM.

Ofcom has approved a request from Radio Ceredigion Limited to switch off two of its FM transmitters in west Wales. This means Nation Radio Wales will stop broadcasting on 97.4 FM (Lampeter) and 96.6 FM (Cardigan), continuing only on 103.3 FM from Blaenplwyf. The licensee explained that FM listening in the area has been falling, while digital platforms including DAB, online streaming and the Nation Player app have grown. Nation Radio Wales is available on four DAB multiplexes across Wales and online via nationplayer.com. Radio Ceredigion Limited also said the cost of maintaining three FM sites in sparsely populated areas had become unsustainable. Transmission costs have risen, local advertising revenue has declined, and ageing equipment would need replacement.

DAB+, the radio standard of today and digital successor to FM, will continue to be the most important driver of the digitalisation of radio broadcasting in 2025. As ‘ma Audio 2025 I’ shows, DAB+ is listened to by 30.3 per cent of the ‘widest audience’ (WHK) (ma 2024 Audio II: 29.1 per cent) and is used disproportionately in the target group of 30 to 59-year-olds in particular (WHK: 36.4 per cent - ma 2024 Audio II: 34.4 per cent). According to Funkanalyse Hörfunk Bayern 2025 (FAB), the daily use of digital reception channels is on a par with FM for the first time. DAB+ is the driving force here. 34 per cent of the population listen to radio via DAB+ on weekdays, which corresponds to 44 per cent of all radio listeners.

DABCOM's experimental DAB+ multiplex in Szczecin has suspended broadcasting. Henryk Bukowiec, president of the operator, says that work is underway to restore the broadcast. In addition, DABCOM wants to launch test MUXes in further Polish cities. "We are currently awaiting a new broadcasting permit in Szczecin. Ultimately, its content will be the same as before, but in the near future we should expect an expansion of the programme offer of this and other DABCOM multiplexes. We are also planning to launch multiplexes in other cities," Henryk Bukowiec, president of DABCOM tells Wirtualnemedia.pl. "The spread of this technology, which is a complement to analogue broadcasting and streaming, is evidenced by its development in our neighbours (Germany, the Czech Republic)," he adds.

A community radio station is expanding its reach and upgrading its broadcast facilities. Unity 101 in Southampton is now broadcasting on DAB digital radio across Hampshire and parts of Dorset following a ten-year extension to its broadcasting licence from Ofcom. The station, which first went on air in 2005, is run entirely by volunteers and serves as a voice for Asian and ethnic communities in the region. Programming is offered in multiple languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Polish, Mandarin, Tamil, and English.Ram Kalyan "Kelly," station manager and founder, said: "The new studio brings us into the next phase of community broadcasting – and with DAB, we can now reach audiences across a wider regional area. We’re still the same trusted voice, just on a bigger stage."

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) has published its latest Future of News report, highlighting DAB+ Automatic Safety Alerts (ASA). "The second edition of Future of News Report on INNOVATIONS IN NEWS examines how AI and new technologies improve efficiency, personalize content, and enhance storytelling," the ABU says. The report features "Saving lives with DAB+ Automatic Safety Alerts," an update from Lindsay Cornell, Chair of WorldDAB's Technical Committee. "New technology means we now have a solution to the problem of mobile phone networks failing or being shut down during times of disaster or when terrorists strike," Cornell writes. "Called Automatic Safety Alerts, or ASA, this technology can protect the public during emergencies."

Lyca Radio, part of the UK’s largest Asian commercial radio network, has extended its reach into the West Midlands with the launch of its service in Birmingham. The soft launch, which went live in the early hours, will share programming from the network’s flagship London stations—Lyca Radio and Lyca Gold. This marks a key step in the group’s wider plans to broaden its digital footprint across the country. The Birmingham transmission is now available on DAB digital radio. Over the coming days, the group is expected to roll out services across a wider area of the Midlands including Wolverhampton, Shropshire, Coventry and Derbyshire.

Slovak Television and Radio continues to systematically develop digital radio broadcasting in the DAB+ standard. From 1 July 2025, the Banská Bystrica Suchá Hora transmitter will go into full commercial operation with an increased radiated ERP power of 15 kW. This is three times the original power, which will contribute to better mobile reception in the mountainous region of central Slovakia, as well as to improving the quality of indoor reception in the towns of Banská Bystrica, Zvolen and their surroundings. The T-DAB+ digital radio signal currently covers up to 66 % of the Slovak Republic thanks to 15 active transmitters, including increased power at the Suchá Hora transmitter. For the first time ever, coverage of the population has exceeded 75%, despite the fact that motorway and expressway coverage remains a priority.

As of 30 June 2025 at 16:00, egoFM has completely ceased its FM broadcasting operations in all Bavarian cities and also in Stuttgart. The station states that it considers FM to be ‘too unreliable, too weak and too expensive’. Less than half of listeners still use FM at all. The majority listen to the station digitally, even when travelling in the car. To continue listening to egoFM, a radio that supports DAB+ is recommended. These are now available everywhere, in a wide range of models and in all price categories. egoFM is advertising a prize draw in which egoFM digital radios can be won during the main radio programme from 06:00 to 20:00. Anyone with a DAB+ radio can simply start the automatic station search and select egoFM.