News

Walsall community station Ambur Radio is leading an application for the small-scale DAB multiplex in Walsall. Walsall DAB Ltd has been established by Ambur Radio station director Priya Singh with the help of Niocast Digital, West Midlands community radio station WCR fm, and long standing senior radio executive Chris Hurst. The collaboration brings together a unique combination of skills, local knowledge, radio experience and a real passion for Walsall. “Ambur Radio launched in 2009 and has been a very popular multicultural station ever since broadcasting in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujrati amongst other” says Priya. “And we’ve been planning the move to DAB for some time now. We’re looking forward to the quality that DAB will deliver and being able to reach lots more listeners.”

Hospital station WWL Radio is re-applying for the Wigan small-scale DAB licence. A licence for the town was awarded by Ofcom to Wigan & St Helens Community Media CIC, but was revoked after it failed to launch within 18 months. Now, Wigan DAB, which was the ‘runner up’ for the original licence, is applying again under the consortium made up of Kevin Riley of WWL (previously known as Wrightington Hospital Radio) with the help of Niocast Digital, local broadcasters Darren Ofsarnie and Phil England plus long-standing senior radio executives Chris Hurst and Ron Smith. Kevin Riley, station secretary says: “Small-scale DAB gives us a great opportunity to broadcast to that wider community and develop our service not least in the provision of positive health messaging we already hold the necessary CDSP licence.”

Gaydio has been added to the small-scale DAB multiplex in Liverpool. The station, which is based in Manchester and broadcasts up-beat dance and pop and speech from an LGBTQ+ perspective, can now be heard via DAB+ across the city. To celebrate the launch, Gaydio is partnering with LCR Pride for this year’s celebration of the LGBTQ+ community across the Liverpool City Region. Speaking of the launch, Kriss Herbert-Noble, Network Content Director and mid-morning presenter said: “It’s great Gaydio will be on DAB+ across Liverpool and more queer people can now tune in for the best in LGBTQ+ entertainment, news and of course music. We look forward to doing more with the LGBTQ+ community in Liverpool!”

Two new locations improve DAB+ radio reception in Bavaria in July. As the network operator of the regional and local networks, Bayern Digital Radio is successfully continuing the expansion of DAB+. The Jenner transmitter in Berchtesgadener Land is the latest addition to the Upper Bavaria South regional network on channel 7A and is already the 13th location for this network. The Nuremberg local network (channel 10C) is also growing from 15 July with a third location for DAB+. The Hersbruck transmitter expands the transmitter network and complements the existing transmitters on the Nuremberg TV tower and Dillberg.

Eirewave, the Northern Ireland pop and rock radio station, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its broadcasting reach with the launch of a new small-scale DAB service across Newry, Armagh, and Down. Starting on 15 July 2024, listeners from Belfast to Newry and beyond will enjoy uninterrupted Eirewave broadcasts, thanks to a network of 10 transmitters providing exceptional coverage. Olivier Mauxion, owner of Eirewave, expressed his excitement: “This new coverage is a pivotal step for Eirewave as we continue to grow in Northern Ireland. Our enhanced reach on DAB+ will enable more listeners to enjoy our programmes without interruption. We are committed to engaging with all the multiplexes that will open in Northern Ireland in the future.”

A pioneering step into the future of radio: At its meeting today, the Media Council of the Bavarian Regulatory Authority for New Media (BLM) extended 48 FM capacities of local, regional and state-wide providers initially until 30 June 2030. All extensions are based on the phased approach set out in the Audio Strategy 2025 for the planned switchover from FM to DAB+. BLM President Dr Thorsten Schmiege: "With these unique, flexible FM extensions for Bavaria, the regional authority is actively shaping the necessary transformation to digital and staying on course for DAB+. At the same time, we are creating reliable framework conditions for a professional, diverse and supportive radio industry. Because one thing is clear: the future of radio is digital."

On 12 July 2024, the DGTEL of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT) published, on the Ministry's website, the list of expressions of interest received by the same Ministry of consortium companies admitted to the procedures for the assignment of rights of use of frequencies for the terrestrial digital radio broadcasting service, as per the PNAF-DAB, in relation to the following catchment areas: no. 04B - Autonomous Province of Bolzano; 05 - Veneto; 06 - Friuli Venezia Giulia; 14 - Molise.

Friuli Venezia Giulia DAB, a local DAB+ network operator that is part of the Aeranti-Corallo association system, has activated a second DAB+ transmission system; the station is in Conconello (TS) and operates on block 9B. The system will complement the one already in operation, since last June, at Col Gaiardin (PN). Friuli Venezia Giulia DAB is currently owned by the following local radio stations: Radio Spazio 103; Radio Punto Zero 3 Venezie; Radio Company; Stereo Radio; Radio 80; Radio Padova; Easy Rock; Radio Wow 1; Radio Gelosa; Radio Birikina; Vibra Fm; Radio Marilù; Radio Piterpan; Radio Bellla & Monella; Radio Sorrriso. (FC)

A new consortium has been created to apply for the East Antrim small-scale DAB licence. The team behind East Antrim SSDAB includes Blast106, Belfast 89 and Sunshine 1049 who have already launched the Lagan SSDAB Mux earlier this year covering Greater Belfast. Sean Og Mac Braoin, Launch Coordinator for East Antrim said at the launch of East Antrim SSDAB’s bid earlier this week: “The experience that launching and successfully operating the Greater Belfast DAB Mux puts us in an unrivalled position to guarantee the success of a DAB multiplex for the people of Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey. For radio stations it also means that they can choose to be on the East Antrim Mux only or to expand across the wider region from Lisburn to Larne, something we can uniquely offer.”

DAB Italia, in addition to the numerous activations carried out last year, has activated 21 new systems in the first half of 2024.