News

Chelmsford celebrated a major milestone in its long and storied broadcasting heritage with the official launch of Chelmsford Digital Radio, the city’s new small‑scale DAB multiplex designed to bring a richer, more diverse range of radio services to local listeners. The event was marked by an opening address delivered by the Mayor, who highlighted Chelmsford’s profound connection to the origins of wireless communication and broadcasting. The launch date holds special historical significance: 14 February 2026 marks exactly 104 years since the first regular entertainment radio station, 2MT Writtle, began broadcasting on 14 February 1922. In her speech, the Mayor spoke about the city’s pioneering contribution to wireless technology, beginning with Guglielmo Marconi’s groundbreaking work in Chelmsford and how the spirit of innovation continues into the digital era.

Bauer Media Audio marks World Radio Day by joining an unprecedented demonstration of industry-wide unity. In an historic first, the broadcaster has joined many of Europe’s most influential radio and audio operators to launch ‘Connected Journeys’ - a campaign celebrating the unique joy of listening to the radio in the car. Many of the broadcasters supporting The Connected Journeys Campaign are members of the cross-industry initiative Radio Ready for Connected Cars alongside Bauer Media Group. Radio Ready for Connected Cars is the cross-industry campaign working to secure the future of in-car radio. As automotive technology provides ever-increasing options for listeners in connected vehicles, Radio Ready aims to ensure they retain convenient, instant access to in-car radio.

On 12 February, RTVE hosted a meeting of the EBU Radio Committee at Casa de la Radio, the headquarters of Radio Nacional de España in Madrid. Among the issues discussed, and given the international context, was the urgent need to ensure that all new vehicles placed on the market in the European Union are equipped with terrestrial radio receivers. In this regard, current European regulations must be strengthened to prevent radio from being relegated to proprietary systems or applications controlled by third parties, which could even limit citizens' access to the public broadcasters they are funding. Maintaining FM and DAB+ receivers in all vehicles is essential to ensure the future existence of radio, including not only public broadcasting but also terrestrial audio broadcasting licensees.

Javier Sánchez, Director of Audiovisual Policy and Public Service at RTVE, and WorldDAB Steering Board member, writes: "World Radio Day is always a wonderful occasion to raise a glass to radio and wish it a long life. But apart from that, it is also an excellent opportunity to take stock of the events of the past year and look ahead to the challenges that radio will face in the future. If 2025 stood out for one thing, it was for putting an end to the paralysis that digital radio had been experiencing in Spain since the beginning of the century. In fact, the draft Royal Decree adopting measures to promote DAB+ technology in digital terrestrial radio broadcasting will complete its European processing phase on 27 April."

Radio listeners across the UK stand to benefit as the government launches a review of the UK’s radio industry to ensure it continues to flourish as audiences increasingly shift to digital platforms. Radio remains the most trusted form of media in the UK, with more than 85% of UK adults tuning in every week. However, the way people listen is rapidly changing. Almost 75% of UK radio listening now takes place on digital or online platforms, rather than FM and AM. To help the industry navigate this shift, the government will work with key partners, including the BBC and commercial radio, to examine changes in listener behaviour and audio markets in recent years, and make recommendations on the future distribution of radio services.

Inntot Technologies Pvt. Ltd. today announced that its Software-Defined Radio (SDR) technology has crossed two million deployments, doubling its footprint in the automotive market within a year, a milestone that underscores the growing shift from chip-based radio decoders to software-defined architectures in vehicle cockpits. The rapid scale-up reflects automakers' shift toward cost-efficient, multi-standard digital radio platforms designed for global deployment and continuous software-based upgrades. Since joining Visteon in 2025, Inntot has continued to advance its software-defined radio (SDR) and in-cabin audio IP solutions.

The media landscape has never been more competitive, yet radio continues to connect, engage, and deliver. New global data released on the occasion of World Radio Day 2026 by the World Radio Alliance and egta, the international trade body of multiplatform TV and audio businesses, reveals that radio reaches nine out of ten people weekly, commands the highest trust of any medium, and creates emotional connections that drive results. The insights, backed by global research and data, are available at worldradioalliance.com, highlighting the following findings: Radio reaches more people than any other audio format: With a weekly reach of 90% in Ireland, 89% in France, 87% in the Netherlands, and 86% in the UK, Belgium, and Italy, radio keeps audiences connected.

The Dutch Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate (RDI) has once again issued four new DAB+ licences. These are intended for local commercial use. Three of the four new broadcasting licences have been issued to Aarkal B.V., the company behind the radio station Suc6. This means that the radio station will be available via DAB+ in part of Zeeland and most of North Brabant. Broadcasting will take place via allotments 49, 50 and 51. These are three contiguous allotments, which means that Aarkal B.V. meets the strict conditions imposed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the RDI on licences for local commercial DAB+ use. Allotment 50 in particular has a wide coverage. The transmitter is located in Breda and covers a large area.

Launched at the end of 2025 by maRadio.be, the ‘Listen to your ears’ campaign aims to support the development of digital radio in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Rolled out since January across all channels, it brings together all French-speaking Belgian radio stations around a common message designed to encourage listening to DAB+. Entitled ‘Listen to your ears’, this campaign is based on a central message: radio remains radio, but better thanks to digital technology. It is part of a collective approach, bringing together players in the sector around a shared objective: to firmly establish digital listening in listeners' daily habits. As part of this campaign, a new website has been launched at www.ecoutezvosoreilles.be.

WorldDAB has launched a fully updated second edition of its ground-breaking ebook, "Establishing DAB+ Digital Broadcast Radio," to coincide with World Radio Day 2026 (13 February). The book offers a unique, in-depth guide to the regulatory, technical and commercial aspects of establishing a successful DAB+ digital radio service. The second edition comes three years on from the original publication, and now includes additional expert guidance on new Automatic Safety Alert (ASA), and hybrid radio features, regulation and licensing models, guidance on transmission site design for cost minimisation.