News

Qmusic has officially launched the very first interactive radio channel on DAB+ in French-speaking Belgium. Using the Qmusic app, listeners can vote for the next song to be played on the DAB+ station.

39 stations are set to launch on DAB+ in Toulouse, France, as the city in southern France prepares to launch DAB+ next year. The launch, which is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2020, will see 23 new radio stations become available in the city through DAB+.

The German-speaking Belgian radio now broadcasts its programs in parts of Wallonia as well as in Brussels via DAB+. As of this week, the hit station from Eupen can be received in the provinces of Liège, Namur, Luxembourg and in the capital.

Over 31 percent of the population aged 14 and over in Bavaria has access to at least one DAB+ receiver at home and/or in the car - approximately 3.5 million people, and about 600,000 more than a year ago. The number of DAB+ car radios in the Bavarian state has also increased by about 180,000 over the past 12 months.

Bavaria is to become the first federal state in Germany in which all FM radio stations are also broadcast in DAB+, as of 2020. Commenting on the announcement, the president of BLM - the regulatory authority for new media in Bavaria - stated that digital radio had reached the "point of no return".

According to the law, radio stations had a period of two months, until June 24, 2019, to jointly designate multiplex operators. The broadcasters proposed the company "Opératrice du multiplex M1" for the multiplex M1, (NRJ, Chérie FM, Nostalgie, Rire et Chansons, RTL, Fun Radio, RTL 2, Radio Classique, Skyrock, M Radio, Latina et Air Zen) and the company "OpeNMux" for the multiplex M2 (France Inter, France Musique, France Culture, France Info, FIP, Mouv’, Europe 1, Virgin Radio, RFM, RMC, BFM Business et BFM Radio).

Audi has revealed its facelifted Q7 SUV. The updated version of Audi’s big SUV will be in UK dealerships in the autumn and comes with DAB as a standard.

The new Škoda Superb comes with DAB as a standard.

As DAB+ continues to establish itself as the future platform for radio across Europe, focus is now shifting to developing the DAB+ experience in the car. On June 20, experts from the broadcasting and automotive industries came together at the WorldDAB Automotive conference in Turin, Italy, to discuss the development and future of DAB+ in the car.

NENT already broadcasts Teracom's existing test network for DAB+ in Stockholm, Uppsala and Gävle. The next step is to launch additional channels and expand the network to Gothenburg and Malmö. The first phase of the expansion is set to be completed in October, with population coverage expected to reach 43 percent.