News

Radio WSW ceased FM broadcasting on 31 December 2025. As the Saxon State Media Authority (SLM) confirmed to FLURFUNK, the broadcaster deliberately decided not to renew its FM licence. Since 1 January 2026, the programme has been broadcast exclusively via digital terrestrial DAB+ in the Dresden area and neighbouring districts. With the end of FM broadcasting, the remaining service was renamed ‘Radio Sachsen Eins’. This did not require approval from the State Media Authority. The name is already used by other DAB+ programmes associated with the Sachsen-Fernsehen Group.

Starting January 15, Kuku Radio's FM transmitter in Rakvere will cease operations, and from then on, the radio station in Lääne-Viru County will be available via the new generation DAB+ coverage area. It works over the air like FM radio, but offers clearer sound and more consistent coverage. According to Priit Vare, head of Duo Media radio stations, the adoption of modern technology is part of the development of radio. "FM is over 90 years old and still based on analog technology. At the same time, all other platforms have been using digital solutions for years, so broadcasting cannot fall behind. DAB+ gives radio more possibilities. It is similar to the development that television viewers went through with the transition to digital television," said Vare.

On 15 January 2026, the Dutch Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate (RDI) will start allocating local DAB+ licences. A total of 784 licences will be available, spread across various areas (allotments) in the Netherlands. The allocation is of interest to existing local commercial broadcasters who want to increase their reach, but also to new entrants who want to broadcast via DAB+ for the first time. The scheme therefore offers opportunities for local media companies with commercial plans, niche stations and media investors. Or for start-ups that want to launch a new radio concept without the higher costs of FM frequencies. DAB+ remains an important and future-oriented platform for the further digitisation and diversity of the Dutch radio landscape.

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) has announced the first line-up of speakers for the 22nd ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium (DBS 2026), to be held from 30 March to 2 April 2026 at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. DBS 2026 will bring together more than 1,200 participants for four days of conference sessions, exhibitions, workshops, and masterclasses. This year’s theme,“The Rising Synthetic Era”, will examine how artificial intelligence is shaping broadcasting, from programme making to content sharing and audience connection. The first confirmed speakers for DBS 2026 include: Lindsay Cornell, Principal Systems Architect, BBC and Chair, WorldDAB Technical Committee; and Dr. Les Sabel, Chair, WorldDAB APAC Technical Group.

Gorka Zumeta writes: ANFAC, the Spanish automotive industry association, has just released data on private vehicle registrations in Spain, which totalled 1,148,650, representing a 12.9 per cent increase over the previous year and consolidating an upward trend that once again saw the one million annual unit mark surpassed. The annual breakdown of registrations since the European Union Directive came into force in December 2020, requiring vehicles to include radio receivers capable of tuning into Digital Terrestrial Radio (DTR) broadcasts in DAB and DAB+ standard, gives a cumulative total of 4,764,148 units. In Spain, public radio is already broadcasting in DAB+. It has been doing so for over a year and a half and has reached 16 major cities across the country.

The countdown is over and Scotland’s new national radio station is finally here. At 08:00 on 6 January 2026, legendary radio duo Ewen Cameron and Cat Harvey officially launched STV Radio live from the station’s shiny new studio in Glasgow’s Pacific Quay. The first song played on STV Radio was a special acoustic version of Simple Minds’ 1982 hit, Promised You a Miracle, featuring KT Tunstall – chosen for its hopeful, uplifting lyrics and to reflect the fact that STV Radio will be distinctively Scottish while also offering something fresh and unique to listeners across the country. STV Radio is available across Scotland on DAB, STV Player, stvradio.co.uk and on your smart speaker.

Right on time at the turn of the year, Klassik Radio AG implemented its announced strategy and bid farewell to analogue broadcasting in the Free State of Bavaria. Since 1 January 2026, the programme can no longer be received via FM in the station's home market. The move marks the provisional conclusion of a long-standing digitalisation strategy. The company considers investments in analogue infrastructure to be investments in the past. Instead, according to the station, tens of millions of pounds from its own funds have been channelled into DAB+ expansion and the development of its own streaming platforms in recent years. In total, the broadcaster has already returned over 30 FM frequencies since the start of this reorientation in 2012.

The Agency for Communication Networks and Services of the Republic of Slovenia has launched a new website, dab.si, which contains all information about digital radio in the Republic of Slovenia. The first DAB network was established in 2016. Today, 59 programs are already being broadcast via this platform. The number of these will soon be even higher, as the deadline for applications for the public tender for the distribution of radio programs using digital broadcasting technology on DAB networks has recently expired. The tender has not yet been completed, but 20 timely bids have been received, 14 for national coverage and six for the Ljubljana area.

Following its recent return to Lombardy, Romantica Radio has taken another step forward in its territorial expansion. The station can now also be received in Piedmont, on channel 8C of the Media Dab multiplex. This development represents an important consolidation of Romantica Radio's digital presence in Northern Italy, strengthening the station's ability to reach a wider audience with its distinctive music and content. The return to Lombardy's DAB+ in recent weeks was already a significant milestone for the radio station, which continues to grow and is attentive to the opportunities offered by digital transmission technologies.

U.DAB, North London’s new multiplex and the largest “Small Scale” DAB multiplex in the UK, launches on 5 January 2026, with 26 stations on board. The multiplex has previously been operating in Trial form with three transmitters. The newly launched, fully licensed multiplex, now has double the number of transmitters, covering four million adults across North and Central London. The resulting improved coverage, and increased audience, will provide a far better listening experience for the wide range of radio stations carried on it. Martin Spencer, founder of U.DAB Ltd said: “We can now look forward to an exciting future with a fantastic spectrum of community and independent local commercial stations on U.DAB.”