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The Local DAB Multiplex Association met Ian O’Neill OBE, Head of Radio and Audio at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport recently to talk about industry challenges. Local DAB Multiplex Association Directors Chris Hurst and David Duffy engaged in a discussion with Ian, focusing on the successes, opportunities, and challenges faced by the rapidly evolving small-scale DAB sector. Key topics included: - Market challenges and the sustainability of Small Scale DAB multiplexes and scope to grow the sector - Improvements in coverage to enhance local and niche radio availability - The opportunity for foreign stations to broadcast on Small Scale DAB in the UK following the passage of the Media Act 2024 “It was a pleasure to meet with Ian and discuss the bright future of small-scale DAB,” said Chris Hurst. “The sector has made incredible progress, and it’s vital that we continue working collaboratively to ensure its long-term success. We greatly appreciate the engagement and support from DCMS in tackling key industry challenges and unlocking new opportunities.” Later on in the same day Chris and David went on to Ofcom and met with Paul Mercer Director of Broadcast Licensing and Programme Operations and Jon Heasman Project Manager Small Scale DAB. Once again in a very supportive and collaborative meeting there was a positive discussion on a number of opportunities to further develop SSDAB. For more information and membership details of the free to join Local DAB Multiplex Association visit LocalDAB.org.uk. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2025/03/local-radio-multiplex-operators-meets-dcms-to-discuss-small-scale-dab/

The Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio brands are growing, as Bauer Media Audio UK announces the launch of four new spin-off stations. As unveiled at the Radiodays Europe conference in Athens today (10th March), Greatest Hits Radio will add Greatest Hits Radio 70s and Greatest Hits Radio 80s to its portfolio, while Hits Radio is launching Hits Radio 90s and Hits Radio 00s. Gary Stein, Director of Audio for Bauer Media Audio UK said, “We’re really excited to launch these four new stations and provide even more personalised, passion driven content for our music-loving audiences, while increasing opportunities for our advertising partners to target highly engaged, specific audiences.” The news follows last year’s successful launch of a number of new Bauer Media spin-off stations on DAB, including KISS Dance, KISSTORY R&B and Greatest Hits Radio 60s, recording a combined weekly reach of over 1.5m listeners in their opening RAJAR survey. The new Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio stations will launch on 31st March, the same day that Absolute Radio, KISS, KISSTORY and Magic Radio make the switch to DAB+, as previously announced. In other news, Bauer also announces today that KISS Fresh will rebranded to KISS XTRA. With a presenter lineup including Henri Kwushue, Craig Mitch, Esi, Ellie Prohan and Elz the Witch, it shall rebrand on 31st March. There’ll be no further changes to the station. In other distribution news, Magic Radio will soon start broadcasting on 106.5 FM in Bristol. Hits Radio (West of England) will continue to broadcast in the area on 101 and 97.2FM. https://www.bauermedia.co.uk/news/bauer-media-audio-uk-announces-new-hits-radio-and-greatest-hits-radio-sub-brands/

Radio Today 18 February 2025 Wireless Ireland is planning on launching “a suite of new digital radio services” on DAB+ this year. The move comes as RadioToday breaks the news that a new DAB+ trial will operate for 12 months from April by FáilteDAB. Wireless Ireland says it will work closely with Coimisiún na Meán to secure the necessary content licences to ensure compliance with broadcasting standards and regulations. The new stations are set to launch in the spring, with more details announced in coming weeks. Bauer Media Audio Ireland has also confirmed it will operate services on the DAB+ trial with full details to follow. Sean Barry, Managing Director of Wireless Ireland, said: “Wireless Ireland is proud to lead the charge in Ireland’s transition to digital broadcasting. “The new FáilteDAB platform will offer listeners a broader and more immersive experience, with a blend of existing and new content offerings, creating diversity of choice for listeners across a large coverage area. “Wireless Ireland’s commitment will see us become the largest content provider on this new and exciting platform. “We’re delighted to build on the strength of our existing network of popular radio stations, and will continue to invest to entertain and engage new audiences across new territories.” Bauer CEO Chris Doyle says: “As an already significant player in the digital audio space, we are excited to take part in the trial. “The initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and delivering superior audio experiences to our listeners.” https://radiotoday.ie/2025/02/wireless-ireland-confirms-plans-to-fully-embrace-dab-trial-with-new-services/

Major channels abandoning older Digital Audio Broadcasting in favour of new service By Madeleine Ross Money Reporter 11 February 2025 Millions of listeners with digital radios are now no longer able to tune in to many popular radio stations, including the likes of Classic FM. Major channels are abandoning or have already abandoned older Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radios in favour of new DAB+ technology – forcing listeners to buy a more modern radio. It comes after many listeners were pushed to switch to digital after the Government announced ambitions to turn off the FM signal in 2015. This will now not happen until at least 2030, but many digital radio models are now becoming obsolete as they can only pick up the DAB signal, and not the superior DAB+. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) has been a staple of the UK’s radio landscape since the mid-1990s, however, since 2016, DAB+ has emerged as a legitimate successor The improved DAB+ technology offers: Enhanced sound quality Greater number of channels with the same bandwidth as DAB Supported by a modern infrastructure, enabling broadcasters to deliver more channels and services Troubleshooting DAB and DAB+ signal problems Although DAB+ is the superior technology, it can still run into similar problems to DAB radios. Common causes of signal issues for digital radio include: Poor signal coverage: there may be limited DAB coverage in your area resulting in weak reception. You can use Digital Radio UK’s DAB postcode checker to see which stations you should have a good reception for in your area. Incorrect antenna positioning: your radio’s antenna may not be fully extended or optimally positioned. The signal may also be impeded by walls or other obstructions, see if the radio works outside or by a window to test this. You could also look to invest in an external DAB antenna if this is the case. Reception interference: in some cases, electrical appliances, fluorescent lighting, or even nearby FM signals may interfere with your DAB reception. Radio malfunction: outdated firmware or internal hardware issues may be causing the issue. Where possible, check to see if your device needs to download an update. Impact of DAB+ upgrade on listeners and station. More than 50m adults, or 87pc of those aged over 15, listened to their favourite radio station at least once a week, according to figures from Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research). Of those listeners, 43pc listen using a DAB or DAB+ radio, with a further 27pc listening through websites, apps and smart speakers. One third of DAB radio owners who listen at home do not have DAB+ capacity. Around 10.1m UK households have a DAB+ set either at home or in at least one car, and there are just 4.8m DAB+ sets in homes, according to data from media regulator Ofcom. The BBC has said it is “committed to continue to serve” those with DAB radios. Yet Classic FM turned off its DAB signal when last year, meaning fans now need a DAB+ compatible radio to keep listening. The channel, which launched in 1992 as a specialised station for classical music, is still be available on FM radio. Bauer Media channels, including Absolute 80s and Planet Rock, are among those which have also made the switch to DAB+. The first DAB radio stations in the UK were launched in 1995 by the BBC. DAB+ shows, which offer better sound quality, began in 2016. One radio producer at a DAB+ station warned that buying a digital radio secondhand could now lead to listeners missing out on their favourite channels. He said: “A lot of people who don’t listen to the radio anymore are selling those on Facebook marketplace or eBay and a lot of people think they’re getting a bargain. That’s because the ones sold in shops now, to comply with legislation, have to have DAB+ as part of what they can tune into.” The producer said listeners often called in to the station to complain that they could not get their radio to play the right channel. He said: “It’s older people, people trying to be a bit thrifty. It doesn’t happen every day but it’s a fairly regular thing for DAB+ stations.” Emi

13 February 2025 WorldDAB is marking World Radio Day by releasing its latest infographic, which highlights the ongoing global growth of DAB+. The updated graphic shows device sales now nearing the 150 million milestone, with the fast-growing markets of France and Australia leading the way with sales of receivers now over 10 million each, alongside the well-established DAB+ auto market. Sales in eleven core markets now total 145,195,000, and almost all new cars across Europe come with DAB+ as standard. In France, this is coupled with DAB+ coverage now exceeding 60% of the population, and in Spain, public broadcaster RTVE is heading towards the goal of 50% coverage with the recent addition of transmitters covering the metropolitan areas of Valladolid and Zaragosa. WorldDAB President Jacqueline Bierhorst said: “13 February is an important day in the global calendar for anyone as passionate about broadcast radio as me and the members of the WorldDAB family. Today we can share new data showing how DAB+ continues to grow in both new and established markets around the world. This, coupled with our new DAB+ Automatic Safety Alerts, which can provide life-saving warnings of environmental emergencies such as storms and flooding, demonstrates the critical role of broadcast radio.” Other highlights from WorldDAB’s infographic, which incorporates newly released data from across 2024, include: Significant broadening of choice for listeners with over 60 national stations now on DAB in the United Kingdom, against five on analogue; and growth also in Belgium, Czechia and Italy where listeners can enjoy over 50 national DAB+ stations. New data on DAB+ coverage in markets such as Croatia (98.4%); Slovenia (92%), Poland (87.9%); Serbia (80%) and Slovakia (72%). WorldDAB’s infographic details the rollout status in 25 emerging markets, as well as a comprehensive overview of DAB receiver sales, road and population coverage, household penetration and the number of national stations on DAB/DAB+ compared to FM. Data from the new infographic will be highlighted in WorldDAB keynote sessions at the Saudi Media Forum on 19 – 21 February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 24 – 27 February. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2025/02/worlddab-highlights-the-ongoing-global-growth-of-dab-on-world-radio-day/

------ Original Message ------ From: jeff.kitching@... To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, December 27th 2024, 17:53 Subject: [bdxc-news] DAB News items (UK) Blackpool BLACKPOOL RADIO has been added. [Wohnort] Congleton & Leek FGTB Cheshire is silent. [Wohnort] Crewe & Nantwich Cat Xtra & Timeless Radio have left. FGTB Cheshire is silent. [Wohnort] Doncaster Diamond Groove has been added. [JK] LIVERPOOL 2 old skool jamz & Radio Maria have been added. [Wohnort] Morecambe Bay Nation 80s has been added. [Wohnort] Peterborough Gold Cambs has been relabelled to Gold Radio Peter. [Wohnort] Shefcast Digital Angel Vintage & Cosoro Radio have ceased. [JK] Wrexham Nation Xmas has been added. Tomorrowland OWR has ceased. [Wohnort] Cheshire Mid STRAWBERRY RADIO has been added. [Wohnort] Warrington FGTB Cheshire has been added. [Wohnort] Newry Reindeer Radio has been added. [Wohnort] Stockport BUZZ MCR, Niffy UK Radio, Evolve Radio & Skylab Radio have been added. [Alan Gale/BDXC] Hull Coast & County has been added. Nation 90s has changed to Nation Xmas. [DigitalSpy] Southend SSDAB is new on 9B, from Southend Uni Hospital with 0.200w. 107.3 Funky SX has been added. [DABLIST] E Lincs DAB is new on 8B. E Lincs DAB has been added. [DABLIST] Belfast Blast Xtra, Cosoro Radio, Lagan Radio, Radio Caroline & Voice of Islam have been added. [Wohnort] Bristol - East & Bristol - West Decadance has left. (TBC) [DigitalSpy] Cambridge Radio Maria Eng has ceased. [digitalbitrate] Ayr UWS has been added. [Wohnort] Cambridge 2 Camb 105 has been renamed to Cambridge Radio [digitalbitrate] Bournemouth Easy Radio has been added. [digitalbitrate] Surrey-NSussex Fun Xmas has been added. [digitalbitrate] Tyne & Wear HITS RADIO NE has been renamed HITS NE. [digitalbitrate] Trial London GreekBeat Radio has been added. NcastleGateshead Affinity Radio & Max 80s have been added. [DABLIST] Plymouth CR Plymouth has been added. [DABLIST]

Pure West Radio has launched Pure X-Mas, a dedicated Christmas music station, on DAB. The station is available on the North Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire multiplexes until 31st December. (Radio Today)

9 December 2024 Nation has surrendered two FM licences in Scotland and will give up two transmitters in Wales. In Scotland, 103FM and 106.9FM, which carried Nation Radio Scotland for Helensburgh and Dumbarton, have been given back to Ofcom. Those frequencies started life as Castle Rock FM and later carried YOUR Radio. In Wales, Radio Pembrokeshire’s relays in Tenby and Fishguard on 107.5FM will be turned off around the middle of 2025, leaving the station with its main transmitter on 102.5FM which already covers most of the areas in question. According to Ofcom’s analysis, the population coverage reach (adults 15+) of the existing service is 107,382. By removing the two transmitter sites at Tenby and Fishguard, the population reach who would still be able to receive the service would drop to 98,303, reducing the coverage of the service by 8.5%. Requesting the change, Nation says there is a continuing trend of declining analogue listening and it expects its DAB listening to overtake analogue within the next licensed period. Nation submitted a range of commercial impacts linked to declining local revenues, declining audiences and increasing costs. Information was provided to Ofcom which highlighted the range of cost increases across a number of areas, which the Licensee has been considering in the context of maintaining the existing transmitter network. Further, the proposal highlighted that in order to maintain the current levels of service, the existing transmitter network would need to be updated or replaced, which would require immediate capital expenditure on behalf of the Licensee. The surrendering of smaller FM licences which duplicate DAB areas for radio stations is on the increase across Europe, and RadioToday understands this trend will continue over the next few years here in the UK. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/12/nation-broadcasting-to-turn-off-four-fm-transmitters-in-scotland-and-wales/

29 November 2024 Former Manchester digital station Max is relaunching this weekend playing 80s music on DAB in Newcastle. The station, run by ex-BBC radio executive John Ryan, has hired actor Louise Jameson as the station voice. Features will include songs from a featured Classic Album each week; 20/20 Eighties Trivia; and games to play along with like the Telly-gram and the fiendish chart guessing game Maxematics. You won’t hear the news of today on Max. Instead, re-live the top stories of each day in the 80s broadcast on the hour. John says: “Max is the 1980s radio station for people who were there, back then. For me, it meant the years between 12 and 22 – leaving home, first jobs, first loves – and three very happy years living and working in Newcastle! “Give us a try and relive your 80s memories – with Max.” Max 80s will launch at 1200 on Sunday 1 December 2024 on DAB and online at max80s.co.uk. The station previously existed from 2015 to 2020 on the Manchester small-scale multiplex. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/11/max-80s-returns-on-newcastle-small-scale-dab-radio-multiplex/

The first four awards in Round Six of the small-scale DAB awards have been announced by Ofcom. The winning applications have been confirmed in Bournemouth, Poole, Isle of Wight and Warminster. The Isle of Wight and Warminster areas only attracted one licence per area, and the single applicants – West Wiltshire Digital Radio CIC and Wight Digital Radio CIC – were awarded with their respective area licences. In Bournemouth, three applications were submitted, with the winning bid being owned by BH Community DAB Limited – a joint venture between Hope FM, Hot Radio, Hospital Radio Bedside and Wide FM (communications company). In awarding, Ofcom said Hope’s shareholding had to be cut down from 35% to 5% as per the ownership rules surrounding a religious company being involved in a small-scale DAB service, to which BH Community DAB were happy to do as its business plan was not reliant on funding from Hope FM. And in Poole, out of the two applications, the licence was awarded to Wide Digital, which contains mostly the same shareholders as BH Community DAB, albeit with different amounts. As a result, the shareholding needs to change to reduce Hope FM to 5% as per paragraph 2 of Part II of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990, where such participants are limited to a maximum 5% shareholding in a small-scale multiplex licensee. All new licencees have 18 months to commence broadcasting. The other 23 areas for Round Six are yet to be announced. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/10/ofcom-starts-awarding-small-scale-dab-multiplexes-in-round-6/

Ofcom has today awarded a new DAB radio multiplex licence covering the Isle of Wight to local community interest company Wight Digital Radio CIC. Wight Digital Radio is made up of the Island’s long-established commercial station, Isle of Wight Radio and local community radio station Vectis Radio. IW Radio Isle of Wight Radio is part of the Total Sense Media Group and enjoys a monthly audience of 60,000 listeners* and has been broadcasting to the Island for 34 years, home to The Toy Appeal and The Child of Wight Awards. Vectis Radio, an Ofcom licenced community radio station launched as an online-only station on 23rd January 2010 and began broadcasting on FM on 4th November 2017. Vectis Radio Vectis Radio is home to the 4Ps project, an award-winning initiative to help young people develop their confidence, communication skills and self esteem. “On the air during 2025” The team at Wight Digital Radio says, “We are delighted that Ofcom has chosen to award the DAB licence for the Island to an Island-based organisation. We aim to have our proposed service on the air during 2025 and it will have the capacity to bring more than twenty new and existing radio stations to DAB delivering a choice of creative content to vibrant and loyal radio audience on the Island.” They continued, “Whilst we have a number of interested parties eager to provide content for DAB on the Island, we are still happy to talk you through the process of launching a new station, be it a commercial or community station.” Visit the Wight Digital Radio website for more information https://www.wightdigitalradio.co.uk/ https://onthewight.com/wight-digital-radio-to-enhance-isle-of-wights-audio-landscape-with-dab-licence-win/

Christian station Radio Maria has joined three new DAB+ multiplexes in Peterborough, Norwich and King’s Lynn. In addition to these new regions, the station is available on DAB+ in London, Cambridge, Bristol, South Birmingham, Stockport and Greater Manchester. The expansion coincides with a milestone for Radio Maria – its fifth anniversary in England – and follows a recent Mariathon fundraising event which raised over ?40,000 To mark the occasion, the station will host a Mass of Thanksgiving at St John the Baptist Cathedral in Norwich on Wednesday 23rd October at 10am. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Peter Collins, Bishop of the Diocese of East Anglia, alongside Fr Toby Lees OP, Priest Director of Radio Maria in England. Pierre Petrou, Head of Operations for Radio Maria in England said: “The expansion into these areas is a significant milestone for Radio Maria in this country. We are excited to bring our programming to more people across East Anglia, helping them deepen their faith and stay connected with the Christian community. “Our listeners and supporters have been instrumental in making this growth possible and we are deeply grateful for their generosity and dedication. As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, we look forward to continuing our mission to inspire, educate and bring people together through the power of faith-based broadcasting.” Steve Potter, East Anglian SSDAB multiplex operator added, “I’m excited to welcome Radio Maria to the Peterborough, Norwich and King’s Lynn multiplexes. By utilising the latest in digital radio technology, we make a diverse range of programme services available to these areas, ensuring that more people can easily tune in and connect with inspiring, uplifting and nourishing content.” https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/10/radio-maria-expands-into-peterborough-norwich-and-kings-lynn-on-dab/

Lyca Radio Network has expanded its reach with the launch of Lyca Radio in Leicester. The new station is a local variant of its flagship service, which went live on Friday, 11th October, just ahead of the Hindu festival of Dussehra. This new addition marks the fourth station in the Lyca Radio Network, joining Lyca Radio – Greater London, Lyca Gold – Greater London, and the newly rebranded Lyca Radio – Greater Manchester, previously known as Asian Sound Radio. Lyca Radio Leicester will feature a schedule built around programming from its London counterparts, with personalities such as Ravi Sharma, Bali Brahmbhatt, Raj Baddhan, Ruby Raza, Kajal, Radiowalli, and former Leicester MP Keith Vaz forming part of the station’s line-up. https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/10/lyca-radio-network-expands-with-the-launch-of-new-station-in-leicester/

The 12 stations expand Global’s market-leading brands, and will launch tomorrow, Thursday 12th September Global, the Media and Entertainment group, today (Wednesday 11th September) revealed the details of a record-breaking 12 brand new radio stations, the biggest single launch in UK radio history - set to go live across the UK tomorrow! The 12 stations expand Global’s market-leading brands, and will launch tomorrow, Thursday 12th September, giving listeners even more choice from Global. The brand new stations will all be available on Global Player, the official app for all of Global’s radio brands and content, as well as smart speakers, web and on smart TVs. Set to join the Global family tomorrow is an incredible line-up of brand new radio stations: Capital Anthems, Classic FM Calm, Classic FM Movies, Heart 10s, Heart Love, Heart Musicals, Radio X Chilled, Radio X 90s, Radio X 00s, Smooth 70s, Smooth 80s and Smooth Soul. Classic FM gets its first sister stations For the first time, the UK’s most popular classical music station, Classic FM, will have two brand new stations, with listeners able to escape and unwind with Classic FM Calm, while the greatest music from the biggest blockbuster films will be celebrated with Classic FM Movies. Heart: Turning up the feel good The UK’s biggest commercial radio brand, Heart, adds Heart Love, Heart Musicals and Heart 10s to its existing decades stations - Heart 70s, Heart 80s, Heart 90s and Heart 00s. Heart 10s follows the huge success of Heart’s decades stations, including Heart 80s which has a massive 1.8 million listeners, while Heart has an incredible 12.8 million listeners. Heart Love promises the biggest love songs from the biggest artists including Adele, George Michael, and Lewis Capaldi while Heart Musicals will turn up the feel good on all the biggest showstopping tunes from the greatest musicals. The songs Capital made famous Capital, the UK’s number one hit music brand, adds Capital Anthems, playing the biggest hits of a generation that Capital made famous. The station will play huge anthems made famous by Capital, from the likes of Coldplay, Calvin Harris, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and One Direction. More from Smooth Radio Smooth Radio adds three new stations. Smooth 70s, Smooth 80s and Smooth Soul join sister stations Smooth Chill, Smooth Country and Smooth Relax. Smooth 70s will enjoy music from epic acts, including Bee Gees, Elton John and ABBA while Smooth 80s will celebrate icons like Madonna, Wham! and Michael Jackson. Smooth Soul will be the very best soul music from artists including Barry White, Stevie Wonder, and Diana Ross. Get into even more Radio X music After launching the hugely successful Radio X Classic Rock last year, Radio X adds laid back indie anthems with Radio X Chilled and two decades stations - Radio X 90s and Radio X 00s. With epic tracks from mega bands of the 90s, Oasis, Nirvana, and Blur, and kings of the 00s including Arctic Monkeys, Kings Of Leon, and The Killers. James Rea, chief broadcasting and content officer at Global, said, “Global is transforming British radio with one of the largest simultaneous launches in UK history. Our new stations offer audiences unprecedented choice and we’re hugely excited about them. These new radio stations are unique and distinctive, and perfectly complement each radio brand. From Heart’s non-stop love songs to the anthems Capital made famous and the world’s greatest film music on Classic FM - there really is something for everyone, for every mood, for every moment. You can easily access all these free stations on your smart speaker, in your car, on your radio and on your phone with our app, Global Player.” Radio listening in the UK is experiencing significant growth, driven largely by digital platforms like DAB and smart speakers. According to recent RAJAR figures, a record 50 million people in the UK listen to the radio every week. Smart speaker listening now represents 17% of total radio listening, an 18% increase year-on-year. All stations will be available on your radio, on Global Player, the official a

Radio Today 8 September 2024 Another community radio station has closed due to lack of money to keep the service going. Skyline Gold, which operated for almost 20 years in Hampshire, closed down on September 6th saying its funds are now unfortunately insufficient to continue under the current circumstances. The station served the Hedge End area near Southampton on 102.5 FM, and more recently on DAB covering a wider area. A statement said: “It’s been great to be on the FM airwaves and DAB across the southern parishes and South Hampshire for so long, bringing you the best music and some of the finest programming you will find on on your radio. “All of us at Skyline have been really grateful for your warm messages and strong support shown by you, our listeners, across the years. We hope that you have enjoyed listening again to truly local radio “We would love to continue, but that is just not possible at this time. “We can add that we are looking at other possible options for the future, so hopefully, more about that news in due course. Most of all, thank you to each and every one of you for listening, who discovered the station over the years and for the involvement of all our sponsors and advertisers who stayed with us throughout pandemic and tough times. “Finally a huge thank you to all our current and former members of our presentation and support teams, who joined in with this incredible local initiative to deliver local radio.” https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/09/skyline-gold-radio-closes-down-citing-insufficient-funds

Hello all It would be good to read postings. Otherwise I wonder if anyone is reading mine. Many thanks. 73s Mike

02.09.24 With the entry into force of the new DAB+ licences for local radio stations, the offer via digital terrestrial radio has changed in several places. In addition, a number of networks have switched channels, been temporarily off air or newly put on air. The new licences, valid since 1 September, enable local radio over DAB+ across the country. For this purpose, the National Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate distributed licences to both public and commercial parties in recent months. Through 57 allotments (networks), the whole country can be covered. The number of new networks launched is still limited. This is due to several things. First, licences for commercial stations were granted only last month. In addition, all licence holders must enter into a cooperation agreement for the rollout and operation of the networks. For the rollout itself, licence holders have until September 2025. https://radiowereld.nl/dab/2024/09/nieuwe-lokale-dab-vergunningen-zorgen-voor-veranderingen-in-de-ether/

Audio and radio consultant Matt Deegan analyses the latest UK RAJAR radio audience figures: "DAB has its highest ever reach with 71.4% of the UK (that’s 36.2m people) tuning in. AM/FM is listened to by 55.3% and 29.4% consume through a smart speaker. When we look at share - the amount of listening - DAB is the largest with 42.8%, AM/FM’s hit a new low at 26.3% with DTV at 2.7%. 11.1% of listening is through a phone, the web or internet radios whilst 17% of all listening is through a smart speaker (a new high). The changing nature of consumption means DAB is pretty essential for radio stations now - if you don’t show up on that dial, the available time people can give to you is very low." https://onaudio.mattdeegan.com/p/rajar-q22024

06.08.24, In Europe, the use of DAB+ continues to increase as many countries push ahead with the roll-out of new digital radio programmes. In regions where DAB+ is already established, the variety of programmes has increased noticeably in recent months. For listeners, this means more choice and clearer digital reception. There are currently DAB and/or DAB+ radio broadcasts in 29 European countries. DAB+ has already been tested in other countries and the start of regular operation is being planned. DAB+ programmes are organised in so-called multiplexes (mux). These programme platforms bundle up to 16 offerings on one frequency, which saves energy and resources compared to FM broadcasting. https://www.dabplus.de/2024/08/06/dab-radio-in-europa-der-ueberblick/

05.08.24 Following the Luxembourg government last year publishing its "DAB+ Roadmap", it has now issued a public call for tenders for a DAB+ multiplex operator's licence. The government says: "The Minister for Radiocommunications and Radio Spectrum Management is launching a public call for applications with a view to operating and broadcasting this first national DAB+ multiplex. At the end of the selection procedure, a licence (authorisation to transmit) will be awarded to the designated candidate who will be authorised to broadcast via DAB+ and to set up and manage a multiplex." https://gouvernement.lu/fr/dossiers.gouv_smc%2Bfr%2Bdossiers%2Bdab%2Bdab.html