Bulgaria is beginning its first trials of DAB+ digital broadcasting. The country’s Communications Regulation Commission has issued a trial license to EF DIP Treiding for transmitting DAB/DAB+ radio in Sofia. Continue Reading
Thailand is slated to hear digital radio beginning in 2018. The country’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said it plans to launch digital radio next year. Continue Reading
After years of preparation and planning, Norway is slated to begin its total transition to digital radio on January 11. The country’s remaining FM stations will be shut down region by region starting at 11:11 AM. Continue Reading
Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has released the 2016 edition of its digital radio report. Digital radio was responsible for 45.5% of total listening hours in Q3 2016. In some local areas, it has surpassed half of listening time. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: Wrap-up from the WorldDAB conference; a connected car report for automakers; touring Pandora’s Minneapolis office. Continue Reading
WorldDAB has released new statistics about the state of DAB adoption worldwide as of Q2 2016. Across the covered European and APAC markets, nearly 50 million consumer and automotive DAB receivers have been sold. The accompanying infographic breaks out sales by the top nations, with several other details about the digital radio transition. Continue Reading
DAB and DAB+ receivers are making further inroads into car manufacturers. The majority of new cars sold in the UK, Norway, and Switzerland are now equipped with the digital radio receivers. Patrick Hannon, president of WorldDAB, said 82% of new cars in the UK have DAB as standard, followed by 73% in Norway and 65% in Switzerland. Continue Reading
DAB+ has an audience of 3.52 million listeners in Australia’s five metropolitan capitals, according to data from GfK. Just over a quarter (26.3% of Australians listened to DAB+ digital radio in the first three radio survey periods of the year. Continue Reading
Several European nations have reported developments in adoption of DAB and DAB+ in cars. Growing percentages of new car models come equipped with digital radio receivers across Europe, particularly in the UK, Norway, and Switzerland. Continue Reading
WorldDAB announced the formation of a new group centered on cars. The Automotive User Experience Group will focus on improving the use of in-car DAB radios and understanding the effect of future trends with the technology. Continue Reading
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which advocates for digital radio transmission and tracks its progress, has released Market Insights: Digital Radio 2016. The report summarizes policy, technology, highlight content offerings, and the roll-out progress across 21 regions. Continue Reading
The LG Stylus 2, the first smartphone with built-in DAB+ technology, has launched in the UK and Australia. It retails for £219.99 in the UK and A$499 in Australia. The digital radio smartphone debuted at Radiodays Europe. Continue Reading