April 24th
The number of separate regional ensembles that will cover German-speaking Switzerland appears to have been reduced from seven to five. From the latest
newsletter of the multiplex operator Swiss MediaCast, the previous regions of Nordschweiz, Zentralschweiz and Basel appear to have been merged into a single region - Nordschweiz. Part of this new region is already covered on Block 9A by
SMC D03 N-CH. The other regions, Bern-Fribourg, Ostschweiz, Wallis and Graubünden remain as they were. According to the newsletter, the enlarged Nordschweiz, Bern-Fribourg and Ostschweiz should be completed by the end of 2014, with the remaining two regions to follow thereafter. The same newsletter reports that most regional versions of SRF1 will be broadcast on more than one of the regional ensembles:
Region Nordschweiz: SRF1 versions Aargau-Solothurn, Basel, Zentralschweiz, Zürich-Schaffhausen and Ostschweiz
Region Ostschweiz: SRF1 versions Ostschweiz and Zürich-Schaffhausen
Region Bern-Fribourg: SRF 1 versions Bern-Freiburg-Wallis and Aargau-Solothurn
April 23rd
Severn Estuary and West Midlands Snapshots updated.
April 23rd
Digital One has
announced that it intends to bring the new Northern Ireland transmitters into service at Divis, Carnmoney Hill, Derry/Londonderry, Brougher Mountain, Strabane and Limavady in the "late summer".
April 23rd
In Italy, the multiplex operator in Südtirol (Alto Adige), RAS, has announced that the SIds of some services are changing and advised listeners to perform Auto Scans on their receivers.
April 23rd
In Germany, the Pernod-Ricard-Konzerns, owner of the alcohol brand Absolut Vodka, has begun legal proceedings against Absolut Digital GmbH & Co. KG, operator of the station Absolut Radio, with the aim of preventing the latter from using the word "Absolut". The distillers claim the use of the word leads to confusion between the brands and to possible infringement of protection against minors. The broadcaster says it will defend itself and accuses the distillers of seeking to take ownership of the German language. Were the legal action to succeed, says the broadcaster, other adjectives such as "super", "hyper" or "outstanding" would be at risk of being hijacked by branding monopolies. The broadcaster has launched a
petition to the German parliament.
April 23rd
In Italy, the three test services on Club DAB Italia, Program 01 etc, are reported to have ceased.
April 23rd
On South East Wales, the Services Absolute C Rock and Absolute Rad 60s have ceased. The broadcaster has announced that the services will also cease today on Ayr, Coventry, South East Devon and West Wiltshire.
April 22nd
In Belgium, a new service is reported to have popped up on the Block 12B ensemble RTBF DAB. Test DAB+ craxx is reported to be broadcasting at 48 kbit/s using DAB+.
April 21st
In Italy, three new services with placeholder labels, Program 01 etc, are reported to have popped up on the Block 12C ensemble Club DAB Italia.
April 18th
Swansea SW Wales Snapshot updated. Since the last Snapshot was taken, heat radio has dropped to 80 kbit/s, Mono.
April 18th
Berks & N Hants, Bristol, Cornwall, South East Devon and South East Wales Snapshots updated.
April 15th
107.6 Juice FM is now broadcasting on NE Wales W Chesh.
April 12th
In Germany, the regulator in Thüringen, the Thüringer Landesmedienanstalt (TLM), has
advertised capacity on an ensemble that the TLM intends will be operated as an MFN.
Thüringen-Ost: Block 10C
Thüringen-Mitte: Block 9C
Thüringen-Nord: Block 6A
Thüringen-Süd: Block 5B
The TLM says it does not intend to offer capacity separately on the individual frequencies.
Of these, Block 9C is already in service - from Weimar Ettersberg (5kW) and, since April 1st, from Inselsberg (5 kW).
Closing date for applications is May 1st 2013.
April 11th
In France, the regulator, the CSA, has published
details of the multiplex operators selected by broadcasters to operate 14 out of the 19 proposed new ensembles for Paris, Nice and Marseilles. In the case of the remaining five, the broadcasters had failed to reach agreement on a multiplex operator. The CSA has also announced that it will send to Parliament details of the proposal to add DAB+ to the official French standards.
April 11th
MuxCo, the operator of
NE Wales W Chesh has
announced that Juice FM will be added to the ensemble on April 15th. The Liverpool transmitter at St John's Beacon is expected to be activated on April 17th and the mutliplex will enter official service with events at Wrexham FC and at Juice in Liverpool on April 19th. Until then, the ensemble remains on test with interruptions, periods of reduced power and other effects possible.
April 10th
Czech multiplex operators České Radiokomunikace, RTI cz and TELEKO have, together with broadcasters Český rozhlas, Gama media (GAMA Radio), Lagardere Active ČR (Radio Frekvence
1), LONDA spol. (Radio Impuls), RADIO PROGLAS and SeeJay Radio, formed a DAB Forum to support and promote the industry's aims, including a firm legislative basis for digital roll-out and the allocation of spectrum in Band III. Currently around half of the population is covered by DAB, but the signals are transmitted in L-band which has inferior propagation characteristics compared with Band III.
April 10th
The Czech multiplex operator Teleko has
announced that on its ensemble
TELEKO DAB,
Radio Vaticana and the Italian services
RTL 102.5,
RTL Classic,
RTL Groove and
RTL ItalianStyle will be interrupted between April 14th and April 18th while satellite receiving equipment is replaced.
April 10th
A new service has popped up on the pilot local ensemble in Denmark, NivaaDAB. Radio FLR is broadcasting in DAB+ at 88 kbit/s. At certain times (weekday nights), the programmes of Radio FLR are also broadcast on the existing service 10FM/Country/FLR, which mirrors the time-shared FM frequency 98.2 MHz. Considering it is "just" a pilot transmission, this ensemble in Nordsjælland has filled up nicely, with twelve services being broadcast.
April 9th
Off-Topic: The director-general of the German broadcaster SWR and the mayor of Stuttgart meet today for the first direct talks about the closure of Stuttgart's famous television tower. A team of experts from the firm Halfkann-Kirchner has been engaged to recommend works necessary to permit a reopening of the tower to the public, which was ordered closed by the city at the end of March, citing concerns about fire safety. The sudden closure by the city's Green mayor has been criticised by the CDU, FDP and SPD parties in the city, and the tower's operator, SWR Media Services, is to consider possible legal action against the city and has challenged the legal basis of the closure. According to a
report in the newspaper the Stuttgarter Zeitung, the operator says it is questionable whether the mayor could simply order the tower closed.
April 9th
The UK regulator Ofcom has
approved a new service for the national commercial ensemble
D1 National. Team Rock will be a rock music station which promises less than 50% of its music during the daytime will "come from songs that have entered the UK Top 50 singles chart or can be reasonably termed as Classic Rock". The latest licensing update from Ofcom reveals that the services
Absolute R 80s and
Planet Rock will shortly reduce to Mono streams.
April 9th
In its latest monthly
licensing update, the UK regulator Ofcom quotes April 15th as an on-air date for Juice FM on
NE Wales W Chesh. This has not yet been confirmed by the multiplex operator MuxCo, who have stated that Juice FM will launch when the transmitter at St John's Beacon in Liverpool is brought into service.
April 9th
The UK regulator Ofcom has granted Digital One
permission to extend its ensemble
D1 National into Northern Ireland. In its application, Digital One proposed to use six transmitters, at Divis, Carnmoney Hill, Londonderry, Brougher Mountain, Strabane and Limavady. It is expected that these transmitters will go on air within six months.
April 8th
On the Block 11D Nordrhein-Westfalen ensemble Radio fuer NRW, the Service Domradio has switched to using DAB+ at 72 kbit/s.
April 8th
In Germany, the public-service broadcaster SWR has brought a new transmitter into service on Block 8D. Freiburg Schönberg extends coverage of SWR BW in south-west Baden-Württemberg as far as Basel and neighbouring areas of France along the Rhein valley. Outdoor coverage could possibly include the French city of Mulhouse.
April 8th
Swiss Mediacast brings a new Block 7D transmitter into service on April 9th. Zürichberg improves coverage of the second-layer ensemble SMC_D02 in and around Zürich.
April 7th
In Belgium, a fourth DAB+ test service has popped up on the Block 12B ensemble RTBF DAB. Test Premiere + is running at 64 kbit/s. The other three DAB+ services have dropped their bitrates from 80 kbit/s to match.
April 7th
In Italy, the new transmissions from Paganella on Block 12A appear to be a completely new ensemble, broadcasting national services of the public-service broadcaster RAI in DAB+ and including regional variations for Trentino and Alto Adige. The existing national mux DAB RAI continues elsewhere using "original-flavour" DAB.
April 5th
Updated listing of the pilot local ensemble in Norway, LokalDAB.no:Oslo. Six audio services are currently being broadcast - five in DAB+ and one in "original-flavour" DAB. A data sub-channel provides an MOT slideshow for Nova Digital, Nova Extra and Oslo Bass.
April 5th
In Germany, the 1.5 km Petueltunnel in München has been equipped for DAB reception. The national ensemble on Block 5C, the two Bavarian ensembles on Blocks 11D and 12D as well as the local ensemble for München on Block 11C are all broadcast. This is the third tunnel in the city to be equipped. The Brudermühl-Tunnel and the Richard-Strauss-Tunnel were equipped in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The Altstadtring-Tunnel is expected to be next in line for continuous DAB reception.
April 5th
In Italy, the public-service broadcaster RAI has brought a new transmitter at Paganella into service on Block 12A, serving Trentino.
April 4th
London 3 Snapshots corrected.
April 4th
UK TII tables updated. Addition of Northamptonshire local TXs.
April 3rd
The operator of Germany's national ensemble, Media Broadcast, has brought three transmitters into service in Bayern, Sachsen and Thüringen. Würzburg/Frankenwarte, Chemnitz/Geyer and Inselsberg are broadcasting DR Deutschland on Block 5C.
April 3rd
The public-service broadcaster for Sachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, has brought three new transmitters into service. The ensemble SACHSEN is now broadcasting in Chemnitz on Block 8D from Chemnitz/Geyer. In Leipzig the same multiplex is broadcast on Block 6C, in Dresden on Block 9C. A new transmitter has been brought into service on Block 9C. Löbau is operating in an SFN with Dresden-Wachwitz. The ensemble THUERINGEN is now broadcast on Block 9C from an additional site, Großer Inselsberg.
April 3rd
The French website BFM Business
reports that the commercial broadcaster NRJ is to contest the CSA's allocation of frequencies and capacity for digital radio. The regulator distributed frequencies and capacity last autumn to a large number of regional and independent broadcasters, despite the non-participation of the national public-service broadcaster and the vehement opposition of the largest commercial broadcasters. Now, one of the non-participants is reported to have challenged the CSA's decision as "illegal" and "precipitate" and claimed there was insufficient consultation beforehand. Given the consultations conducted by the CSA in 2005, 2006 and 2009, the CSA will likely reject the challenge, leading to further legal action.
April 2nd
The regulator in Bavaria, the Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM) has advertised capacity on the four local ensembles. In München and Nürnberg, 54 CUs (one service) are on offer on each ensemble, in Augsburg 360 CUs (six services), while in Ingolstadt 420 CUs (seven services) are available. Closing for applications to the BLM is April 25th 2013.
March 30th
Off-Topic: Stuttgart's television tower, the Stuttgarter Fernsehturm, the world's first concrete TV tower and a symbol of the city as well as a prototype for later towers built elsewhere, has been closed to the public following safety concerns. The tower was brought into service in 1956 and houses observation decks and a cafe. The sudden closure, ordered by the city on the grounds of fire safety, has been described by the broadcaster SWR as incomprehensible. The head of SWR Media Services, Siegfried Dannwolf, says the tower was renovated two years ago under constant monitoring by the city's fire department. The tower is definitely not a death-trap, he is reported as saying, referring to an utterance by the city's mayor, Fritz Kuhn. Technical discussions between the city and the broadcaster are expected to take place next week.
March 30th
The service NME Radio, which had been broadcasting an announcement loop since the station closed on March 25th, is reported to have ceased. The service had been transmitted on Berks & N Hants, Bristol, Cambridge, Essex, Norwich, Peterborough, South East Devon and South East Wales.
March 29th
The multiplex operator Club DAB Italia has brought a new transmitter into service at Plose, extending coverage of the Block 12C ensemble to Brixen/Bressanone. Another site serving Meran was brought into service at the beginning of March.
March 28th
The service BBC Northampton has popped up on HBB & Northants. The multiplex has been launched in Northamptonshire and is now being broadcast there on Block 10C.
March 25th
The service NME Radio is reported to have stopped broadcasting. The digital-only service was broadcast on Berks & N Hants, Bristol, Cambridge, Essex, Norwich, Peterborough, South East Devon and South East Wales.
March 25th
The UK regulator Ofcom has
published the responses to its
consultation on Digital One's proposal to extend coverage of the national commercial multiplex to Northern Ireland. All of the respondents supported the proposition. One response urged Digital One to consider more transmitters than proposed. Given the responses, and the fact that Ofcom has already indicated it is minded to grant the request, the extension appears certain to go ahead. Digital One proposed to bring their transmitters into service within six months of Ofcom approval.
March 25th
In Südtirol (Alto Adige), the transmitters Grödnerjoch und St. Leonhard have switched from Blocks 12A and 12D to 10B and 10D, completing the migration process. The anomaly in Mals, with a transmitter on Block 12C to avoid a clash with the Block 12D ensemble in neighbouring Graubünden, is no longer necessary and Mals has been taken out of service.
March 22nd
Service relabellings on NE Wales W Chesh:
Service 1 > Nation Radio
Service 3 > BBC Radio Wales
Service 4 > BBC Radio Cymru
Service 6 > Real Radio Wales
Service 5 unchanged.
March 20th
The first tests from Block 10C transmitters that will carry HBB & Northants in Northamptonshire have been reported. These transmissions are likely to be intermittent and to be at reduced power for periods and may take place from individual sites in turn.
March 20th
In Südtirol (Alto Adige), the transmitter Lajen is the latest to have migrated from Blocks 12A and 12D to Blocks 10B and 10D. The site serves the Grödnertal from Waidbruck as far as St. Peter.
March 18th
The French media website Radio Actu
reports that the broadcasters allocated capacity on Multiplex 1 in Paris have failed to reach agreement on the choice of multiplex operator. The website reports that the regulator will have to launch a new advertisement. The broadcasters on Multiplex 2, on the other hand, are reported to have reached a majority agreement on multiplex operator, and the other broadcasters are reported to have accepted this decision. Radio Actu reports that out of the 19 French multiplexes seeking to choose a multiplex operator, only 5 have failed.
March 18th
Commercial Radio Australia has launched what it calls a "
Regional Awareness Campaign" to support digital radio's expansion into regional areas and to seek a policy commitment from government. The campaign urges listeners to register support by signing an online petition and writing to their MP.
March 16th
On the Spanish ensemble FU-E, the Service VOCENTO is reported to be carrying the audio of Rock FM, but the label is reported to remain unchanged.
March 16th
On the Spanish ensemble MF2, the Service PUNTO RADIO (shown as ABC Audio on some receivers) is reported to be carrying the audio of Cadena 100, but the label is reported to remain unchanged.
March 16th
In Südtirol (Alto Adige), the transmitter Mut is the latest to have migrated from Blocks 12A and 12D to Blocks 10B and 10D. The site serves Bruggrafenamt and the lower Vinschagu.
March 15th
A new Block 11D transmitter has recently been brought into service in South Wales. Eglwysilan extends and improves coverage of D1 National in the Pontypridd area.
March 15th
The regulator in Bavaria, the Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien, has
authorised the migration of
MEGARADIO BAYERN from the Land-wide Block 12D ensemble
Bayern to the local ensembles
Augsburg,
Ingolstadt,
Muenchen and
Nuernberg.
March 15th
On NE Wales W Chesh, Dee on DAB is reported to have replaced Dee 106.3. There may be a new SId as well (tbc).
March 15th
On NE Wales W Chesh, Service 2 is reported to have been relabelled Dee 106.3.
March 14th
North West Snapshot updated. Replacement of DAB Guide by EPG+Slideshow (different SId) running at the higher bitrate of 24 kbit/s.
March 14th
NE Wales W Chesh Snapshot updated.
March 12th
Bradfrd&Huddersf Snapshot updated. The service Masti has ceased.
March 12th
Test transmissions of the the new ensemble for NE Wales & West Cheshire, NE Wales W Chesh, have popped up on Block 10D. Six different barker channels are currently being broadcast, labelled Service 1, etc. Being tests, the transmissions are liable to configuration changes, interruptions and periods of reduced power. Snapshot added.
March 12th
In Südtirol (Alto Adige), the transmitter at Penegal has migrated from Blocks 12A and 12D to Blocks 10B and 10D. The site serves Bozen (Bolzano), Überetsch, Unterland, Ritten, Schlerngebiet and Nonstal.
March 11th
In Südtirol (Alto Adige), the first five transmitter sites are reported to have migrated from Blocks 12A and 12D to Blocks 10B and 10D: Freienfeld, Kronplatz, Plose, St. Konstantin and Obervinschgau.
March 11th
In Switzerland, the regulator has
issued a call for expressions of interest in operating DAB/DAB+ ensembles at the language-regional, regional or local level. BAKOM says it wishes to establish whether there is a need for further frequencies for digital radio. It is particularly interested in receiving applications from non-commercial broadcasters seeking to broadcast in DAB with restricted service areas, which, as BAKOM points out, is now possible thanks to "new technologies and software solutions". This formulation is interesting as it nods towards the software-based local ensembles being operated in Denmark and Norway. It is not inconceivable that someone may already have expressed an interest in just such an operation, and BAKOM could now be issuing a general call in order to establish a level playing field.
March 11th
Stoke & Stafford listing corrected.
March 10th
The Austrian newspaper Der Standard
reports that the regulator in Austria has published its programme for the next two years but forsees no digital radio licences being issued during that period, unless a potential multiplex operator were able to lease three-quarters of the capacity on an ensemble and demonstrate a viable financial model. The public-service broadcaster ORF and the major private sector broadcasters have shown themselves to be very sceptical about DAB. The transmission provider ORS, however, has proposed a pilot transmission but this has not yet come to fruition.
March 10th
Test transmissions from the new MuxCo ensemble for NE Wales & West Cheshire are expected to begin midweek.
March 9th
Use it or lose it, Canadian broadcasters were told. At the end of last year, the Canadian spectrum regulator
rescinded the DAB Allotment Plan for the band 1452-1492 MHz (L-band). The regulator had been lobbied for spectrum in L-band by the aeronautical industry, but Industry Canada has decided not to provide a blanket allocation. Instead, the sub-band 1452-1476 has been designated for Aeronautical Mobile Telemetry, but only within a 320 km radius of Downsview (Toronto) and Mirabel (Montreal) Airports. The regulator's designation of the band as a broadcast band will remain and "future use of this band by the broadcasting service will be given full consideration when the policy for the band is revisited".
March 9th
A new service is reported to have popped up on the Czech ensemble RTI cz DAB. SeeJay Radio is reported to be broadcasting in DAB+ at 72 kbit/s.
March 6th
Snapshots of the Irish ensembles DAB Ireland Mux1, DAB Ireland Mux2 and TOTAL-DAB updated.
March 6th
In France, radio stations awarded capacity on forthcoming ensembles have formed a joint venture company that will assume the responsibility of operating the multiplexes and will be the title holder of the licences from the regulator to transmit them. RadioCoop is an initiative of SNRL, GRAM, Radio Orient, Radio Néo, Fréquences Mistral and of François Jacquin who will be responsible for administration.
March 6th
On the Danish national ensemble DR DAB1, the Service DR Ramasjang has been relabelled DR Rama / Ultra, coinciding with the launch of a new children's television service, DR Ultra.
March 6th
Norwegian Snapshots Norge Riks and Agder/Rogaland updated.
March 5th
In Italy, the public-service multiplex operator in Südtirol (Alto Adige), RAS, has announced that its Band III ensembles will migrate in the coming weeks from their present Blocks 12A and 12D to Blocks 10B and 10D respectively. Simultaneously, the L-band services currently transmitted only in Bolzano will migrate to the Band III ensembles where they will be broadcast in DAB+. Block 12D has been allocated to a new ensemble in neighbouring Trento.
March 5th
The first DAB/DAB+ transmissions have taken place in Thailand, as part of a three-day technology workshop and demonstration in Bangkok jointly organised by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Thailand, and the International Telecommunication Union.
March 5th
The UK multiplex operator MuxCo has
announced that its ensemble for Gloucestershire should begin testing in June 2013. The frequency for Herefordshire and Worcestershire has been replanned by Ofcom and that ensemble will now operate on Block 12A when it is vacated by MXR. MuxCo will take over MXR's transmitter at Bromsgrove. Test transmissions are expected to begin in September.
March 4th
Liverpool Snapshot updated. Removal of XFM.
March 2nd
Two new services have popped up on the Norwegian national ensemble Norge Riks. Klem FM is reported to be broadcasting at 56 kbit/s in DAB+. RADIO 1 is reported to be running in DAB+ at 48 kbit/s. The existing service NRJ NORGE has switched to using DAB+ at 56 kbit/s.
March 2nd
In Norway, the public-service broadcaster is conducting DAB+ tests on its national Block 12D ensemble Norge Riks. NRK DAB+ (test) is reported to be broadcasting at 80 kbit/s. Previous DAB+ transmissions in Norway have been confined to a low-power ensemble in Oslo, LokalDAB.no:Oslo.
March 2nd
Media websites in the Netherlands are
reporting that the nationwide commercial radio multiplex will launch on September 1st 2013. The ensemble will operate on Block 11C using DAB+ and the first test transmissions are expected from June. An expansion of the public-service ensemble on Block 12C is expected to coincide with the commercial launch.
March 2nd
In Italy, Aeranti-Corallo, which has previously operated pilot ensembles in Bologna and Venezia, has
announced that a new ensemble is planned in Trento. The ensemble will be operated by Digiloc s.c.a.r.l., a joint venture between Aeranti and Digital Broadcasting Trentino Alto Adige s.c.a.r.l., comprising a number of broadcasters. According to the announcement, the ensemble will operate on Block 12D, which is also in use by RAS in neighbouring Alto Adige (Südtirol).
March 2nd
In the Czech Republic, the public-service broadcaster Český Rozhlas has expanded its offering on digital radio. Three services that were previously available only online are now available on the ensemble TELEKO DAB. ČRo Rádio Junior, ČRo Jazz und ČRo Plus are broadcasting in DAB+. The latter two appear to be time-sharing a sub-channel. These additional services and an increase in the bitrates of the RTL services implies a reduction in the protection level of some of the existing services.
March 2nd
The Voice of Russia is reported to have popped up on the Block 9A Swiss regional ensemble SMC D03 N-CH, broadcasting in English in DAB+.
February 22nd
The UK government has
published minimum specifications for DAB/DAB+ receivers, both domestic and in-vehicle, which should be capable of receiving DAB
and [Wohnort's emphasis] DAB+ Digital Radio broadcasts in the frequency range 174 to 240 MHz. The government intends to introduce a tick mark to be used by manufacturers to indicate receivers that comply with the minimum spec.
February 22nd
The Belgian transmission provider Norkring België NV has
issued a call for expressions of interest in capacity on a possible commercial DAB+ ensemble covering the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium. A 15-year licence to operate an ensemble was granted by the regulator in 2010. Now, Norkring says that the launch of the ensemble will depend on the amount of capacity leased. Closing date is March 15th 2013.
February 21st
It is reported from the Netherlands that the ensemble MTVNL is currently off the air. It is not known whether this is a permanent cessation.
February 20th
On the UK ensemble D1 National, Jazz FM has switched to using half-rate sampling.
February 20th
In Denmark, a new Service has popped up on the pilot local ensemble NivaaDAB. Ishockeykanalen is broadcasting in DAB+ at 48 kbit/s.
February 19th
In Berlin/Brandenburg, a new Service is reported to have popped up on Block 7B. Jack FM is reported to be broadcasting in DAB+ at 72 kbit/s.
February 17th
A new Service has popped up in Sydney. Star Observer is a gay and lesbian service on air until March 3rd, to coincide with the 35th annual Mardi Gras.
February 17th
In Australia, a new Service Smoothfm is reported to have popped up on ensembles in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
February 17th
On the Australian ensembles DAB+ Adelaide and DAB Perth, the service NovaNation is reported to have ceased.
February 17th
In Germany, one of the services broadcasting on the national ensemble, Absolut Radio, has
published a list of new transmitters expected to be brought into operation during 2013.
| Würzburg | A3 between Frankfurt and Nürnberg |
| Chemnitz-Geye | A4 Gera-Dresden
A14 Leipzig – Dreieck Nossen
sections of the A72 between the Vogtland and Chemnitz |
| Minden-Jakobsberg | A2 Bielefeld-Hannover |
| Geislingen-Oberböhringen | A8 Stuttgart-Ulm |
| Schnepfenkopf bei Gelnhausen | A66 Frankfurt - Fulda |
| Wendelstein | large area of Ober- and Niederbayern |
February 16th
A new Band III ensemble has popped up in the Czech Republic, a significant new development in a country that until now has used L-band. Pribram is broadcasting on Block 11A. The operator Teleko is authorised to use 1 kW but the transmission is currently 150 W. The mux carries the same services as the existing L-band broadcasts.
February 14th
The new Block 10D ensemble for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, HBB & Northants, has been officially launched. Four stereo services and two mono services are being broadcast. Snapshot added. The Block 10C ensemble to cover Northants is expected to follow next month.
February 14th
The operator of the national commercial ensemble in the UK, Digital One, has applied to the regulator for an extension of its licence area to include Northern Ireland. The multiplex is currently licensed to cover only Great Britain. Under Digital One's proposals, transmitters at Divis, Carnmoney Hill, Londonderry, Brougher Mountain, Strabane and Limavady would operate on Block 11D, the same frequency as England and Wales. Ofcom has launched a public
consultation on the proposal, with a closing date of March 14th 2013.
February 12th
On Berlin/BRBG 7B, the Service pure fm dance is reported to have fallen silent.
February 12th
The regulator in Switzerland, BAKOM, has
awarded the licence to operate the forthcoming second-layer ensemble for the French-speaking region to Romandie Médias SA. The new ensemble is expected to begin broadcasting on Block 10B in the late summer with 18 radio services, two of which will be Rete Tre und SRF 4 News (in Italian and German repectively) from the public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR. Romandie Médias SA is a joint venture between private-sector broadcasters in the region, the broadcaster SRG/SSR and the transmission provider Swisscom Broadcast AG. The BAKOM website has a conceptual
map of the eventual coverage area of the new ensemble.
February 12th
The community radio station in Milton Keynes, MKFM, has
announced that it will be broadcasting on the new Herts, Beds & Bucks ensemble
HBB & Northants. Test transmissions will begin when the new ensemble is officially launched on the 14th, with MKFM beginning its own full local service at the end of April. MKFM is currently limited to broadcasting just two months each year on FM, but has applied to the regulator for a full-time licence.
February 8th
The NOW Digital website has added
coverage maps for the new ensembles in Herts, Beds & Bucks and Northants.
February 7th
HBB & Northants Snapshot added.
February 7th
Coventry and Wolv'ton & Shrop Snapshots updated. Free 80s-Cov and Free 80s-BC are now broadcasting at 80 kbit/s in mono.
February 7th
Kent Snapshot updated.
February 7th
Kiss has ceased on Bristol, Coventry and Wolv'ton & Shrop.
February 6th
On Wolv'ton & Shrop and Coventry, the Services Punjabi Radio and Sunrise Radio have ceased.
February 6th
In Italy, the German-language service for children, KiRaKa, has popped up on the Südtirol ensemble RAIRASDAB12A, RAIRASDAB12A replacing RADIOJOJO.
February 6th
In the Czech Republic, Teleko has brought a new transmitter into service on Block LG. Milesovka brings
TELEKO DAB to the Ústí region of northern Bohemia. A
coverage map is available for download.
February 6th
The latest edition of the Swiss
transmitters directory includes a separate listing of the road tunnels equipped with DAB repeaters.
February 6th
The regulator in France, the CSA, has
announced that each service awarded capacity on an ensemble should have at its disposal 104 "millièmes". According to the capacity each service considers itself to require, it shall be possible for service providers to trade capacity with other service providers on the same ensemble. The text of this CSA decision refers only to the transmission standard T-DMB.
February 6th
BBC Three Counties Radio, the local radio station for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, has
announced on Twitter that it will launch on DAB on February 14th.
February 4th
The new Block 10D ensemble HBB & Northants is currently broadcasting five services labelled D Love Radio 1 thro' D Love Radio 5, replacing Pop Up Radio. All five services are reported to be broadcasting the same audio.
February 3rd
London 2 and London 3 Snapshots updated.
February 2nd
The first signals from the new ensemble for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire are reported to have popped up on Block 10D. Initial reports suggest that just one service (appropriately) Pop Up Radio is being broadcast on an ensemble currently labelled HBB & Northants.
February 1st
Snapshot added of the pilot ensemble Btn EXperimental.
Sussex Coast Snapshot updated.
January 30th
The Bangkok Post
reports that the regulator in Thailand, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, plans to begin digital radio trials later this year. A digital radio workshop is planned for March. No system is identified in the report, although it contains a quote identifying Australia as "a good example for Thailand".
January 29th
In Stockholm, the pilot ensemble Teracom Test has migrated from Block 12D to 12C. 12D is currently the subject of tendering process for commercial licences.
January 29th
On the national Swedish ensemble SR RIKS DAB, the sub-channel used by P4 Bjallerklang over Christmas is now broadcasting P4 Melodifest, a service devoted to the Eurovision Song Contest that will continue until the May 18th Final in Malmö.
January 29th
In Hong Kong, programmes have resumed from the Digital Broadcasting Corporation after a hiatus that resulted in the station going off air and ended with the 40 percent stake owned by founder and broadcaster "Taipan" Albert Cheng King-hon along with Morris Ho Kwok-fai and Ronald Arculli going to fellow shareholder Wong Cho-bau. The Hong Kong regulator, the Communications Authority, which has already fined DBC HKD 200,000 for going off air, has
warned of "more serious sanctions" if it should happen again.
January 27th
Snapshots added of the Blocks 12B and 12C ensembles Gibraltar 1 and Gibraltar 2.
January 25th
A new service has popped up on the Block 10B pilot ensemble in the Australian capital. Canberra 100 is the territory’s Centenary Station and is a collaboration between MIX 106.3 and 104.7, Canberra FM Radio. The service will be on the air until after the official Centenary weekend celebrations conclude on March 12th.
January 25th
In Australia, a new service, X Digital, has popped up on the Block 9B ensemble DAB Perth.
January 25th
In the Czech Republic, RTI CZ has brought two new L-band transmitters into service. Klínovec on Block LJ serves Karlovy Vary, while another is operating on Block LD in České Budějovice. One service is being broadcast, Radio Proglas at 64 kbit/s in DAB+.
January 25th
The website Arcinfo
reports that the second-layer ensemble for the French-speaking region of Switzerland will launch "before the end of summer". The ensemble will be operated by a new company Romandie Médias, a joint venture between the private-sector broadcasters RJB, RTN, RFJ, GRRIF, One FM, Lausanne FM, Rhône FM, Radio Chablais, Radio Fribourg, Yes FM and Rouge FM, the transmission provider Swisscom Broadcast and the public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR.
January 24th
Birmingham, Bournemouth and South Hampshire Snapshots updated.
January 24th
Snapshot added of the new ensemble Oxfordshire.
January 21st
On Severn Estuary, the Service Nation 80s has been relabelled Nation Hits!.
January 21st
The patents relating to the "original" DAB family of standards expired on January 18th in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The patents belonged to a number of different manufacturers and were managed as a "pool" by Philips. The patents expired at different times in different markets. In Australia, Denmark, The Netherlands and a few other countries, the patents had already expired in August 2012. The removal of the costs of these licences should lead to lower prices. There remains a patent in force that applies to DAB+. This has long been the justification cited by some manufacturers for removing DAB+ from products marketed in territories such as the UK where DAB+ was not broadcast. Required for HE-AACv2 and paid to VIA Licensing, only one licence is required per receiver, and therefore an internet-capable receiver that can play HE-AACv2 streams from the internet requires no additional licence for DAB+. A manufacturer producing receivers that can play HE-AACv2 from the internet but nevertheless removes DAB+ from radio reception must have other reasons for doing so. A manufacturer that produces a DAB+ receiver that is not backwards-compatible now does so unnecessarily, if indeed the rationale for doing so was valid in the first place.
January 20th
The regulator in France, the CSA, has published
details of the composition of each of the multiplexes in Paris, Marseille and Nice. The plans speak of 7 ensembles in Paris, 6 in Marseille and 6 in Nice upon which 67 services in Paris, 54 in Marseille and 54 in Nice have been awarded capacity. The CSA has given the service providers until March 15th 2013 to notify the CSA of the companies appointed to operate their respective ensembles. Despite the high number of services awarded capacity, the public-service broadcaster Radio France and the major commercial broadcasters are not participating in these multiplexes.
January 18th
In Hong Kong, the seven services of DBC have reappeared on the Block 11C ensemble and are currently broadcasting continuous music. The Communications Authority has confirmed an application from the company to resume transmissions. The shareholders have ended legal proceedings in the High Court and DBC is effectively under new ownership without its founder, "Taipan" Albert Cheng King-hon. DBC expects to resume normal programmes on January 28th. Cheng will not be hosting any programmes as he is now involved with an internet station
D100 which has received positive feedback from listeners.
More...
January 17th
The German radio website UKWTV
reports that a new ensemble has popped up in Warsaw. The transmissions by Info–TV-Operator on behalf of public-service broadcaster Polskie Radio are reported to be on Block 12D from two transmitter sites with ERPs of 10kW and 4kW respectively. The existing Block 7B transmissions by EMITEL (2kW) continue.
January 17th
A new service is reported to have popped up on the trial Block 12A ensemble in Ireland. Love Radio is reported to be broadcasting in "original-flavour" DAB at 128 kbit/s in Joint Stereo, and at 48 kbit/s in DAB+.
January 17th
On the pilot local ensemble in Denmark, NivaaDAB, Radio 10FM has been relabelled 10FM/Country/FLR. The FM frequency 98.2 MHz that the sub-channel mirrors is now time shared between Radio 10FM and three new FM license holders: Global FM, Halsnæs Country Radio and Radio FLR. Radio FLR is reported to be planning to take a DAB+ channel fulltime in the near future.
January 13th
On D1 National, the placeholder service Retune to Smooth that was previously Smooth RadioXMAS has ceased.
January 13th
A second transmission operator is now on air in the Czech Republic. RTI CZ has brought a
transmitter into service on Block LM. Vysílač Plzeň is transmitting 2kW ERP in Plzen and currently has one service on board. Rádio Proglas is broadcasting in DAB+ at 64 kbit/s.
January 10th
Snapshot added of the Block 8A Monaco ensemble MCR. The DAB+ services reported previously have ceased. Just two services are being broadcast currently, both using DMB Radio.
January 10th
On the pilot local ensemble in Denmark, NivaaDAB, Radio Halsnaes has been relabelled Halsnaes/Stina. The sub-channel is now time-shared between Radio Halsnæs and two new license holders, Halsnæs Retro and Radio Stina, who since January 7th have shared the FM frequency 105,3 MHz.
January 9th
On D1 National, Smooth RadioXMAS has been relabelled Retune to Smooth, effectively taking down D1's Christmas decorations. In Rome, meanwhile, Vatican Radio's Christmas services, RV Natale and RV Natale + are still churning out the carols well after Twelfth Night. Is the Pope not superstitious?
January 9th
Radio Gold has popped up in DAB+ on the German ensemble Berlin/BRBG 7B.
January 9th
On London 3 and Sussex Coast, Gaydar Radio has been replaced by Gaydio. On Sussex Coast, the switch is reported to have been accompanied by an increased bitrate to 128 kbit/s in Joint Stereo.
January 8th
Snapshot of the Vatican ensemble DMB Vaticano updated. A curious reception situation exists currently in Rome. Block 7B delivers a good signal in the city centre, but a weaker, parallel transmission of the multiplex appears to exist on Block 12D. The higher frequency is strong enough to be detected and stored by a conventional portable receiver, but is usually too weak for any audio to be reproduced. A Microspot RA-318 was used to observe the behaviour of a "normal radio" in the presence of the two signals. If the reception conditions were manipulated to prevent the radio detecting 12D during its "search and store" operation, it would produce audio reliably from the 7B transmission and could switch correctly between the services. In normal use, however, without any special precautions, the receiver would store the unusable 12D versions in preference to the reliable 7B services. Thus, while Vatican Radio's 7B transmission delivers a good signal to the city centre, it is effectively being "jammed" by the signal on 12D. The origin of the 12D signal is not currently known.
January 8th
Snapshots of the Rome ensembles ClubDAB - RaiWay and CR DAB+ updated.
January 8th
Snapshot of the Italian ensemble Club DAB Italia updated.
January 8th
Snapshot of the new Block 10A Italian ensemble Trentino DAB1 added.
January 8th
Snapshot of the Südtirol (Alto Adige) ensemble RAIRASDAB12A updated.
January 8th
Bayern, BR Bayern, Muenchen and Muenchen IRT Snapshots updated.
January 5th
Two DAB+ services are reported to be being transmitted alongside other "original-flavour" DAB services on the new Block 10C ensemble in Brighton, Btn EXperimental. DAB+ was tested briefly on the Stoke & Stafford ensemble several years ago, otherwise, these are believed to be the UK's first transmissions.
January 4th
On the Block 12D ensemble Bayern, the service RT1 IN THE MIX has ceased.
January 2nd
In the Czech Republic, Teleko has brought a new transmitter into service on Block LL. Liberec - Proseč brings the ensemble TELEKO DAB to an area including Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou.
January 1st
A new ensemble is reported to be transmitting on the Sussex Coast on Block 10C. Btn EXperimental is reported to be broadcasting five audio services in "original-flavour" DAB.
Stories prior to this date are now stored on the
DAB Archives page.
The PDR300 is a DAB/DAB+ receiver with iPod/iPhone dock and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
The PDR100 is a small portable DAB/DAB+ radio.
3