Smartphone World Embraces FM, Leaving DAB Behind

LG is enabling the FM radio chip built in to its future smartphones.
Smartphones are pretty impressive little devices, but there is one feature that has evaded several of them over the years — FM radio. Of course, that is not because of a lack of hardware — in fact, all smartphones actually have FM radios built right into them, but not too many manufacturers actually enable them. LG is changing that, through a partnership with NextRadio. Meanwhile the world's only smartphone with DAB+ is not the success hoped for.

World’s Largest Digital Radio System Will Reach One Billion

Massive Indian radio deployment with additional six high power DRM-enabled transmitters.
Nautel Limited has shipped six additional high-power DRM-enabled Medium Wave transmitters for deployment at All India Radio, the largest digital broadcasting system in the world. Four 100 kW NX100 and two 200 kW NX200 transmitters were shipped to India in July 2017 for installation in six cities.

New Medium Wave Radio Facility Covers an Island Nation

AM the most resilient system to severe weather patterns.
Fijians in all islands can now tune in to the recently installed and clearer AM (Medium wave) broadcast on two main radio stations. Through this upgrade Fiji had now achieved a 100 per cent coverage for all outer islands. The new transmission $15 million facility is managed by Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and funded by the government of Japan will air programmes on both Radio Fiji One and Gold stations.

Demands For a Review of the Political Decisions Regarding DAB in Norway

A DAB lobby is accused of setting the political agenda and providing all the facts
As NRK switches off their FM transmitters by the regions, citizens resistance to DAB +

switchover has increased. An increasing number of people question the ten year decision-making process that led the politicians to the internationally unique decision to close the FM network. The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has now received a request for review of the parliament (Stortinget) decision on the FM closure.

New Licenses for Commercial FM Radio in Sweden

Retainment of FM signals end of DAB hopes
All present 103 licenses to broadcast commercial FM radio expires on 31 July 2018. It is now possible to apply for new licenses at the Swedish media authority for an upcoming 8 years license period (1 August 2018–31 July 2026). Three national broadcasting licenses and 35 regional/local licenses in 21 regional broadcasting areas are announced.

World's Fastest Mobile Network Marginalize DAB Radio

Increased space for radio and television in mobile networks in Norway.
According to statistics from Ookla, Norway has now the world's fastest mobile network. After hard competition between operators Norway has gone from 11th place to first place in one year. The average data rate on mobile has increased by 69% and now stands at 52.6 megabits per second. - Telenor, Telia and Ice.net have recently invested billions in the development of their 4G/LTE networks reaching all Norwegians. Moreover, the geographical coverage is better than for terrestrial radio as DAB+.

Next Month DAB Radio in Hong Kong is All Gone

A digital terrestrial radio project became a seven year fiasco.
Public broadcaster RTHK will formally pull the plug on final digital radio services on September 3. Its analogue FM radio service will remain. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a press release However, the retreat of the three commercial DAB operators in a short period of time due to difficulties in their operation and the lack of a critical mass of audience demonstrated the exhaustion of interest in the services.

Medium Waves Returning to Denmark

Analogue radio is still the backbone for terrestrial broadcasting.
Three new AM radio stations are due to launch in Copenhagen on medium wave within the next couple of months. No on air date has been decided yet. The stations NB24, World Music Radio and Radio 208 will be broadcasting on 846 kHz (300 W), 927 kHz (300 W) and 1440 kHz (power not yet confirmed). Two of the stations will be music based and the third station will be all talk according to Stig Hartvig Nielsen. - - The digital radio switch to DAB+ will make a lot of incompatible DAB receivers obolete. Some listeners might shift to their old receivers with AM and FM rather than upgrade to DAB+

Two Out of Three Norwegians Are Dissatisfied With DAB Radio

"3 out of 5 slaughter DAB"

Popular resistance to FM closure bids for upcoming political problems.  
As the first and still only country in the world Norway is trying to replace FM radio with DAB+ by forcing the listeners over to this technology. This might end up as an embarrasing mistake by the politicians.
According to a survey commissioned by the newspaper Dagbladet, as many as 60 percent of the radio listeners are not satisfied with the transition to DAB. 16 percent said they do not know what they like about the transition, while 24 percent are satisfied. Dissatisfaction is widely distributed across the country. Also in areas where public broadcaster NRK has not yet closed the FM transmitters.

Spotify Now With 60 million Subscribers Worldwide

Apple is outpaced. Broadcasters should beware of a changing music consumer pattern.
The Swedish company Spotify has added 20 million paid subscribers in less than a year, while it’s taken Apple Music more than a year and a half to make that progress. Spotify now has 60 million subscribers, compared to Apple Music’s 27 million. Together with the ad-supporter free service the total listening base for Spotify worldwide now is 140 million.