FM and DAB Should Operate Side by Side

UK commercial radio debating the future of radio

At the Westminster Forum on the future of the UK radio industry DAB lobby organisation Digital Radio UK’s Ford Ennals said that radio should be united for a digital future, with more choice and national and local coverage buildout. The future for radio is digital but it is also collaborative. Big and small, local and national working together to ensure radio does remain competitive and relevant in a multiplatform digital age.

However, Phil Riley, the founder of UK commercial radio group Orion Media, said a radical new approach should be adopted embracing a “multi-platform world”, in which FM/AM and DAB operate side by side for at least the next decade. Phil calls on the Government to delay the “Flawed” switchover policy.

Kiss FM leaves the nationwide DAB + multiplex in Germany

Private radio cannot go DAB without official funding 

The nation-wide distribution of the Berlin private radio stations Kiss FM on the national DAB+ network is terminated prematurely on March 31 2014. Kiss FM will continue broadcasting on VHF (FM), cable and on the Internet and mobile applications the company FOM GmbH & Co. KG announced.

EBU Shocked By Swedish UHF Band Decision

The EBU today expressed serious concern at a Swedish government decision to reallocate the 700 MHz spectrum band to "other forms of use" from 2017, since such a fast switchover will jeopardize the integrity of television services in Sweden. Television will now have to partly return to the VHF Band III, which is also utilized by DAB radio. 

Swedish Television To Leave Upper UHF Band

Mobile Broadband taking over. DAB Radio to share the 200 MHz band with terrestrial digital television.

The Swedish government today decided that the UHF frequency band 694-790 MHz should be assigned solely to mobile communications from 2017.
Broadcasters now have three years to migrate from this space to 470-694 MHz and also coming back to the VHF band III 174-240 MHz.

DRM+ In New Multi-standard Receiver Chip

Advanced Digital Radio Receiver Chip For A Global Market

The israeli company Siano, today announced the launch of SMS2160, a new multi-standard digital radio receiver chip designed for automotive and portable/mobile consumer electronics applications. SMS2160 is the world’s most versatile digital radio IC to support T-DMB/DAB/DAB+, DRM+ and FM Radio, including RDS/TMC. 

First Broadcast in Sweden with New Digital Radio Technology

DRM+ Enables Digitalization in the FM Band

Today the first transmissions with the new digital radio system DRM+ went on-air in the Stockholm region. The test trial is run with a DRM+ transmitter on the 97.0 MHz FM band with a power of 500 Watts. The first six months test trials are made in consultation with the Post- and Telecom Authority in Sweden (PTS).