First Wide-scale 700MHz LTE Broadcast Trial Launched

Will broadband operators become also broadcasters?

Nokia Networks (Finland) has announced what it says will be the world’s first field trial of wide-area LTE Broadcast technology, using a single LTE frequency within the UHF spectrum in Munich, Germany. This technology can be used both for radio and for television.

The single frequency network (SFN)-based trial will see all base stations use exactly the same frequency to transmit TV content, which maximises the number of simultaneous TV channels broadcast over a large geographical area in a given amount of spectrum. The use of LTE Broadcast will enable users to watch TV without eating into their mobile data plan and will be independent of network load. 

DAB Radio Listening Share Stays Flat in the UK

FM radio is losing to online listening, but not to DAB.

Digital radio listening share remains flat at 36.8% year on year with listening hours for Q2 2014 with 378 million hours being listened to in an average week. DAB radio has a share of 65% of all digital  hours (24% of total hours). Listening via DTV (Digital Television) represents 13% (5% of total) and Online 17% (6% of total) of all digital listening hours according to the Rajar report.

Norway Might Reconsider FM Radio Closure

Local radio wants to keep FM. Few cars have DAB radio.

The much toted introduction of DAB radio in Norway is not yet succesfull. The FM network is planned to be closed for public service and major commercial radio stations 2017-19 but still only 12 percent of the cars are equipped for DAB+. Also there is a fierce resistance from the local radio sphere which do not want to leave FM for DAB+. The future fate of 16 million FM-receivers is still unknown.

The Departement of Culture is presently working on a proposition to the parliament - Stortinget - about the continued DAB developments which was decided on 2011. One of the two parties in the conservative coalition government - the Progressive Party (Frp) - which also is in charge of the Finance Departement - will propose that the decision to close down the FM network should be reconsidered. Today, Norway is the only country in the world with a set closure date for FM.

Rapid development for British community radio

The new Community radio was introduced in the United Kingdom 2005. Since then 294 licensees have been granted in three rounds based on a total of 507 applications from all parts of the country.  222 stations are on air today. Most are on FM , but six are broadcasting on AM (Medium wave).
Read the full listing.   

First South African Digital Radio on Medium Waves

The first DRM transmission in South Africa is on air from July 1. Radio Pulpit is starting a trial on 1440 kHz broadcasting using a 25kW transmitter (and broadcasting 10kW DRM30) using a low profile antenna. The broadcast, with up to two programs and eventually all the extra features, will cover greater Pretoria and parts of Johannesburg. 

First Global Online Radio Awards

Mixcloud, a leading global online platform for on-demand radio, and International Radio Festival (IRF) are calling for submissions for the first annual Mixcloud & IRF Online Radio Awards in Zurich 3-6 September 2014. 
Anyone, anywhere in the world, will be able to nominate a show or a station simply by filling in a form at www.mixcloud.com/onlineradioawards