FCC Chairman Encourages Activation of FM Radio in Your iPhone

Pressure is mounting on Apple to follow Android platforms
The new FCC chairman Ajit Pai has advocated for the activation of FM radio receivers built into nearly every smartphone, as part of opening remarks he made at the Future of Radio and Audio Symposium in Washington DC. Pai cited the NAB study that found only 44% of the top-selling smartphones in the United States had activated FM receivers as of last year. The vast majority—94%—of the non-activated smartphones are iPhones, according to the study.

Dutch Go for Digital Radio, But Not for DAB

Lack of consumer demand might kill DAB+ in the Netherlands
The government’s multi-million euro campaign to get people to switch to DAB is failing, according to public broadcaster Nos. Radio sellers and car dealers report few people switching to the DAB+ system, even though the government wants everyone to have made the change by 2017. Economic affairs minister Henk Kamp wants to increase competition between broadcasters and says there is more room for new players using DAB+ to replace FM. But Internet seems to be the stumbling block.

British Broadcast Provider Up For Sale

Declining on-air broadcasting market and debt pile possible sales factors
Arqiva responsible for the UK's television and radio transmitter towers, four Freeview multiplexes and numerous DAB multiplexes is up for sale. Its chief executive, telecoms industry veteran Simon Beresford-Wylie, is targeting growth in the mobile market as revenues from broadcasting are in long, slow decline. Today the company has a near monopoly over UK transmission towers.

FM Radio Now Activated in Half of Smartphones Sold in the U.S.

Broadcasters and authorities demand operators to activate new smartphones
Commercial broadcasters research unit PILOT has observed the activation of FM reception capabilities in popular smartphones since 2012, and has reported its findings throughout the period.Then the percentage of smartphones with FM reception capability was in the single digits. Now however, an important milestone has been reached. In the third quarter of 2016, the number of top-selling smartphones sold with FM reception capability enabled by at least one carrier has for the first time matched those sold without FM capability. 

British military to end national DAB transmissions

BFBS will continue on FM, satellite and online.
Forces radio station BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) will come off the national digital radio multiplex Digital One in March after carrying out analysis over the costs. The station says to RadioToday that it can no longer justify the cost of the platform, but the radio service will continue as normal with no job losses.

Start of FM Switch-off in Norway Reveals DAB Vulnerability

Norwegian government close to a national broadcasting failure.
In the balance before February 8: Trøndelag and Geneva.
After starting the switch-off of FM transmitters for nationwide radio in Nordland county January 11 many listeners had sparse or no DAB reception at all. Quite different from what the public service broadcaster NRK has promised. There are strong indications that DAB will not be complete and sufficient replacement for FM. Now the government has to decide upon a switch-off postponement for the rest of the country. But the official picture of the switch-off is still bright with pomp and circumstance.