SiriusXM, a leading audio entertainment company in North America, announced today its plans to hire approximately 200 employees over the next few years in Ireland, an expansion supported by the Irish government through IDA Ireland. The announcement coincides with the grand opening of the company’s new Technology Centre in Dublin, held yesterday at the Centre’s new state-of-the-art office space, which included a panel discussion and networking opportunities for potential new hires.
[CnaM.ie 27.03.2025]Coimisiún na Meán is today announcing its support for a new DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) trial, set to begin in April of this year. The trial will expand the diversity of services available for Irish audiences and test DAB+ technology, providing an opportunity to explore its potential benefits for broadcasters and listeners.
The trial will operate for one year and is part of Coimisiún na Meán’s commitment to a modern, diverse and sustainable media landscape for Ireland.
Speaking at the Radio Days Conference in Dublin today, Coimisiún na Meán’s Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner, Aoife MacEvilly said: “By supporting this innovative new DAB+ trial and facilitating the broadcast of new digital services for Irish audiences, Coimisiún na Meán continues to demonstrate our strong commitment to pluralism and diversity on Irish radio.”
An Coimisiún has approved content provision contracts for this trial, ensuring the availability of a diverse and varied mix of voices, opinions, and sources of news and current affairs, as well as music programming. This trial will broaden listener choice, encourage creativity and innovation and boost the growth and sustainability of the broadcasting sector. It will also support increased representation and inclusivity, as well as foster a more dynamic and diverse media ecosystem.
Coimisiún na Meán will be working with the service providers to facilitate the new services through the awarding of content provision contracts. The DAB trial will facilitate a simulcast of existing radio services while also allowing a variety of new services such as niche and era-specific music services and new speech programming covering various genres such as social affairs, sports, youth-targeted topics and children’s entertainment.
The new trial will be operated by FáilteDAB who were issued a trial licence by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg.
[DAB.IE 26.03.2025]
Wireless Ireland and urbanmedia become Onic. They will offer the following stations on DAB from April.
"More choice from Onic's exclusive stations playing non-stop music." Coming soon online and on DAB+!
[DAB.IE 24.03.2025]
RTÉ digital stations returned to Vodafone TV platform after a good number of months off platform.
RTÉ Jr. was the longest off at about 9 months. On return the RTÉ Radio 1 Extra schedule is reduced to 13:00-23:59.
[EnriqueDans.com 10.02.2025]Why has Spain largely failed to adopt digital audio broadcasting?
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Spain followed the lead of the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway in moving toward DAB. But while those countries established legal frameworks, timeframes, progressive coverage and awareness campaigns, Spain remained stuck in an experimental phase, mainly due to the lack of a clear roadmap from successive governments, along with the absence of incentives for broadcasters to migrate to a digital environment.
podcast #AIgenerated
Beyond conspiracy theories, reality seems to point to a context in which the absence of a strategic vision, the conformism of a market well served by FM and the strength of online radio make up a panorama where DAB remains permanently in “pilot mode”. If we add to this erratic regulation, a population that does not see the added value of digital terrestrial radio and broadcasters unwilling to take risks, it’s pretty clear why we are where we are.
[SDR Play 23.02.2025]
It's been a while since I was able to test DAB on SDR as there is no reliable DAB in Ireland. Last I tested, it was the FreeDAB service and before that the RTE DAB Trials. Is 1 Meter above ground level. In doors. Near a window. With a telescopic whip up. Is that the standard reception use case?
As I have always found that regulated trials were shy of power to get signal into a domestic settings. Which reminds me of a DAB conference in Belfast that I attended. Inside the Europa Hotel. No DAB signal. And there were muxes serving the city. If trials are going to be successful they will need power, as the transmission characteristics are not super helpful on DAB. Power is the way to make sure that user experience is not a pile of bubbling mud.
[WorldDAB 22.01.2025]
An update on DAB rollout around the world.
[YouTube 02.02.2025]
How is the FM switch off going in Switzerland (pop. 9 million). On the plus side, Swiss flag does sport the + in dab+.
[YouTube 22.02.2025]
Dutch DAB is growing the network fast
Behind the scenes of Radio 4 Brainport engineering efforts: Radio 4 Brainport is available on the DAB+ digital radio platform in the Eindhoven region. Digital radio broadcasts can experience interruptions if the direct line-of-sight signal is obstructed by tall buildings. To address this, we utilize two transmitter sites that broadcast the exact same signal. The chances of both transmission paths being blocked simultaneously are quite low. However, the challenge is to prevent the simultaneous reception of these two identical signals from causing wave cancellation effects. Jean-Paul Linnartz explains how DAB+ modulation cope with this.
[from dab.ie 20.02.2025] Stocks on DAB+ radios in Powercity.ie total 17 across all stores. Looking at stock of FM radios in
Powercity.ie there are in excess of 2100 FM radios. In order to tune in DAB+ radio, DAB radios will need to be upgraded. If trails are to include significant
input from listeners, then stocks of DAB+ radio will need to be available in Irish retail shops. We will monitor the public stock levels of DAB+ radio sets
at Powercity. Other retailers are available.
[from worlddab.com 19.02.2025] In February 2025, it was reported that regulator Comreg has commissioned FáilteDAB to carry out a new high-powered DAB+ trial in Dublin and surrounding areas for 12 months. The experiment, starting in April, will be operated by Foothold Communications, which owns and operates transmission towers around Ireland and currently has over 1000 radio link and broadcast systems under management. FáilteDAB says only Irish Coimisiún na Meán licensed radio operators will be allowed to participate in the trial.
Local industry news portal Radio Today reported that "Wireless Ireland is planning on launching “a suite of new digital radio services” on DAB+ this year. The new stations are set to launch in the spring, with more details announced in coming weeks. Bauer Media Audio Ireland has also confirmed it will operate services on the DAB+ trial with full details to follow."
Until 31 March 2021, national public broadcaster RTÉ operated a full-service Multiplex across a five transmitter network covering 52% of the population in the main cities.
UK-based small-scale DAB solution specialists Viamux ran a small scale DAB+ trial, in Cork, until August 2019.
[from radio.ie 18.02.2025]
There are 277 digital radio stations/streams in Ireland. 203 are https, while 74 remain http streams. 33 stations are members of Craol, Community Radio Ireland.
37 stations are Independent Radio and their spin off formats. The largest section is the internet only streams which number 203. The long tail of streaming stations in Ireland is twice the number in the UK per capita.
Tune in to the 277 stations online on the radio.ie player radio.ie/t. To hear the http and https stations use radio.ie/tune. Radio.ie DIGITAL RADIO PLAYER lists 2500+ stations in 12 countries. No adverts are inserted by the player.
[from dab.ie 18.02.2025] It is more than 17 years since Digital trails showed the reach and quality of DRM from Ireland.
Have a listen back to the quality of these DRM recordings. The tests were on 252LW with DRM from Co. Meath and the reception recordings were in Muenster, Germany and London, England.
Muenster Germany
On the map below are links to recordings of Digital Radio broadcast from Ireland August 2007. The transmission was via the RTE LW 252kHz in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) which provides a clear signal across Europe. These recordings were made near Muenster Germany.
Broadcast from Ireland received in Muenster Germany here are 4 recordings recording1recording2recording3recording4 (MP3 audio will play in an external media player and may take some time to download)
On the map below is a link to a recording of Digital Radio broadcast from Ireland August 2007. The transmission was via the RTE LW 252kHz in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) which provides a clear signal across Europe. The recording was made near Radlett North London UK. Recorded inside the M25 Radlett North London Recording 1 (MP3 audio will play in an external media player and may take some time to download)
RTÉ digital stations returned to Vodafone TV platform after a good number of months off platform.
RTÉ Jr. was the longest off at about 9 months. On return the RTÉ Radio 1 Extra schedule is reduced to 13:00-23:59.
