2018 - summaries; 2019 - expectations

2018 is coming to be closed and 2019 to be opened. It's time to summarise 2018 in the field of European radio (not only digital) with some selected, positive is marked as green, neutral normally, and negative as red. There will be also expectations in 2019.

2018 - SUMMARY

April:
4 - In Austria digital radio broadcasting has been commenced in Vienna. Unfortunately without public ORF & commercial Kronehit due to wild & illegal boycott of DAB+.

May:
17 - RAJAR published results of listenership in the United Kingdom. Digital radio listenership has reached 50% of listenership.

June:
20 - MANIPULATION OF THE YEAR. On wirutalnemedia.pl there was critical statements from major Polish commercial broadcasters. Maciej Brzozowski, spokesperson of Bauer Media Poland claimed: "DAB+ has no future".

November:
14 - European Parliament adopted Directive on European Electronic Communications Code (2016/0288(COD)) which imposes obligation to equip digital terrestrial radio DAB+ in new cars.
15 - In Wallonia, mainly in French-speaking Community DAB+ have been launched.

December:
4 - Council of the European Union adopted unanimously
11 - Next stage of digital switchover in South Tirol (or Bolzano) by RAS. Next 22 transmitters from ORF Oe1, Radio Tirol, Hitradio Oe3 & Radio Rumantsch have been switched-off.
20 - EU directive on European Electronic Communications Code comes into force which given EU member states within 2 years to implement.

2019 - EXPECTATIONS

Year 2019 in which there will be many expectations.

1. Announcement of the start date of digital switchover in Switzerland.
2. Launch of 2nd federal multiplex in Germany.
3. Announcement of initation of concession procedure for local digital radio multiplexes in Poland. In my opinion, must be required by the development of National Strategy on Digitalization of Radio by Polish Government and National Broadcasting Council which should be required by the Supreme Chamber of Control in the beginning of 2016.