Local Flemish stations to get access to DAB+

Pending the final decision of the Vlaamse Regulator voor de Media — the Flemish media regulatory body — some 60 Flemish local stations will broadcast on DAB+ in early 2022, as part of local DAB+ trials.

Last October, the VRM announced that local radio stations could enter a DAB+ trial project on five dedicated DAB+ multiplexes and gave Dec. 1, 2021, as the deadline for local broadcasters to conclude the necessary agreements, with the plan to start broadcasting from February 2022.

Each of the five Flemish provinces will have three transmitter sites, each with a maximum output power of 1 kW ERP. Each provincial cluster of local stations has selected an operator. Broadcast Partners (through On Tower Netherlands), TVV Sound Project, Aircast and Wireless Belgium are involved in the rollout of the local DAB+ multiplexes.

A spokesman from the VRM told RedTech the following: “No final decisions have been taken. Pending the limitations and considering the signal output protection of other radio stations, based on the calculations of the broadcast license department, we hope to get the results by the end of January. A final double-check will then reveal which stations can go ahead on DAB+.”