Counting the days until Christmas with RadioReporter’s Advent Calendar

Happy 1st of December! Let’s bring the Christmas time on.

For this years anticipation to Christmas the RadioReporter community has created a special surprise for you! We have collected our favourite radio stations and put them in an online Advent Calendar for you.

We proudly present the RadioReporter Advent Calendar. Stay curious and explore a new radio station every day until Christmas. We hope you enjoy our special selection and share it with your loved ones.

Advent Calendar online 2020
RadioReporter Advent Calendar 2020
Source

What is the advent time and an advent calendar?

The advent time is a Christian tradition and spans over the period before Christmas. It covers the four Sundays before the Christmas Eve (24th December), starting with the Sunday closest to 30th November, the feast day of Saint Andrew the Apostle.

In the late 1800s the tradition of counting down the days til Christmas started in form of lighting candles or marking the days with chalk. “The first printed Advent calendar originated in Germany in the early 20th century with Gerhard Lang. When Gerhard was a little boy his mother made him a calendar with 24 small candies attached to cardboard, one for each day before Christmas.” (Source)

For more encyclopaedic information click here.

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The radio that aired the earthquake

AGI (Agenzia Giornalistica Italia), in a short commemorative service, quoted the small television station in Campania that unconsciously sent live the thunderbolts of the 1980 Irpinia earthquake
Source

Witnesses to history, tragic events, revolutions, and… even earthquakes. Like Radio Alfa 102, a small radio station in Avellino that forty years ago, on 23 November 1980, broadcast live the roar of the earthquake that devastated Irpinia. It happened by chance: during a live recording of folk music, at 7.34 p.m., the microphone picked up the deep and impressive roar caused by the collapses of the quakes. The earthquake, of magnitude 6.9 (the strongest in the last hundred years), devastated the Apennine territory on the border between Campania and Basilicata, razing entire villages to the ground and causing almost 3,000 victims and 280,000 displaced people.

The audio of the earthquake, the only one we know of, has been published on YouTube. The noise that can be heard under the music is also due to the recording head that oscillated on the tape due to the vibrations.
Source
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UK: How much energy is consumed to transmit and listen to BBC radios?

Is analog FM more energy efficient than Dab? Does it consume more electricity to transmit or receive programs? In the UK now have the answers
Is analog FM more energy efficient than DAB? Does it consume more electricity to transmit or receive programs? In the UK they now have the answers
Source

In a study by the British public broadcaster, the energy impact of radio broadcasts on all bands was calculated: Medium Waves, FM, DAB and digital terrestrial TV. In addition to the consumption to produce the programs and distribute them on the different platforms, the research also estimated those to listen to them, then linking them (for each medium) with the hours of listening, to quantify the hourly energy consumption. This highlighted the key points where to concentrate efforts to reduce the energy footprint.

A similar study on the impact of television was published in September can be read here
A similar study on the impact of television was published in September 2020 and can be read here
Source

BBC radio attracts over 30 million listeners in the UK every week through live stations, podcasts and other on-demand content. Unlike TV, which completed the digital switchover in 2012, the BBC still provides analogue radio services that continue to make up a considerable portion of the audience. While broadcasters are discussing whether radio should switch to digital, the media industry has been studying the possibility of migrating to distribution exclusively over the Internet. Both of these approaches would have inevitable environmental impacts that have yet to be quantified. The research then assesses the effect that a digital radio switchover or a transition to IP-only services could have on energy consumption, and addresses also alternative scenarios.

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Spain: Digital radio sunk by socialists

The article of Panorama Audivisual dedicated an in-depth analysis to the rejection of the bill "Urgent measures for the promotion of digital terrestrial sound broadcasting" which took place on November 4
The article of Panorama Audivisual dedicated an in-depth analysis to the rejection of the bill “Urgent measures for the promotion of digital terrestrial sound broadcasting” which took place on November 4th, 2020
Source

If in 2018 it was the PP (Partido Popular) that sank DAB, it now was the Socialists of the PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) who rejected the bill presented by Compromís, a political coalition from Valencia, to the Senate. The spokesman in the Senate of the Valencian political coalition, Carles Mulet Garcia, points out that from next December in Spain all cars will have digital radio (as required by European regulations) but that owners will not be able to receive programs, turning the nation into “a technological island of Europe”. In Spain the technical plan for the development of digital radio was launched in 1999. It foresaw the coverage of 80% of the population in 2005, then reduced to 20% in 2011. Today listening is limited to Madrid and Barcelona, although there are unauthorized transmissions on the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands.

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The DABLIST app – a global directory of Digital Audio Broadcast

DAB has finally become very popular among broadcasters and listeners, the number of radio programs (“services”) available is continuously increasing, and so is the coverage. New cars will have to be equipped with DAB-enabled infotainment systems, and consumer radios are now available in all sizes and price ranges.

DABLIST coverage area
DABLIST coverage area
Source

With the growing number of programs and broadcast packages (“multiplexes” or “ensembles”) available, it is not always easy to keep track of “who is on air, where, and how”. Where should one look for comprehensive, up-to-date (technical) information about services, transmitters and station details?

The website of WorldDAB, the official lobby organisation for DAB, provides only generic information in their „Country information“ section. On the internet, there is a variety of lists and overviews on national level, with various levels of reliability and technical content. 

DABLIST.org brings all available sources together, and blends them with data obtained from real monitoring. Data from hundreds of receivers and monitoring systems is compiled, reviewed and amended with additional information by a team of dedicated editors. The result: An up-to-date, comprehensive directory of Digital Audio Broadcast.

The App …

… has been designed as a web app. Therefore, it does not require installation or download. Just navigate to app.dablist.org and create an icon on your desktop, on your home screen – on any current device running iOS, Android or Windows. 

DABLIST Start up
DABLIST Start up
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The start screen provides numbers of multiplexes, services and countries covered. Data is updated continuously, and the timestamp of the last update is also shown. The start screen lists all countries covered by DAB in alphabetical order. 

When clicking any country link, the App will check the users current geo-location to know in which country he is located. For the current country, he will then have immediate access to the list of multiplexes, both in channel (“block”) order and in multiplex name (“ensemble label”) order.

DABLIST country details Germany
DABLIST country details Germany
Source

To access data in other countries, the user must log in with his FMLIST account. FMLIST is the global database of radio stations and powers many web sites and solutions. If he does not have an account at FMLIST, he can register directly from the app – making sure to follow the indications of the two-step registration process. He may want to save the credentials for later use.

From the multiplex list, one can then enter into the multiplex details: These consist of a list of services with all essential data fields and details. The station logo is displayed for reference, and a rich list of URLs is provided, allowing quick access to websites, social media and streaming URLs for each service.

DABLIST Multiplex Details
DABLIST Multiplex Details
Source

The services list is followed by a transmitter list which includes all known transmitters with technical details. When clicking on the transmitter site name (“location”), it will be displayed on a map.

DABLIST Transmitter list
DABLIST Transmitter list
Source

More features are planned and will be added to the DABLIST app in due course, so stay tuned!

The DABLIST app is free for private, non-commercial use, and for broadcasters. Commercial users can obtain a license for 120 EUR/year per user (net excl. VAT). For questions, comments, suggestions, updates and commercial licensing, please contact glorenz@fmlist.org

Find DABLIST on Facebook & Twitter

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The history of radio in Belgium told by the protagonists

Article of 1982 on Radio Annick, a very well known Antwerp radio station, to which is dedicated an extensive card
Article of 1982 on Radio Annick, a very well known Antwerp radio station, to which is dedicated an extensive card
Source

Written in Dutch (well understandable with the translators of Chrome) Vrije Radio describes the history of radio in Belgium, from the dawn of radio broadcasting to the phenomenon of free radios in the 1980s to the present day. There you can find the cards of 326 radio stations, but the number is constantly increasing: only in the last week a dozen have been added. The site is born thanks to the answers of many protagonists who have worked in the radios of the past or still in activity, who have told their experiences. The stories are presented in an objective way and the site managers invite to improve them and add more details. In addition to photos and files on the radio stations you can listen to recordings of programs and announcements (all materials not protected by copyright). The site, which does not use cookies, is supported by the sister sites Archives Radios for the French-speaking channels, and The Flemish Radio Archive for the broadcasters’ logos.

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Le nuove autoradio possono far aumentare gli ascolti

ABSTRACT (ENGLISH)

FM tuners showing the logo of the broadcasters are being used in the cars. For broadcasters who manage to make the most of technology, it is an opportunity to increase ratings. But some systems rely just on RDS, which was not designed for this purpose: This can create serious image damage to a broadcaster. But to eliminate them you can turn to the experts.

L’articolo (In Italiano)

Si diffondono sulle vetture i sintonizzatori FM che mostrano il logo delle emittenti. Un’opportunità gratuita che aiuta gli editori ad aumentare la notorietà e gli ascolti. E quando il marchio non appare o è sbagliato ci si può rivolgere agli esperti

Una Classe A con il sistema multimediale MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). Presentato dalla casa tedesca al Consumer Electronic Show di Las Vegas nel 2017, usa l'intelligenza artificiale e attualmente è il sistema più evoluto
Una Classe A con il sistema multimediale MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). Presentato dalla casa tedesca al Consumer Electronic Show di Las Vegas nel 2017, usa l’intelligenza artificiale e attualmente è il sistema più evoluto
Fonte

Nel 2013 sono apparse le prime autoradio che consentono di scegliere la stazione preferita in FM cliccando sui logo visualizzati sullo schermo. La funzione, ispirata dai sintonizzatori Dab (che mostrano i marchi delle radio ricevibili), rende l’impianto multimediale più accattivante e aumenta la sicurezza di guida, perché al conducente basta un colpo d’occhio per individuare la stazione preferita, e non è obbligato a distogliere lo sguardo dalla strada per leggere dall’RDS che radio ha sintonizzato.

Nel sistema multimediale della Volkswagen Golf il logo resta visualizzato sulla destra della mappa del navigatore insieme ad altri comandi audio e per il telefono
Nel sistema multimediale della Volkswagen Golf il logo viene visualizzato a destra della mappa insieme ad altri comandi audio e per il telefono
Fonte

Questa innovazione dà un vantaggio non indifferente agli editori, perché offre gratuitamente la possibilità di diffondere il proprio marchio e di farlo riconoscere (la brand awareness, uno degli indicatori che misurano il successo di un’azienda). Se il marchio è ben progettato, infatti, è facilmente riconoscibile e viene memorizzato con facilità. E se poi è accattivante, può attrarre l’attenzione e consentire di intercettare nuovi ascoltatori.

Un’immagine ad hoc per ogni sistema

Per sintonizzare una stazione si clicca su uno dei marchi che appaiono sullo schermo.
Per sintonizzare una stazione si clicca su uno dei marchi che appaiono sullo schermo.
Fonte

Per sfruttare al meglio queste opportunità, va tenuto conto che ogni sistema ha caratteristiche diverse, e alcuni parametri (come i colori dello sfondo) non devono essere trascurati nello studio della grafica. Occorre inoltre privilegiare la leggibilità, eliminando elementi che nelle dimensioni del piccolo schermo non risulterebbero decifrabili (come lo slogan o la frequenza, se scritte molto in piccolo). Meglio optare per un simbolo grafico o un disegno, purché stilizzato e ben riconoscibile.

E se il logo non appare?

L'autoradio mostra solo l'RDS di TSN di Sondrio (Tele Sondrio News) ma non il logo, come per le altre radio
L’autoradio mostra solo l’RDS di TSN di Sondrio (Tele Sondrio News) ma non il logo, come per le altre emittenti
Fonte

Alcuni sistemi, pur essendo molto diffusi (come quelli montati sulle vetture del gruppo Volkswagen, che comprende le vetture Porsche, Seat, Skoda e le Audi prodotte fino al settembre del 2019), sono soggetti a dei problemi tecnici che possono penalizzare gli editori. Le anomalie in genere dipendono dal fatto che questi apparecchi non utilizzano il Gps (o appositi algoritmi, previsti negli apparati più evoluti) per evitare i conflitti tra le emittenti. Non sono rari anche gli errori dovuti all’aggiornamento del database: come quando non viene visualizzato il marchio dell’emittente o ne viene mostrato uno ormai datato.

Per chi non c’è è un serio danno d’immagine

Sintonizzando Radio Sound di Piacenza, viene visualizzato l'RDS ma appare il logo di Radio City di Paternò, località in provincia di Catania
Sintonizzando Radio Sound di Piacenza, viene visualizzato l’RDS ma appare il logo di Radio City di Paternò, località in provincia di Catania
Fonte

Ma l’anomalia più grave si verifica quando lo schermo mostra l’RDS dell’emittente abbinandolo al logo di un’altra stazione. Un problema serio, perché l’ascoltatore può essere indotto in errore: potrebbe pensare che la radio non sia ricevibile e orientare la propria scelta su un’altra. Per cercare la radio preferita e memorizzarla dovrà ricorrere alla sintonia manuale della frequenza, e comunque vedrà sempre il marchio di una radio concorrente al posto di quella che ha scelto. Questa incompatibilità si può eliminare, ma non può prescindere da un’analisi preventiva dei database della vettura dove si verifica per individuarne la causa e le soluzioni.

Il supporto degli esperti

Sulla piattaforma Etermin sono disponibili le varie tipologie di servizi offerti per risolvere i problemi con i logo
Sulla piattaforma Etermin sono disponibili le varie tipologie di servizi offerti per risolvere i problemi con i logo
Fonte

Per eliminare le incompatibilità ci si può rivolgere a un gruppo di esperti. Radio Data Center, società tedesca leader nel settore, con otto marchi automobilistici supportati, su richiesta di diversi editori che volevano limitare i danni di immagine, ha analizzato il problema dei sistemi Volkswagen (che non assiste direttamente). Gli editori che notano dei problemi (direttamente o attraverso le segnalazioni degli ascoltatori) dei problemi, hanno la possibilità di chiedere una consulenza breve, un’analisi approfondita delle problematiche e l’individuazione delle soluzioni. Per farlo possono accedere alla piattaforma Etermin, dove è possibile prenotare ciascun servizio all’indirizzo E-Termin Radio Data Center GmbH.

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: The music of Ibiza nights lands in Dubai

From 21 October, Ibiza Global Radio broadcasting in Dubai. It replaces Pulse 95.3 station which aired Hindi classics, Bollywood hits and local and international news
From 21 October, Ibiza Global Radio broadcasting in Dubai. It replaces Pulse 95.3 which aired Hindi classics, Bollywood hits and local and international news
Source

Since 21st October 2020, on 95.3 MHz in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, you can receive Ibiza Global Radio. On the Balearic Islands, the radio station defines itself as “the soundtrack of the island“. This is the second stage of expansion abroad by a Spanish radio: the first was in Italy, where every Sunday (from 10pm to midnight), Radio Studio Più broadcasts on 70 frequencies a programme offering live links from Ibiza’s discos. The choice to expand into the Persian Gulf country is dictated by the international atmosphere of Dubai, a cosmopolitan capital that in 2019 was visited by 19 million tourists. And since the country will host the Universal Exhibition in 2021, the broadcaster’s operators expect to be interested in an avant-garde and pioneering sound like the one offered by the broadcaster.

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BOOKS: Women in radio

The volume is expected to arrive in the bookshop before Christmas. The cover price is 10 euros
The volume is expected to arrive in the bookshop before Christmas. The cover price is € 10,-
Credits

In the history of radio there have been important female figures, even if the story almost always recalls the male protagonists. Umberto Alunni, a former manager of the banking sector (he has been director of important credit institutions, but has always cultivated the passion of a collector of antique radios and a divulger) has reconstructed in the book “Le donne della radio” the biographies of ten characters. From Annie Jameson, Marconi’s mother, to the anonymous steno-typist of the steamship Lusitania, to Lisa Glauber, the only living protagonist, daughter of the owner of the Unda Radio factory. Alunni thus gives back to the female gender the role of protagonist that it deserves.

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CAMBODIA: Pupils belonging to ethnic minorities take lessons via radio

A little girl places the antenna wire on a tree to improve the reception quality of the lesson transmitted by radio.

A little girl places the antenna wire on a tree to improve the reception quality of the lesson transmitted by radio. Source

In Cambodia, about 250,000 children of school age are not educated. While universal access to primary school has increased year on year, the same is not true for ethnic minorities. So, when schools were closed due to the pandemic, the NGO Aide et Action International equipped children with portable battery-operated radios to receive educational courses, and trained them how to use them. And to allow even those who do not have electricity at home to do their homework while following the lessons in the evening, the programmes were also placed in morning time slots. Details in the Globe article.

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