Starting this Thursday, the first DAB+ signals for Luxembourg will be transmitted from Dudelange, marking the beginning of a new digital era for radio broadcasting in the country.
Additional transmitters at Housen and Jardin Napoléon will follow in the coming days, expanding coverage across the region.
Once the first transmitter is fully configured, the affected radio stations, including RTL Today Radio, will go live in 'TEST' mode. Throughout November, the system will be monitored under real conditions to ensure optimal performance ahead of the official launch in early December.
"This has been almost four years in the making, so we're absolutely delighted to finally reach this milestone", said Sam Steen, Head of Programming at RTL Today Radio. "It's a huge moment for the station, we're excited to be in people's cars more readily and to bring listeners the best music mix in Luxembourg, alongside news, local info, and lots of big giveaways."
During this test period, short interruptions or outages may occur as engineers check the stability and redundancy of the DAB+ network. Listeners will notice that participating stations appear on their radios with the word 'TEST' next to their names, indicating that the system is still being fine-tuned. This phase is intended purely for testing purposes.
For RTL Today Radio, the move to DAB+ marks a major step forward both technically and creatively, as the station embraces its new name and identity.
"We're really delighted to be bringing RTL back to our name", said Sam, "RTL and Radio Luxembourg were famous for bringing amazing English-language radio with the best music to the masses, and with RTL Today Radio we're hoping to continue that legacy."
© RTL / Alannah Meyrath
The coming weeks will be a busy and creative time for the team, as new schedule changes, show formats, and audio/visual features are trialled ahead of the full DAB+ rollout.
"The new name means a new logo", Steen added. "And the move from being a digital-only station to DAB+ means we’re now a proper, grown-up station that deserves a grown-up logo. We’re excited to share it now, and it will be rolled out during the upcoming test phase."
What is DAB+?
DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus) is the new standard for digital radio, running alongside traditional FM. It allows for improved sound quality, a greater number of stations on a single frequency band, and stable reception even when on the move, ideal for car listening. DAB+ also supports additional on-screen information such as song titles, programme details, images, and news updates.
The official DAB+ launch for RTL Today Radio and other stations is planned for early December, when digital broadcasting will become a permanent part of Luxembourg’s radio landscape.
