Digital radio broadcasting in the Czech Republic is expanding its program offer with a new specialized project. EDU radio, a station primarily focused on education, popularization of science, and personal development, is entering the DAB+ multiplex Fiera touch. Expanding the portfolio with this type of content confirms the trend of diversification of the digital airwaves, where, alongside commercial music stations, space is being created for narrowly profiled thematic channels. EDU radio began broadcasting on April 1st on the RTI network in Prague and the Central Bohemian Region. With its entry into the Fiera touch network, the radio now covers additional regions from Vysočina, through South Bohemia to the northern part of the republic.
EDU radio targets a wide range of listeners – from students and teachers to the public interested in lifelong learning. The program scheme is dominated by interviews with personalities from the scientific community, thematic series focused on critical thinking, and programs aimed at explaining complex social topics in an understandable way. The station thus strives to combine the classic radio format with educational elements.
Radio has an enormous power not only to entertain but also to educate. We believe that EDU radio will quickly find its listeners and enrich the digital offer with content that has a real impact, says Pavel Hájek, owner of the Fiera touch multiplex, about the inclusion of the new station.
For the network operator, this is a strategic step to strengthen the offer of value-added content. The multiplex has long strived to profile itself as a platform for innovative radio projects that are harder to enforce in traditional analog FM broadcasting due to the limited capacity of the frequency spectrum.
DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) technology allows for higher sound transmission quality and supplementary data services, which is crucial for stations focused on spoken word and education. For listeners within the reach of Fiera touch network transmitters, this means access to new content without the need for an internet connection, only using a digital receiver. Fiera touch thus continues to expand its digital network, which is gradually spreading across regions not only with DAB+ broadcasting but also with the DVB-T2 multiplex.
The inclusion of EDU radio in the digital multiplex is part of a broader development in the Czech radio market, where digitalization opens the door to low-cost broadcasting for non-profit and educational organizations. This model enables the creation of stations that would hardly find economic sustainability on a commercial basis in an analog environment.