The domestic digital audio market has seen significant numbers after the first month of live operation of the RadioHub.cz portal. The platform, backed by the digital broadcasting operator Fiera touch, recorded over 104,000 player plays between April 2nd and May 6th. The project was created as a comprehensive hub to complement the DAB+ ecosystem and offer listeners centralized access to content.
Pavel Hájek, a representative of Fiera touch, discusses operational details, technological background, and synergy with digital broadcasting in the following interview.
RadioHub.cz has completed its first month of live operation. What are your immediate impressions from the initial statistics?
We are very satisfied with the results. Our data shows that between April 2nd and May 6th, we achieved 104,297 player plays and served almost 28,000 unique users. The total time listeners spent with digital broadcasting reached 4,336 hours. These numbers confirm that the project makes sense and users have quickly found their way to it.
What was the main impetus for launching such a hub?
“We wanted to create a platform that would connect the world of traditional broadcasting with digital technologies and offer listeners easy access to content in one place.”
It was important for us to perceive RadioHub as a strategic complement to terrestrial digital DAB+ broadcasting. It is a tool that expands the possibilities of audio consumption where the user prefers an internet connection but still wants to have access to their favorite DAB+ stations and purely online streams.
What is the current content offering and what attracts listeners the most?
Currently, within the web and PWA application, we bring together 39 online radio stations and 13 podcast programs. The offer is wide—from nationwide stations to community projects. In terms of interest, we are pleased with the success of EDU Rádio, which remains at the top. This is followed by RETRO DJ Rádio, ZUN Rádio, and Rádio ENERGIC. As for genres, Pop dominates with 22,207 plays, but surprisingly, News took second place. This confirms that people are looking for not only music but also relevant information.
Did you notice any other trends in the data?
Certainly, it's the geographical distribution. Although 85% of users are domestic audiences, RadioHub was tuned in by people in a total of seven European countries. The Slovak audience is very strong, as is the Czech diaspora in Great Britain. From the perspective of regions in the Czech Republic, Prague and Vysočina lead, but it is interesting that London also made it into the statistics among regions due to the strong interest of compatriots abroad.
Technological add-ons are also part of the platform. What do you focus on?
It's not just a simple player. We have implemented features such as MoodPicker for selecting music according to mood or personalized recommendations using artificial intelligence. As a DAB+ operator, we also emphasize accompanying services—on the website, users will find a guide to digital broadcasting and information about DAB+ radio reception. For other operators, we have prepared a "My Own Radio" section, which allows easy integration of new entities into our network.