British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is going to broadcast three hours in DRM everyday from 22^nd- 26th February from 04:29:30 - 07:29:00 GMT (09:59:30 - 12:59:00 IST) on 17760 kHz. For the first time this year the broadcast will start with the daily Hindi programme followed by current affairs in English. Christian Vision Radio (CVC) will run DRM transmissions from 22^nd -24^th February from 0830-1230 UTC (2pm-6pm IST) on 17590 kHz. The programmes will be in Hindi.

All India Radio (AIR) already has a daily DRM SW broadcast from its transmitter in Khampur, Delhi. They air three hours of local transmission within India from 1430 to 1730 IST on 6100 kHz.

AIR recently placed a contract for 2 MW medium wave transmitters to BECIL (Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited). BECIL and Thomson were awarded to supply these high-power medium wave transmitters including auxiliaries, commissioning and testing. The new transmitters will replace old existing transmitters near Kolkata and Rajkot. Both transmitters are equipped with DRM and can operate on analogue, on simulcast or on full power digital with automatic change over between the 3 operation modes.

Special demos of DRM30 (meant for converting SW, MW, AM broadcasts) and DRM+ (meant for converting FM Bands I and II) will be held on the sidelines of the conference. RAC participants will be able to hear these transmissions as well as learn more about DRM and its potential at various sessions and also during the specialised DRM workshop scheduled for February 22^nd a.m.

“We are delighted that the BBC and CVC will be transmitting these special programmes for Radio Asia,” ABU Secretary-General, David Astley said. “It will enable delegates who may not be so familiar with DRM to hear first-hand the improvement in sound quality that the technology provides.”

DRM is also the principal sponsor of Radio Asia 2010 and DRM Consortium Chair, Ruxandra Obreja, expressed hope that it will be a great success, “Radio Asia is being held in India for the first time and is already shaping as a significant radio event with industry representatives having committed to attend. This will be a great occasion to showcase the tremendous potential of DRM and how it can change the future of radio broadcasting for good. We extend our thanks to broadcasters who are putting in the special DRM transmissions for this event and making it even more useful for the participants.”

> Click here to download the press release in pdf format.

The technical service for this new Disco DRM SW channel is being provided by TDP. The Disco Chanel can be heard in Europe from 1400-1500 UTC on 6015 KHz and in North America from 2000-2100 UTC on 17755 KHz. The broadcasts are coming via Issoudun to Europe and via Montsinery to the USA by TéléDiffusion de France.

Commenting on the news of a new DRM radio channel Ruxandra Obreja, Chair DRM Consortium, said “We need more and more good content on DRM from around the world. A specialist Disco music station will only delight audience and please DRM enthusiasts who like to listen to good music in great digital quality. I congratulate Disco Palace, TDP and TDF for this effort.”

> Click here to read the complete press release.

The new Megawatt transmitters can be operated in analogue, in simulcast or in DRM mode with automatic change-over between these three operational modes. The transmitters shall provide coverage to very large areas in the Indian sub-continent as well to the West, North, East and Southeast Asia.

This significant purchase was revealed at the recently concluded Broadcast Engineering Society (BES) India’s conference in New Delhi, attended by exhibitors and participants from all over the world. The need for cheaper digital radio sets and content innovation was highlighted by speakers during the event.

All India Radio has already chosen DRM as the technology for converting its vast analogue network to digital. This is part of its digital radio switchover strategy where more than 40 transmitters are to be made DRM capable in the near future. AIR is already broadcasting in DRM from one of its high-power shortwave transmitter located at Khampur near Delhi that covers an area of approximately 800 kilometre radius.

The DRM Consortium is delighted with this development which underlines the commitment made by India to new technology in general and the DRM standard in particular.

> Click here to read the press release in pdf format.

DRM German Associate Members, State Centre for Media and Communication (Landeszentrale fuer Medien und Kommunikation) and the University of Kaiserslautern are using a DRM+ transmitter with a power of 100 watts in VHF Band III (174-230 MHz) to determine whether the DRM+ system together with DAB/DAB+ are suitable for Band III.

DRM + is an enhancement to the Digital Radio Mondiale system. DRM+ has been approved by the European Standards Organisation – ETSI. DRM provides digital sound quality and the ease-of-use that comes from digital radio, combined with a wealth of enhanced features: Surround Sound, Journaline text information, Slideshow, EPG, and data services. DRM on short, medium and long wave for broadcasting bands up to 30 MHz (called 'DRM30') provides large coverage areas and low power consumption. The enhancement of the DRM standard for broadcast frequencies above 30 MHz ('DRM+') uses the same audio coding, data services, multiplexing and signaling schemes as DRM30 but introduces an additional transmission mode optimized for those bands.

The results of the DRM+ experiment will be published in spring 2010.

> Please click here to read the complete press release in German from the State Centre for Media and Communication. Or contact Mr. Detlef Pagel, Chairman of the German Platform for further information.

The event brought into focus the recent developments in the DRM technology - the standardisation of DRM+ and the publication of DRM Receiver Profiles. This conference highlighted the market potential of the DRM system and evaluated the results from its tests from various locations worldwide. It also allowed a healthy discussion on different business cases and real achievements in getting DRM receivers on the market.

Supported with excellent organisation by the EBU, the Consortium was able to highlight the achievements and challenges of the DRM technology and present its potential as the global solution for conversion of radio from analogue to digital. DRM Chairperson, Ruxandra Obreja, expressed her satisfaction at the event by saying: "I am delighted that this was an interactive event able to demonstrate the great potential and benefits of DRM. From the feedback received the interesting presentations and discussions have impressed the participants, many of whom want to know more and attend similar events dedicated to the DRM technology."

There were live demonstrations of the technology at the Conference venue. The event also provided a great opportunity for networking and exchanging views on digital radio developments in different parts of the world.

To see and hear the presentations made on that day, please visit the EBU website: http://tech.ebu.ch/events/ebu_drm09.The DRM members can access also to all the presentations and view more pictures of the event on the FTP server under /presentations/ EBU-DRM conference.

 > Click here to read the complete press release in pdf format.

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chair said “This was a most interesting and fruitful exchange of real information between Russian and DRM international experts.We hope this will give the right signal to Russian authorities, already committed to DRM, for its mass scale introduction. The presence of broadcasters, manufacturers, academics alongside the GRFC specialists underlines that there is real interest in the DRM 30 development in Russia. Digitising the FM bands is a challenge for which there are different options and I hope that through joint activities the most appropriate solution will be chosen. ”

The DRM Consortium thanks the Russian General Radio Frequency Center for organizing and hosting this symposium.

At the DRM Consortium’s annual networking event on Friday 11th September at the IBC ‘Beach’, senior members of the Consortium provided updates on recent DRM developments including the availability of commercial receivers to the large audience.

Event guests from around the world were given further updates from countries such as India and Russia where DRM30 has already been officially declared as the system of choice for digital switch-over and heard reports about the recent DRM+ test transmissions that took place in Paris. There were live demos of the complete DRM standard with its unique features including DRM+ in Surround Sound. Guests experienced the live broadcast of the BBC-DW DRM channel for Europe on Uniwave and Himalaya receivers.

Chairperson Ruxandra Obreja, expressed satisfaction at the successful event, “The DRM Consortium event welcomed over 120 guests to be present at the release of the DRM Receiver Profiles. Broadcasters, industry experts, regulators used the opportunity to obtain further information on the recently standardised DRM+ and the progress of DRM around the world. Participants told the Consortium representatives that the 3-hour event was a great success.”

With so many members attending IBC, the Consortium held its Steering Board meeting on Saturday 12^th September.

Finally there were a number of DRM Members exhibiting during IBC 2009:

• Digidia Hall 8, Booth E29
• Dolby, Hall 2 Booth B28 and Hall 2 Booth A29
• Fraunhofer at TRANSRADIO SenderSyteme Berlin AG – Hall8, Booth D30
• RFMondiale at Nautel Hall8, Booth C61
• Riz Transmitters co Hall8, Booth D24
• Nautel Hall 8, Booth C61
• Thomson Broadcast & Multimedia Hall 1, Booth D11 and Booth E02
• TRANSRADIO SenderSyteme Berlin AG Hall 8, Booth D30

The Receiver Profiles offer significant benefits to all stakeholders in the radio market; for broadcasters they provide assurance that their services will be receivable and for manufacturers that their technology investments will be supported by a wide choice of services. For consumers the Receiver Profiles ensure that the products they purchase have the necessary features to offer consistent quality and assured levels of interoperability across their region and beyond. Regulators can use the Receiver Profiles to develop strategies and policies for digital radio broadcasting within national boundaries or with reference to trans-national and harmonised markets.

The Profiles have been developed by the DRM Consortium with the aid of its member experts representing silicon chip manufacturers, consumer device manufacturers, radio broadcasters and other experts from across the industry. The development of the Receiver Profiles has taken into account important market considerations including the consumer experience, manufacturing issues and broadcaster requirements.

Lindsay Cornell, Chairman, DRM Technical Committee and BBC’s Principal Systems Architect, says: “Products conforming to the DRM Receiver Profiles will provide a step change in usability over analogue radios. The Profiles are composed of mandatory features which must be implemented and recommended features which offer enhancements with wide appeal. Manufacturers may offer additional features in order to differentiate their product from others.”

Ruxandra Obreja, Chairperson DRM and Controller Business Development, BBC World Service, says: “The DRM Consortium will actively encourage its members to adopt the DRM Digital Radio Receiver Profiles. With ETSI approval of our system enhancement to include DRM+, DRM offers a total solution for digital switch over. The Receiver Profiles should stimulate the receiver manufacturing industry paving the way for full DRM roll-out”

The DRM Receiver Profiles document can be accessed by clicking on the link below. http://www.drm.org/uploads/media/DRM_Receiver_Profiles_Final.pdf

> Click here to read the full press release.

At the DRM Consortium’s annual IBC networking event which, this year, takes place on Friday 11th September at the IBC Beach, senior members of the Consortium will make presentations on recent DRM developments including the availability of commercial receivers. Guests will hear updates from countries such as India and Russia where DRM30 has been officially declared as the system of choice for digital switch over and reports from the recent DRM+ test transmissions that took place in Paris. There will be live demos of the complete DRM standard where its unique features including Surround Sound can be experienced first hand and guests will be able to listen to the live broadcast of the BBC-DW DRM channel for Europe.

The event will also be an opportunity for industry players to network and discuss the current state of the digital radio industry worldwide. Leading figures from radio markets in Europe, South Korea, Russia and China are expected to attend.

DRM members exhibiting at IBC this year include Digidia, Fraunhofer IIS, Nautel, RIZ Transmitters, Thomson Broadcast & Multimedia and TRANSRADIO. A detailed list of DRM member exhibitors is over page (see the press release in pdf format)

To register for the DRM networking event contact the DRM Project Office: projectoffice@drm.org.

> Click here to read the press release in pdf format.

> Click here to read the invitation.

The membership vote for the new DRM System Specification (ETSI ES 201 980 V3.1.1) was closed and approved last week by a majority of members, including Russia and the US. A download version of the DRM system specification is now available on the ETSI website, http://www.etsi.org.

The DRM+ initiative began with a vote at the 2005 General Assembly of the DRM Consortium deciding to extend the standard to higher frequencies. The additional mode for DRM+ was agreed and finalised after testing and verifying the design with both laboratory and field based tests. Then the ETSI standardised DRM system specification was updated.

This extension completely shares the successful design philosophy of the DRM standard. Therefore, DRM+ has the same multiplex and signaling scheme, the same OFDM design and the same audio codecs as DRM30 (i.e. DRM on broadcast frequencies up to 30MHz). DRM+ is implemented in the standard as robustness mode E. Its spectrum usage parameters are determined from the internationally agreed norms in the FM band (88 to 174MHz). Therefore it has an occupied bandwidth of 95 kHz and a frequency grid of 100 kHz.

ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) is recognised as an official European Standards Organisation by the European Union. ETSI standards are available as free-of-charge downloads worldwide. 

Hailing this development as a landmark in the history of DRM Digital Radio, Ruxandra Obreja, Chairperson DRM and Controller Business Development BBC World Service, said: “This makes the DRM system complete and it offers broadcasters a total digital solution in all bands – LW, SW, MW, band I and band II (the FM band). DRM+ will make radio sound its best ever with features such as CD-quality audio and surround sound effects. DRM is already the best digital solution for long-distance broadcasting on broadcast frequencies below 30 MHz. And now local and regional broadcasting will get the same digital radio benefits with adoption of the extended DRM standard for broadcast frequencies above 30 MHz.”

All features of the updated DRM system specification will be on display at IBC2009 in Amsterdam from 11th-14th September.

> Click here to read the press release in pdf format.

DRM+, the DRM technology for radio broadcasts at frequencies up to 174 MHz, was presented to a select audience in Hannover, Germany, on 19^th August 2009.  This event was organised by Niedersächsische Landesmedienanstalt and University of Hannover.

Representatives of the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Rundfunk & Telekom Regulierung-GmbH), Swiss Federal Office of Communications (BAKOM), local radio stations in Austria and the Association of Citizens’ Media and Education (Bundesverband Bürger-und Ausbildungsmedien), Germany, attended the presentation and discussions.

This demonstration was organized by the Syndicat National des Radios Libres (SNRL) and was performed with the help of University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern and Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen. The aim of this event was to prove that the DRM system is the perfect solution for local and smaller radio stations unable to join multiplexes, even in places where the FM band is full thanks to the use of available frequencies below 87 MHz.

David Blanc, SNRL said: “DRM+ is a perfect complement to multiplexes in band 3, it is an efficient and simple solution for hundreds of isolated local radio stations, especially in rural or mountainous areas. The near-CD audio is superb and the data is as rich as with T-DMB or DAB+, with nice slideshow picture quality and useful textual information sent alongside the audio. We really hope this technology can get government approval in France and Europe and be integrated in radio receivers.”

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium chair said: “It was great to experience for the first time DRM+ in band I. The DRM+ demo in Paris proved that there is already the cutting edge technology available to provide all the benefits of digital radio meeting the needs of smaller stations and of the listeners wherever they are.”

>For more information and DRM updates please visit www.drm.org or subscribe to DRM news by writing to pressoffice@drm.org.

> Please find and read here the presentations of Mrs. Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman, M. Alexander Zink, Chairman DRM Distribution Interfaces and Vice Chairman DRM Technical Committee,  M. Prof. Andreas Steil (presentation in French), University of Applied Sciences, FH Kaiserslautern and M. David Blanc (presentation in French), SNRL.

The aim of this demonstration is to prove that the DRM system is the perfect solution for radio stations not able to join multiplexes, even in places where the FM band is full.

This test is being organized by the Syndicat National des Radios Libres (SNRL) and will be performed with the help of University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern and Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen.  

Here attached is the agenda of the trial and presentations (in English) for July 16th.

In a letter sent to Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), which published the report recently, the Consortium’s top decision-making body has pointed out that the Digital Britain report could miss out the opportunity to truly digitise Britain, especially in some rural and sparsely populated areas, by overlooking the valuable and economic solution offered by the Digital Radio Mondiale technology.

Furthermore the Consortium has stated that a combination of DRM and DAB (which are complimentary technologies) would help deliver the goal of Digital Britain in a more complete manner for the radio market.

The report has already identified DRM as a unique solution for Medium Wave digital transfer, and the DRM Consortium recommends its use on 26MHz and of DRM+ (up to 174 MHz) as the solution for local radio, ultra local radio and small or specialised communities.

Ruxandra Obreja, Chairman of the DRM Consortium says on behalf of the Steering Board “The UK has made significant contributions to the development of both these digital broadcasting systems. Once radio is in the digital domain delivering the extra features the Digital Britain report presents so eloquently, it should not matter to the listener by which method they receive the full complement of channels and services no matter where they live in Britain. If the government recommends both DRM and DAB as the way forward, it will have the complete solution for comprehensive digital radio coverage of the UK."

> Click here to read the release in pdf format.

The BBC& DW channel is an 18-hour daily broadcast of the best international programmes in English from BBC World Service and DW. It also brings to the audience all the advantages of DRM digital radio like near-FM quality audio, text messages and an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).

This joint BBC-DW DRM radio channel has been on air since December 2008. Six transmitters, which are used in pairs, cover much of Western Europe. The signal goes up to  France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and other neighbouring countries.