DRM Newsletter September 2025

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,

Every year, September is dominated by the big IBC exhibition and conference in Amsterdam. The event in the Netherlands means the summer holiday is over for many. It also gives DRM members an opportunity to make new announcements, and these came thick and fast ahead of and during the event at RAI.

There is a wealth of announcements following IBC, from the first DRM-DAB transmitter for VHF band III, to an upgrade to ContentServers, new modules and receiver solutions and also a video via DRM demo.

We will also use this opportunity to congratulate, in the name of all Consortium members, Mr Ahmed Nadeem on his re-election as ABU Secretary-General.

Please make sure to get all the news by scrolling through this newsletter below.

If you still want to join us as a free member for a limited period please make sure to get all the information: DRM Free Membership Announced – news.drm.org.

Latest News

DRM at IBC – A Wealth of “Firsts” and Ground-Breaking Announcements

Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium members and specialists unveiled significant DRM updates during impactful events and networking at IBC 2025, taking place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 12th to 15th September.
Each aspect of the DRM global project saw new product announcements, which serve to stress the rich benefits of DRM – the only global digital radio standard serving all coverage scenarios.

During the DRM events at the IBC booths of Starwaves, Fraunhofer and Nautel (12-14 September) one of the biggest news that caught everyone’s attention was the adoption of DRM as a National Standard in China for the MF and HF bands (medium wave and shortwave bands) published in July 2025, and the ongoing work on a national mandatory standard for “In-Vehicle Wireless Reception System” including DRM.

At the three IBC events, DRM speakers noted that in the last year several DRM members have enhanced the whole transmission-to-listener chain. Two developments stood out: the extension of DRM transmission and reception to VHF band III and the launch of full-featured dual-standard receiver solutions supporting both DRM and DAB+ for car and standalone receivers as well as through an Android app on mobile phones.

World’s First Multichannel DRM Transmitter in VHF Band III

In Hall 8 at RAI, visitors to the RFmondial and Plisch were impressed with a DRM-DAB band III transmitter allowing for 15 DRM blocks to be transmitted from a single transmitter. This represents up to 15 independent broadcasters with a total of up to 45 audio services along with 15 dedicated DRM multimedia services such as Journaline within a 1,5 MHz VHF band III channel. This can meet the needs of some countries like Indonesia interested in having a cost-efficient and energy saving option for digital radio in major metropolitan areas.

📄 RFmondial displays World’s first multi-channel DRM transmitter in VHF Band III – news.drm.org

📄 DRM Consortium Reveals Band III Transmitter, In-Car Receiver – Radio World

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Digital Radio Head-end Technology “Fraunhofer DRM and DAB+ ContentServer” – Latest Version R8 now available

Fraunhofer IIS has presented the latest major upgrade, R8, to its professional ContentServer head-end technology for DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and Digital Radio DAB+.
The new DRM/DAB ContentServer R8 enables broadcasters to put audio content and attractive multimedia services such as Journaline, SlideShow, Service Logos and more on air with ease, while benefitting from the latest standard upgrades and a range of new productivity features.

📄 Here are more details: Fraunhofer IIS ContentServer R8 digital radio head-end technology for DAB+ and DRM now available – audioblog.iis.fraunhofer.com

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Monitoring Solution from Encompass and Bridge Tech Announced

Encompass Digital Media, active as a managed services company supporting broadcasters (television and radio), cable networks, sports leagues and OTT platforms, has just announced the launch, in partnership with Bridge Technologies, of a new Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) monitoring solution.

📄 A New DRM Monitoring Solution from Encompass and Bridge Tech Announced for IBC 2025

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CML Micro Expands DRM1000

One module (from CML Micro) already used in the small, energy efficient N88 receiver has got better as CML and Fraunhofer IIS announced the expansion of the DRM1000 broadcast receiver module with integrated Journaline availability and announced that the first customer started mass production in India.

📄 CML Micro Expands DRM1000 broadcast receiver module with integrated Journaline availability and first customer starts mass production in India – news.drm.org

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Multi-Standard Digital Radio Solution from RF2Digital and Fraunhofer IIS

RF2Digital and Fraunhofer IIS announced at IBC 2025 a full-featured
Automotive Digital Radio Receiver Solution with automotive-grade user interface based on Fraunhofer MultimediaPlayer Radio App technology, as well as a Multi-Standard Digital Radio USB Receiver.

📄 DRM members RF2Digital and Fraunhofer IIS to co-develop a comprehensive multi-standard radio solution – news.drm.org

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DRM Receiver Kit Software SDR for Automotive, Mobile Phones & Consumer Radios

The DRM Receiver Kit Software SDR for Automotive, Mobile Phones & Consumar Radios (AM and VHF bands) with a new DRM Baseband Library Version was also included in the Fraunhofer presentation.

Mobile Phone Apps for Digital Radio

Starwaves launched its new DRM & DAB+ SoftRadio App for Android. The new dual-standard app is available for purchase on the Google Play Store alongside the original DRM-only app.
As a world’s first Android app it supports all core DRM and DAB features: Convenient service management with metadata descriptions to DRM EWF, the new DAB EWFplus emergency functionality including the ASA alarm signaling standard, and multimedia applications such as TextMessages/DL+, Journaline and SlideShow.

📄 STARWAVES Launches Full-Featured Dual-Standard Android SoftRadio App for DRM & DAB+

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Video on DRM

Starwaves presented a technology preview how efficient low-bitrate codecs VVC in combination with xHE-AAC make DRM viable for real-time video services in FM and AM bands (“DRM Diveemo”). One example delivered a 100-kbps educational video in the FM band.

🔗 vvcdemo.starwaves.com

NewGlee Monitoring Receiver

NewGlee at its DRM booth presented their compact DRM monitoring receiver supporting the AM and FM bands.

New Quarterly African Newsletter

Following the intense DRM activities in South Africa, the successful eLearning demonstration in the Gambia earlier in the year, the interest in DRM from the African continent the Consortium is launching a quarterly newsletter. This will reflect the most important DRM African developments. The online newsletter will not be just a collection of the most significant DRM news from Africa but a tool for understanding the standard and connecting to the DRM global developments.
First free issue due in second half of September.

📄 At IBC 2025 the DRM Consortium announced the launch of a quarterly African newsletter

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Free DRM Associate Membership Extended for Another Year

The DRM Consortium announced, based on a recent DRM Steering Board decision, that the highly successful offer for interested companies and organizations to join the DRM Consortium through an introductory Associate Membership will be extended. After the initial year without membership fee, the new member can then decide to continue as an Associate Member, or as a Full Member with all benefits and privileges.

IBC Conclusion

“We enjoyed a ground-breaking series of IBC events and announcements”, says DRM Chairman Ruxandra Obreja, “where we pushed the barriers of inventiveness and possibility for the global DRM Digital Radio Standard. Many of our members are finding unique solutions to current issues to do with spectrum and energy saving, full-country coverage, as well as key services like Emergency Warning Functionality and distance learning delivery. Seeing the very encouraging new developments in China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, all over Africa, and soon in Bangladesh, DRM is in a better position than ever to fulfil its aim of going from top technological possibility to reality and enhanced services enriching listeners’ lives.”

DRM Consortium members represented at IBC 2025 include: All India Radio, Ampegon, BBC, Encompass, CML Micro, DAC System, Fraunhofer IIS , Kintronic, RFmondial, Nautel, NewGlee, Starwaves, and more.

DRM in China – Firm Steps Forward

There is a good DRM story coming out of China which has been presented in more detail at IBC 2025.

📄 IBC 2025: DRM in China – Firm Steps Forward

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DRM members RF2Digital and Fraunhofer IIS to Co-develop a Comprehensive Multi-standard Radio Solution

The goal of the collaboration is to develop a full-chain automotive digital radio solution and multi-standard USB receiver that seamlessly combines features such as DRM’s Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) and DAB’s EWFplus. This automotive platform will support a car radio reception solution with comprehensive support for AM and FM analogue radio as well as DRM (in all bands) combined with either DAB+ (in VHF band-III) or CDR (Chinese Digital radio standard for FM) to cater to specific market demands like Indonesia, China etc.

📄 DRM members RF2Digital and Fraunhofer IIS to co-develop a comprehensive multi-standard radio solution

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Analogue and DRM AM to be revived in Nigeria

After a period of inactivity Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation has recently initiated the contract to restore the Voice of Nigeria (VON) shortwave transmission using the powerful 250 kW TX2 transmitter at the Lugbe transmitting station in Abuja, the nation’s capital. This is an important step towards AM analogue, and later shortwave DRM revitalisation, which will place Voice of Nigeria once again among the important international broadcasters.

📄 DRM Revival Planned in Nigeria

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DRM in Focus in Pakistan

Pakistan Presses with its Radio Modernisation Project. Pakistan has officially adopted DRM for all frequency bands (AM and FM) and is now moving ahead with its phased implementation.

📄 Pakistan Presses with its Radio Modernisation Project – news.drm.org

📄 Pakistan pushes further on DRM – RedTech News

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DRM Announces Its Next General Assembly (March 2026) in Indonesia

On its 80th anniversary the DRM Consortium Chairman, Ruxandra Obreja and the Radio Republik Indonesia – RRI President, Director, Mr Ignatius Hendrasmo, have announced that the Consortium’s General Assembly on 25-26 March 2026 will be held in Jakarta.

The DRM Consortium sees this as an important step in the cooperation with a country making strides in introducing the DRM free-to-all technology which can have an important impact in delivering information, emergency warning and education, in fostering social cohesion and progress in Indonesia.

📄 DRM Congratulates RRI on Its 80th Anniversary and Announces 2026 DRM General Assembly in Indonesia – news.drm.org

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