14 Jul Will a DRM receiver work in South Africa? – Your Question Answered
Our best specialists will respond in brief to your questions. We will post them regularly. Please submit them in writing and in audio with your picture and we will post the answers here. Please keep your questions short and relevant and send them to: projectoffice@drm.org
8th June 2020
I have always listened to normal shortwave radio from when I was young. I have often heard about DRM since about 2005, so it’s really weird I’ve never actually experienced it yet here in South Africa. If I were to get a DRM receiver, would it actually work here? Can you actually catch up and listen to any DRM stations here in South Africa? [Ari Damoulakis]
To answer your first question, up till now there have been no regular international DRM broadcasts towards South Africa. The BBC, a DRM Consortium member, has occasionally beamed DRM shortwave transmissions to illustrate the DRM capabilities during conferences held in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The DRM Consortium has been very much involved with the South African radio community in recent years. DRM in medium wave has been tested successfully by Radio Pulpit in Pretoria and for the first time in Africa on DRM for FM on the community Radio Kofifi in Johannesburg. The Regulator ICASA has recommended DRM for South Africa. And these successful tests have been the basis for our submissions to the authorities now expected to adopt the draft policy for the digitisation of radio in South Africa. Once the DRM is adopted officially broadcasters can start using DRM and the industry has the confidence to start producing or importing DRM receivers. Once there is full commitment from local broadcasters to roll it out, radio manufacturers will plan and produce receivers for your country, if there are substantial orders coming their way.
