Translate:

Digital Radio – European Electronic Communications Code Sends Powerful Message to Countries Adopting DRM Globally

 

Press Release

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium welcomes the letter and spirit of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) of 2018 now ready for rollout. It recommends in a technology-neutral form that any car for rent or sale should have a radio receiver capable of receiving services provided via “digital terrestrial radio broadcasting” (without specifying any particular digital standard). It must now be transposed into national legislation by EU Member States by 21 December 2020.

This European initiative serves as a good example to all the countries and administrations around the world adopting or considering the rollout of DRM technology.

Even within Europe, digital terrestrial radio broadcasting covers more than one standard. With international DRM transmissions on the air in Europe and from other parts of the world into Europe, such an overarching act can hasten the radio digitisation. Existing multi-standard chipsets allow for one or two complementary standards to be used so that listeners have access to a variety of services provided nationally and internationally. So even in Europe adding DRM to car receivers in addition to DAB+ would be a good service for listeners as programmes are available (and this would be fully be in line with EECC).

Since the EECC adoption in December 2018, disaster and emergency warnings have become crucial and including the related digital radio feature EWF as a mandatory feature would strengthen the act.

The automotive industry is a global business. Some of the over 2.5 million car receivers on the road in India are provided by OEMs and car manufacturers that are present in selected European markets, too. If the need exists or grows in the future, providing digital terrestrial radio broadcasting capability will maintain their global profile and profits.

The EECC can thus send a positive signal to the whole world by showing the way to drive radio digitisation through a carefully balanced act that energises the automotive industry and does not benefit just restricted geographic areas and suppliers.

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman, said: “The EU act to become reality in December 2020 makes the car industry take note and work even harder for the multi-standard solutions that could be introduced even in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. The act is also significant because it urges the creation of an equal playing field for the car industry. It can also help with the roll out of digital radio whose aim is to offer continuous services across countries and continents giving listeners a chance to enjoy digital radio and its extra features, irrespective of the digital broadcasting platform used”.

 

About DRM

Digital Radio Mondiale™ (DRM) is the universal, openly standardised digital radio system for all broadcasting frequencies and coverage needs.

DRM on short, medium and long wave up to 30 MHz provides for the efficient coverage in large areas with at least FM quality, while significantly reducing power consumption. DRM in the FM & VHF bands above 30 MHz enables flexible local and regional broadcaster-controlled services, with up to 3 stereo audio programmes plus multimedia components in half the bandwidth of a single analogue FM signal.

Advanced radio functionality thanks to DRM comprises: More services based on the highly efficient audio codec MPEG xHE-AAC and free-to-air Journaline multi-lingual text information, detailed service signalling, service linking (including to analogue AM/FM services) and DRM EWF – Emergency Warning Functionality. Enhanced DRM features include native Unicode support, station logos via SPI, Slideshow images and traffic and travel information.

The DRM Consortium was awarded by ITU for its outstanding contribution to the Telecommunications sector over the past years and has signed the EBU Smart Radio Memorandum that promotes access to free to air radio on all devices.

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

Go to www.drm.org/newsletters to subscribe to the general DRM newsletter or the special India Noticeboard with all the latest DRM news.

Watch the latest video from DRM “From Broadcaster to Listener

06 October 2020