Press Release
Under the theme of “DRM Benefits in Times of Crisis,” The DRM Consortium in collaboration with Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) and for the first-time with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) has delivered a two-part interactive webinar session focused on the key DRM benefits of greatest use in times of crisis and disasters.
Both webinars were attended by over 300 participants from countries as far apart as: India, Mauritius, Indonesia, Sudan, Malaysia, Japan, Nepal, Brazil, Iran, UK, Tunisia, USA, Solomon Islands, Australia, Germany etc. The over 100 questions of the participants covered characteristics of the full AM and FM DRM standard technology, its benefits, applications and receiver solutions.
Both webinars tackled and demonstrated key features such as: Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF), DRM transmission monitoring map, content server programming using Journaline and public signage delivered effectively with the help of DRM.
The speakers included: Ruxandra Obreja (DRM Chair), Alexander Zink (Fraunhofer IIS, DRM Vice-Chair), Yogendra Pal (Chair Indian Platform), Simon Keens (Ampegon), Jan Bremer (NXP) and Radu Obreja (DRM Marketing Director).
The immediate feedback was extremely positive: “Nice webinar with new information”, “very informative session”. “that was a good session”.
The webinars brought new information about receivers, efficient chipsets already used in the over 2 million cars on the road in the amplest digital rollout in the world, India and which can be deployed as SDR solutions.
Of particular interest were the different and many more receiver solutions available now, the single frequency network application in DRM, the programming of content server able to deliver education and also emergency warning audio and data messages in different languages.
According to DRM Chairman, Ruxandra Obreja:” These webinars were not only the most successful in the history of the DRM Consortium but also of ABU. The interest and challenging questions demonstrated that DRM information is required more than ever. The DRM practical applications can be of more use now than ever, in a world that is definitely in crisis and on the brink of change.”
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 over the past years and has signed the EBU Smart Radio Memorandum that promotes access to free to air radio on all devices.
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