Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,
October has been a very fruitful month after the big IBC event and its continuing reverberations.
In this letter there is a wealth of news and press articles on how DRM delivers emergency warnings on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
There is a lot of information and feedback on the new N88 and ES006 receivers.
We also highlight some of the future events where you can meet and find out about the accelerated progress of DRM.
And please remember that you can also download the new and improved version of the DRM handbook now available on our website directly and freely from handbook.drm.org.
In 2026 we keep open the invitation to join us as a free member. If interested, please make sure to get all the information.
Latest News
DRM at the Forefront of Disaster Warning Delivery
On the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (October 13th), the DRM Consortium focused on the critical role of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) and its Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) in building resilient national warning and information systems.
📄 The Power of DRM Emergency Warnings – When Everything Else Fails, Radio Remains Resilient – news.drm.org
👍 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction – Read and like on LinkedIn
A recent commentary picked up on the main features of DRM EWF:
📄 DRM Provides the Complete Solution for Emergency Alerts – RedTech / news.drm.org
👍 DRM Provides the Complete Solution for Emergency Alerts – Read and like on LinkedIn
DRM at ITU Special Meeting Highlighted the Role of EWF
Recently ITU-D Study Group 1 organised in Geneva a workshop on the “Next-generation broadcasting: challenges and prospects for developing countries”. An important part of the presentation was also emergency warning functionality (EWF) and its implementation in DRM.
📄 DRM at ITU and Future Broadcasting Workshop – news.drm.org
DRM in Cars and Emergency Warning Availability
While the debate about the availability of radio, analogue and digital, in cars, especially in AM (mediumwave), continues internationally, emergency warnings were highlighted as one service that radio can deliver to car users. The DRM chairman argues that radio in cars is more than about entertainment or background music as it can protect and save persons.
📄 Why Digital Radio Remains Essential in the Car – Radio World
DRM Benefits Captured in IBC Summary
A full review of all new announcements made at IBC 2026 is delivered by Radio World:
📄 DRM Makes Big Strides – IBC Conclusion – news.drm.org
📄 RedTech September/October 2026 – page 31
📄 IBC Review – Radio TV Link
DRM Receivers N88 and ES006
Alongside the N88, we also highlight the ES006 DRM receiver.
Launched fully at IBC 2026, the new portable N88 DRM receiver is attracting growing interest. This is demonstrated by the very recent videos of live recordings and reception demonstrations posted online.
📄 N88 DRM Receiver – Live Reception Feedback – news.drm.org
👍 N88 Live Reception Feedback – Read and like on LinkedIn
More details on the receiver are available from the recently refreshed CML website. CML chips are powering the N88 receiver:
👍 New CML Website – Read and like on LinkedIn
DRM – Deeply Involved in Distance Education
At the beginning of the month, the DRM Consortium marked and celebrated World Teachers’ Day (October 5th). Teachers are at the heart of education. They inspire and guide learners every day.
UNESCO estimates that 44 million additional teachers will be needed globally by 2030 to achieve universal primary and secondary education. Meeting that need would require an estimated US$120 billion every year in additional salaries.
More teachers need to be trained and supported. The reach of teachers needs to be extended, and one surprisingly powerful answer is DRM digital radio.
DRM is not a substitute for teachers. It is a powerful tool to amplify and extend their reach and influence.
More on the subject was published in IEEE Broadcast Technology, First Quarter 2026 (pages 10–11).
DRM Present at ASBU TV and Radio Festival in Tunisia
DRM was represented at the ASBU TV and Radio festival exhibition (21–24 September), attended by visitors from across the Arab World. As Matthew Phillipps of CML and vice-chair of the DRM Consortium writes: “With a wide range of delegates and a wide diversity of exhibitors, people were able to meet and engage with each other from across the region. The DRM representative met with attendees from Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan and other countries from North Africa and the Middle East.”
As the DRM vice-chair explains: “The conversations were interesting, useful, and showed how DRM broadcasting can make a great contribution to the region.”
The technical conference was attended by a varied audience with a technical and engineering interest. The DRM contribution was well received and generated several interesting follow-up questions.
The DRM Consortium looks forward to engaging further with ASBU members across the region.
DRM Attends Recent International Events
The DRM Consortium was present at several events held in Europe and India. A DRM delegation made it this year to the India Mobile Congress:
📄 DRM at India Mobile Congress 2026 – news.drm.org
👍 DRM at India Mobile Congress – Read and like on LinkedIn
DRM was also demonstrated to students in India. On September 19, 2026, the Young Stars Radio Club (Hyderabad) visited the GMR Institute of Technology (GMRIT) in Rajam, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh.
During the visit, Hari Madugula, official DRM supporter in India and President of the Young Stars Radio Club, Hyderabad, delivered an informative session to students and faculty of the Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) Department. The presentation covered Amateur Radio, Broadcast DXing (BCDXing) and Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), with a particular focus on the current status, benefits and expansion of DRM broadcasting across India.
As part of the presentation, a live demonstration of DRM reception was conducted using the N88c DRM receiver, thus giving students the opportunity to experience DRM technology first-hand:
📄 DRM Demonstrated to Students at GMR Institute of Technology in India – news.drm.org
And the DRM Consortium also contributed with an update to the participants in the RDS Annual Assembly.
DRM Supporter Flies the DRM Flag in the Telugu Language
Promoting DRM is not just the task of big companies involved with the technology or of international digital radio specialists. This is why we salute the contribution of a recent DRM supporter explaining the value of DRM and its services to the millions of Indian listeners whose first language is Telugu.
Hari Madugula’s interview with TAL Radio Telugu, titled “The Interesting World Behind the Radio,” was broadcast online on 7 October 2026 and was then picked up by all major TAL Radio podcast platforms.
🎧 The Interesting World Behind the Radio – Interview with Hari Madugula – TAL Radio
The discussion includes a detailed explanation of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology, its features and applications, and the role of the DRM Consortium in promoting digital radio broadcasting.
DRM South Africa Prepares to Launch Its New Website
The DRM South Africa Group is preparing to launch a redesigned website, bringing together news and information on DRM developments in South Africa and across the wider Southern African region.
Congratulations to the team! We look forward to sharing the new website once it goes live.
DRM Celebrates Our Members
One of the key DRM members in India, OptM Solutions, announced that it has been selected as one of the seven startups in the INNOVERSE (Govt. of Karnataka) DeepTech Enabler cohort, an initiative by the Government of Karnataka’s IT-BT Department.
The selection is part of Innoverse’s first DeepTech Enabler cohort of seven growth-stage startups, with the programme focused on helping companies move from proven technology and early traction toward larger-scale deployment.
Building deeptech isn’t like building standard software: it demands long gestation periods, rigorous R&D, and navigating what the industry calls the “Third Valley of Death”: scaling proven technology into sustained, commercial deployment.
👍 Read and like OptM’s announcement on LinkedIn
We also congratulate one of our oldest and most important members, NXP, for reaching an important milestone:
📄 DRM Congratulates NXP on 20 Years of Innovation – news.drm.org
👍 Read and like NXP’s anniversary post on LinkedIn
Another of our key members, Skyworks, has completed its combination with Qorvo. The companies now operate as Skyworks, bringing together expertise in radio frequency (RF), power management, and analog and mixed-signal semiconductors.
📄 Skyworks Completes Combination with Qorvo – company announcement
Videos
🎞️ DRM at IBC 2026 – 90-Second Highlight Reel
🎞️ N88 DRM Receiver – Live Reception Feedback – news.drm.org
🎞️ Dual-Standard Digital Radio in Action – news.drm.org
🎞️ DRM at IBC Video – Radio TV Link
🎞️ DRM at IBC Video in English – Radio TV Link
🎞️ SE-TA 2 via Europasender Waldheim – Received on an ES006 – YouTube
Around the Web
📄 AM Broadcasters in Chile Face a Dilemma – Radio World
📄 Can the AM Radio Car Mandate Beat the Congressional Clock? – Radio World
📄 Why I’m Still Blown Away by This 100+ Year-Old Wireless Audio Technology – What Hi-Fi?
📄 How African Broadcasters Can Embrace Digital Transformation at the Broadcasters Convention 2026 – Broadcast Media Africa
👍 Check Out Radio Pulpit’s New Website Bot – LinkedIn
Upcoming Events
📅 22–24 Oct | Broadcast India, Mumbai, India
📅 30 Oct–3 Nov | ABU General Assembly, Colombo, Sri Lanka
📅 17–19 Nov | Africa Tech Festival with AfricaCom, Cape Town
📅 23 Nov | Radio TechCon, IET London, UK
📅 25–27 Nov | DIDAC India, Bengaluru, India
