DRM Newsletter September 2026

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,

September always means the IBC exhibition and conference held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands around the middle of the month. No exception this year. And the DRM Consortium was well represented and presented its many updates in one extensive virtual meeting before IBC and two events during the exhibition proper. This newsletter is concentrating on many of the new demonstrations and announcements made during IBC and if you could not attend, the newsletter will bring you up-to-date.

An important report on shortwave and an article on inserting DRM reception into modern wearables like headphones or earbuds will round up this autumnal newsletter.

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 IBC 2026 – A Consistent and Substantial Presence

The Digital Radio Mondiale DRM Consortium has prepared very thoroughly for this annual event and during three events unveiled several interesting developments. It is the first time that during IBC the main focus of DRM has been primarily on receivers.

To see how and why please read here:

📄 DRM – The Complete Digital Radio Solution for the Future – Key IBC 2026 Announcements – news.drm.org

👍 Read and like on LinkedIn

📄 DRM – Digital Radio Solution for the Future – IBC 2026 – Content + Technology

👍 LinkedIn post by Elements Innovation

📄 DRM – The Complete Digital Radio Solution for the Future – Key IBC 2026 Announcements – Radio TV Link (in Greek)

Also watch a 90-second highlight reel from DRM at IBC 2026, featuring key moments, new receiver solutions, applications and developments:

🎞️ DRM at IBC 2026 – 90-Second Highlight Reel

DRM Receivers and New Multi-Standard Varieties

DRM receivers and receiver solutions are now available. DRM is the first and only consortium promoting multi-standard receivers produced by some of its members, be they DRM-DAB+ or DRM-CDR (Chinese FM standard).

In cars, at home or on the go, DRM is your trusted friend and companion.

🎞️ To find out about the latest please go to: news.drm.org

👍 Read and like the post on LinkedIn

DRM In Your Ear

As shown at IBC 2026 too, DRM is at the front of digital radio development and can now demonstrate how the DRM open standard can be embedded in earbuds and other products. This was shown concretely by one of our vice chairmen, Matthew Phillips, at one of the IBC DRM events.

Matthew Phillips, product director at the UK-based IC supplier CML Micro, explained in a Radio World special feature, part of a series on trends in global radio, that CML hopes to make it available to worldwide audience “regardless of income or location”.

The demonstration was also on display at the Fraunhofer booth at IBC 2026. It showed how a smartphone connects via Bluetooth to the DRM1000 module, with a companion app making the full range of DRM features, including Journaline, directly available on the smartphone.

📄 To get more details you could also access Matthews’s article in: Better, Faster, Cheaper.

DRM Member CML Micro Adds Bluetooth Connectivity to Its Module

As unveiled at IBC 2026 CML Micro has added Bluetooth connectivity to its DRM1000 Digital Radio Mondiale receiver platform, opening new possibilities for bringing DRM audio, multimedia and information services directly to smartphones and other connected devices.

📄 Understand how this works and uses smartphones to enable digital radio DRM

DRM – A Strong Case for the Digital Technology in the Shortwave HFCC Report

As the only digital broadcasting standard capable of digitising the large-coverage shortwave frequency band, this organisation has dedicated a detailed report to shortwave.

📄 Get the DRM view of the report content

DRM Congratulates Its Key Member RRI Indonesia on its 81^st Anniversary

Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) marked its 81st anniversary with its sights firmly set on the future, ready to meet the demands of an increasingly digital media landscape.

RRI President Director I Hendrasmo highlighted the importance of changing mindsets across the organisation as audiences increasingly consume information and entertainment across multiple platforms. For RRI, digital transformation, (including the radio digitisation) is not simply about adopting new technology. It also requires a shift in how the organisation thinks, works and connects with its audiences.

RRI has been steadily expanding beyond traditional radio, strengthening its presence across digital and multiplatform services.

As explained by RRI President Director I Hendrasmo RRI, as a public service organisation, must remain relevant to Indonesians as media consumption habits continue to change.

Entering its 82nd year, the broadcaster is looking to combine those foundations with a more agile, digitally focused approach, ensuring that RRI continues to inform, connect and serve audiences across Indonesia in the years ahead.

📄 LPP RRI Director General Emphasizes Mindset Shift for RRI in the Digital Era (RRI Nasional, in Indonesian)

DRM Welcomes New Members to the Consortium

The DRM Consortium is pleased to welcome Fondazione Media Literacy based in Italy as an associate member of the DRM Consortium.

In the past months Edugist, a Nigerian education-focused media and innovation organisation, also joined the Consortium. Alongside Edugist, BCi Digital of the UK and Hedra Tech of Pakistan also became part of the DRM family and actively participated in the IBC alongside veteran DRM members.

If you are interested in becoming a member you can check: join.drm.org or write directly to projectoffice@drm.org.