DRM Newsletter July 2026

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,

It is hot, hot, hot in London, but our work continues. DRM was well represented at recent events in West Africa and at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris where the topic of education for all was the main subject of a high-level meeting with over 40 world leaders and executives.

The innovative solution of placing DRM reception in wearables like headphones or earbuds also caught the attention of many readers as this was detailed in the most recent edition of Radio World e-book on the future of radio.

Details about our very successful DRM automotive meeting and the announcements of the DRM events during IBC 2026 are detailed in this newsletter edition as well.

And please remember that you can also download the new and improved version of the DRM handbook now available on our web site 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 Automotive Group Met Again on 15 July 2026

The global meeting of the DRM Automotive Group took place as a virtual event via Zoom on 15 July 2026. It brought together about 40 stakeholders from across the automotive and broadcasting sectors and across the world to discuss the latest developments in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). The session featured updates and discussions on DRM in general, and relevant technical topics related to in-car radio and receiver implementation, including discussion of requirements for automotive DRM receivers.

Specific topics addressed included the presentation of the DRM Consumer Radio Receiver Functionality Recommendation with a focus on automotive receiver requirements, the latest updates to the DRM Handbook, shortwave and mediumwave radio reception in vehicles, as well as regional and market updates on DRM roll-out. The participants also found out about the work on the new members’ area which will include a Fraunhofer DRM xHE-AAC Audio Conformance Library and the MDI Library, all available to full DRM members.

The event was the result of the DRM Consortium’s Automotive Work Group, chaired by its member NXP.

The DRM Automotive Group was established to strengthen collaboration between the broadcast and automotive industries and to support the integration of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology into vehicles.

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DRM at High-Level UNESCO Education Summit

For the first time ever the DRM Consortium participated in the Transforming Education Summit +4 (TES+4), a high‑level meeting focused on system transformation and resilience for UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 4). Focused on education system transformation and resilience, TES+4 covered the key drivers of change, including the teaching profession, lifelong learning and inclusive digital transformation. Many speakers underlined that equity, inclusion and gender equality remain central to all discussions while sustainable education financing is the only way to underpin implementation and delivery.

The Paris meeting was led and addressed by UN Deputy Secretary‑General Amina J. Mohammed and UNESCO Director‑General Khaled El‑Enany and Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa. Taking the leadership of the SDG 4 High Level Steering Committee, he talked about the role of education, the importance of teachers and the kind of education that the new generation needs to develop and change the world.

40 global education leaders gathered at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Friday, 10 July. The DRM chairman attended the meeting and presented at the TES+4 Marketplace exhibition space near the big UNESCO hall, the benefit of education delivered through the all-frequency broadcasting bands capability of the open DRM standard. Delegates from Afghanistan, Haiti, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, South Africa, international education and humanitarian organisation representatives were most interested in the way the DRM all-band digital broadcasting system can deliver distance education (e-learning.drm.org). This was demonstrated in West Africa in 2025, during the World Radio Day all over the world in February 2026 and as presented recently at the African eLearning event in Ghana.

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DRM Latest Including DRM in Your Ear Buds

The questions that the US publication Radio World editor in chief, Paul McLane, wanted answered in the latest RW e-book were to do with the likelihood of migration from FM, the new technologies to be watched and the future of broadcasting in general.

Ruxandra Obreja, the DRM Consortium chairman, in her article “DRM makes big strides” gave an overview of the latest developments as successfully presented at the recent DRM General Assembly in Indonesia.

In his interview, entitled “DRM can be embedded in earbuds and other products” Matthew Phillips, product director at CML Micro in the UK and DRM Consortium vice-chairman concludes that:

“We should not be blindsided into believing that radio is a declining technology. Digital radio broadcasting based on DRM can bridge the digital divide for millions of citizens worldwide.

Trusted information that is well-produced, thoughtfully created and efficiently delivered by radio has an expanding and exciting future. We should embrace that future.”

📄 Access the full article via drm.org.

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DRM in South Africa Update

The DRM South Africa Group has submitted its first quarterly progress report for the DRM in FM trial being conducted by the DRM Southern Africa (DRM SA) Group under a test licence issued by the South African regulator, ICASA, to the private station BluLemon Ltd in November 2025.

Since the licence was granted, the DRM SA Group has made significant progress in the establishment and commissioning of the DRM in FM trial infrastructure, the execution of the official trial launch, and the demonstration of key DRM capabilities to a range of stakeholders.

The trial officially launched on 13 February 2026 – UNESCO World Radio Day – from the Northcliff high-site in Johannesburg, broadcasting on 91.25 MHz at 70 watts transmitter output power. Three broadcast services (Radio Pulpit, HOT1027 and an Education channel) were carried simultaneously on a single FM frequency. The launch coincided with a world-first demonstration of e-learning via DRM digital radio in the FM band.

From February to April 2026, the trial operated successfully and attracted national and international attention, including visits from Mozambican broadcasting and regulatory authorities. Media coverage included interviews on HOT 102.7 and Radio Pulpit, as well as press coverage in prestigious publication TechCentral.

In May 2026, the transmitter was taken off-air due to a power amplifier fault being rectified currently. The transmitter is expected to return to air very soon.
So far, the trial has generated meaningful engagement while demonstrating DRM’s capabilities in a real-world South African FM environment. The next phases – multi-channel testing, coverage verification, and Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) demonstration – will proceed very soon.

South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) issued a policy direction to ICASA on 10 July 2020 to begin developing digital sound broadcasting (DSB) regulations. ICASA published the DSB Regulations in April 2021, which identified both DRM and DAB+ as the recommended standards for digital radio in South Africa.

The DRM Consortium revived the DRM South Africa Group in 2021 to advocate for DRM as the preferred DSB standard and to build awareness among broadcasters, industry stakeholders, and the public. The DRM SA Group determined in August 2024 that BluLemon (Pty) Ltd would undertake a long-term DRM FM trial on behalf of the Group.

DRM partners supporting the trial infrastructure include Fraunhofer IIS (providing DRM ContentServer and MultimediaPlayer technologies), RFmondial, Starwaves, and the DRM Consortium Project Office (providing coordination, technical guidance, and international support).

DRM at IBC in September

The DRM Consortium is starting its preparations for IBC 2026 in Amsterdam (ibc.org), the Netherlands, in middle September. You can attend in person or virtually.

The DRM Consortium (www.drm.org) will open its IBC 2026 programme with a dedicated virtual pre‑IBC event on 8 September at 1200 CEST, giving participants worldwide the opportunity to receive the latest updates on the Digital Radio Mondiale standard ahead of the industry’s flagship gathering in Amsterdam.

Registration is now open at s.drm.org/register-zoom-pre-ibc-26.

With growing global interest and strengthened collaboration among DRM members, the pre‑IBC session will offer an in‑depth, first‑hand look at new developments, deployments and innovations across all regions.

Following the virtual event, the Consortium will host two in‑person DRM events during IBC 2026, in partnership with Fraunhofer IIS and Nautel:

12 September 1600 –1730 CEST – Fraunhofer IIS (Booth 8.B80)
Attendees are invited to network with digital radio specialists and hear the latest announcements and demonstrations from the DRM experts and Fraunhofer IIS.
13 September 1530–1700 CEST – Nautel (Booth 8.B73)
DRM solutions and global rollouts will feature at the Nautel Booth where guests will be welcomed for a dedicated digital radio session.

📄 DRM Consortium – Digital Radio Mondiale Announces Pre-IBC Virtual Event and In-Person Events at IBC 2026

📄 RedTech – DRM Consortium Announces IBC Events

📄 RadioTVLink – DRM Consortium Announces IBC 2026 Events

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For regular updates visit the dedicated IBC page www.drm.org/ibc-2026/ or contact projectoffice@drm.org.