One of the sessions was on ‘Technology Innovations, Going Digital and Measuring Audiences’ to outline ways in which technological innovations have influenced broadcasting – hardware, software, convergence, audience measurement, connecting and expanding audience base. Mr Yogendra Pal, Hon Chair of the India Chapter of the DRM Consortium, was one of the panelists in the session. He mentioned the public broadcaster All India Radio has already gone in a big way for digitising its medium wave and short wave transmitters using DRM. He also pointed out that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recently recommended digitizing the terrestrial radio transmissions by private broadcasters. He highlighted that the use of DRM would enable the private broadcasters to have increased number of channels along with value added text services, Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF) and traffic information. He added that 3 Community Radio stations can broadcast their programmes from a single DRM transmitter and one single channel (currently used for one FM programme, at not only much reduced power but also with text services in languages of that region. This would thus not only reduce their installation and operating costs but would also improve coverage area.

The presentation was well received and raised the awareness of palpable benefits to be drawn from DRM digital radio by public, private and community stations.