DRM News

DRM-enabled devices in India.
DRM rollout starting in Pakistan and Indonesia
While the largest radio digitization project worldwide is underway in India, other countries are working on updating their radio landscape as well. Neighboring Pakistan, for example, announced the successful implementation of their first DRM transmitter at the end of January 2017. As a first step, DRM is used for local and regional supply in the FM band. The next steps will include DRM upgrades for the existing medium and short wave transmitters of the country’s public radio broadcaster, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation PBC / Radio Pakistan.
Indonesia, the country with the world’s fourth largest population, is also on its way to digitizing its radio infrastructure. Indonesia has a very vivid local FM radio landscape and a vast network of short and medium wave transmitters which provide information to the inhabitants of the larger main isles, as well as those living on the thousands of smaller islands. At the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s (ABU) annual meeting in October 2016, the public broadcaster Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) announced digitization with DRM. After successful tests in the medium wave band and an earlier test of DAB+ in Jakarta, another DRM test is due to take place soon within the FM band. Once this has been completed successfully, Indonesia shall see the official introduction of digital radio as well.
South Africa: double tracked with DRM and DAB+
Last but not least, let’s take a look at digital radio in South Africa. Following a successful test of DRM in the medium wave spectrum, DRM transmission in the FM band is about to start in Johannesburg, as a corresponding license was issued in the beginning of February. Especially local and community radio stations will be able to benefit from the enhanced possibilities of DRM regarding the generation of revenue and a drastic reduction in transmission costs, in comparison to analogue FM radio. The country is working on a regulation that enables radio digitization with DRM and DAB+ at the same time, allowing each broadcaster to choose the best medium according to their individual requirements. This approach is supported through the technical similarities of the two sister technologies, as well as the availability of suitable multi-standard receiver solutions. Therefore from the listener’s point of view, the underlying transmission system will not matter.