Newsletter

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Partners,

We hope you are healthy, wherever you are. If our activities are also measured in webinars, then the last couple of weeks have been exceptionally busy. We had a chance to address Malaysian stakeholders virtually and hold two successful webinars on two continents in one week.

The first was on the advantages of large coverage in DRM. This AIBD webinar launched a series of three. The next and second AIBD webinar will focus on DRM for the VHF bands and will be held on August 13th. 

These last few days we also held our first DRM for education webinar for African broadcasters.  And this time the African continent is really in focus as the South African government has decided to recommend DRM for AM and all VHF bands for digitising radio, together with the other ITU-recommended open standard. More details below. 

In this edition of the newsletter we are also including an article on DRM implementation, the subject of many questions asked during our almost half a dozen webinars held since March.

And as the discussion about fully digitising the AM band in the US is heating up, you will also have a chance to see some opinions about this hotly debated topic published recently in the Radio World publication.

Your questions and our answers on all things DRM continue to come and can be seen now on our newly launched DRM website page.  More detailed answers can also be found in the latest version (5) of our DRM Handbook, which brings updates and improvements for all those interested in understanding and implementing DRM in their country.

Please do not hesitate to send us your DRM questions (with names and pictures for publication in the newsletter).

And for all those listening to the DRM transmissions please make sure that you check and send us your feedback on the new schedules published on www.drm.org.

Please help us make this newsletter richer, better, more complete by submitting your ideas, questions and suggestions.

Finally, please do not forget to join us on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.  And if you want to join the Consortium please contact projectoffice@drm.org.  

Ruxandra Obreja 
Chair, DRM Consortium
ruxandra.obreja@drm.org 

IMPORTANT: In line with the new EU policy on privacy, please let us know, projectoffice@drm.org if you do not want us to send you emails or hold your mail address.

Latest News

DRM Recommended in the Digital Migration Policy Unveiled by the South African Government

The Department of Telecommunications and Digital Technologies in South Africa has this week published a document outlining its policy on digital migration in the country.  This paves the way for the migration to digital radio broadcasting which includes the use of DRM digital radio technology.  South Africa becomes the first country to recommend both DRM and DAB and the availability of multistandard chipset receivers could be the catalyst in accelerating the adoption of digital radio broadcasting and help in future proofing radio.  Read more

DRM and AIBD Training Season Kicks Off

The first in a series of three webinars to be jointly hosted by the DRM Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium and the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) started on July 8^th.  

Under the overarching theme of “DRM – the Complete Solution for all Coverage Needs” (July, August, September) the first of the series was focused with a look at DRM in the AM bands. The technical presentations were doubled by real life examples brought for example by the BBC to the attention of the over 100 participants. The first “lecturers” represented Ampegon (Simon Keens), BBC (Robert Webber), Fraunhofer IIS (Alexander Zink), DRM India (Yogendra Pal), DRM Marketing Director (Radu Obreja), all key members of the Consortium.

The second webinar in the series will concentrate on DRM in the FM band is scheduled for August 13^th.  Read more

DRM and AUB/UAR–Enhancing Distance Education to Africa Webinar

On July 9^th, the DRM Consortium. in its first collaboration with the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB/UAR), introduced DRM and one of its main benefits which links audio and data (visual data) in demonstrating DRM as a cheap and far-reaching tool for enhancing distance education in Africa. For the first time, over 50 participants from countries such as Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and many more, participated and asked questions about the standard itself, the bands it can cover, the receiver availability and the possibilities of distributing DRM information via mobile, hot-spots etc. Alex Zink of Fraunhofer IIS, Radu Obreja, DRM Marketing Director, and Thembeka Khaka, DRM Africa representative, stressed the advantages of DRM and its versatile uses.  Read more

DRM Implementation

The DRM Marketing Director, Radu Obreja, provides a best practice guide to a smooth and successful model to implementing DRM digital radio.  Read more

Digitising the AM Band – the Debate Continues in the US 

The debate surrounding the digitisation of the AM band in the US continues.  While this is understood to favour the HD standard, there are opinions against any digitisation and also those that support DRM as well. In a letter published in one of the leading industry publications, Radio World, broadcast consultant Alan Hughes highlights the benefits of AM in the digital.

North Korea Re-activates DRM Transmissions 

A blogger in Hiroshi, Japan, was able to pick up broadcast from North Korea at around 0700 UTC on July 13. More here

Around the Web

Distance Learning Grows in Importance

The current pandemic has seen a significant growth in distance learning as countries are forced to stop in person learning and move to virtual classrooms.    Radio has proven to be the best way to ensure equal access for all.  The high cost of internet and lack of electricity shining a spotlight on the gap in accessibility.   Around the web this has been explored in various publications – a list of some can be found below. 

• Kenya shuts schools until 2021
• Cost of data worldwide
• Plugging the global gap in education

More Articles: 

New Religious Shortwave Broadcaster from Illinois to use DRM

UK Digital switchover delayed

Local radio is dying with a whimper

BBC Regional radio cuts

Did you know?

• Following requests from our readers, we have updated the DRM schedules on our website. So please check for yourself!  List of DRM transmissions Interactive map Over 30 broadcasters carry regular DRM transmissions, covering almost half the world’s population. Updated to 24 October 2020
• The latest Licensing information for DRM is available on the Via Licensing website
• The DRM standard as recommended by ITU and ETSI includes built-in Emergency Warning tools for swift and effective mass-notification in crises.   Listen here.
• DRM publishes a special monthly Noticeboard for India, and a new India page pulls together key DRM information on India.  
• 'The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Standard at a Glance' – a complete guide to the DRM standard.

• The DRM Handbook has been updated to include the latest information on DRM for local coverage and the most recent tests and are available online, in English and Russian.