The Power of Digital Radio in Emergencies

Don’t underestimate the potential of digital radio in times of crisis

Ruxandra Obreja, Jan 16, 2020

The author is chairman of Digital Radio Mondiale.

The image of a lonely kangaroo against the orange sky of the burning Australian bush must have been seen by billions of people over the last few weeks. Yet, this is just one of the many disasters ushering in the new year. Let us not forget about the floods and earthquakes in Indonesia, the earthquakes in Puerto Rico, the first cyclones in Asia.

The increasing number of these disasters can challenge governments and authorities more often and for longer everywhere not just in Asia. And when a disaster strikes communication is of the essence

Additional story from Radio World at: https://tinyurl.com/yx6vfcdw

Radio New Zealand using DRM to Feed Pacific Relay Stations

DRM signals decoded, transmitted locally on FM to individual listeners

By James Careless


RANGITAIKI, New Zealand — Radio New Zealand Pacific, the official international arm of Radio New Zealand, is using Digital Radio Mondiale digital radio transmission/reception equipment to feed studio-quality audio to some of its 20 relay stations in the Pacific Ocean region. The others use satellite feeds or web downloads.

 Aitutaki 88FM in the Cook Islands (population 2,000) is a Radio New Zealand Pacific relay stations that receives content via DRM. It does so using a Wellbrook 330 foldable loop antenna on the station’s roof. Credit: Radio New Zealand Pacific. 

The locations being served by DRM include the Cook Islands, where RNZ Pacific’s programs are rebroadcast locally in analog mode by Aitutaki 88FM, the islands’ only broadcaster. RNZ Pacific also serves Tonga, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands using DRM; among others. Previously, RNZ Pacific had fed its relays using analog AM shortwave radio, with that transmission mode’s limited audio range and interference issues.

Additional story at Radio World: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/rnz-pacific-using-drm-to-feed-pacific-relay-stations

First Live DRM Transmissions for Caribbean, Central America Planned

This year, the General Assembly of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union will mark a significant event, as the Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium has announced it will be bringing the first live digital radio signal transmission to Cuba, the Caribbean region and parts of northern Latin America, and even as far north as Florida.

The broadcast will come from the BBC via its Atlantic Relay station through the services of Babcock International. DRM says the transmission will be in the 13 meter-band on 21720 kHz and will carry BBC World Service programs in English. Additional multimedia features of DRM will also be demonstrated on radio receiver screens.

The DRM broadcast will go from 4 p.m.–6 p.m. GMT on Oct. 24 and 25.

(Radio World)

http://www.radioworld.com/article/first-live-drm-transmissions-for-caribbean-central-america-planned/279726

UniWave DRM Radio expected this summer

Look for the first consumer receiver that Digital Radio Mondiale proponents hope will be a commercial success to be available in July.

That's the word from the DRM Consortium, which offered a presentation in its "theater" in the Continental booth at the spring NAB Show.

DRM is a digital radio system for short-, medium-and long-wave. The system is designed for digital transmission of voice and associated data services at frequencies below 30 MHz.

Though DRM has had a software receiver and professional-grade units, Michel Penneroux, head of AM Broadcast for the TDF Group and chairman of the DRM Commercial Committee, said it has not had success in introducing a tabletop, though several companies have tried.

The Di-Wave 100 receiver from UniWave Development SAS (uniwave.fr/?lang=en) in France will enter mass production in July, he said.

Features include program information in the display, USB connection, MP3 playback, MPEG4 playback and a multi-language graphic user interface.

He expects other receivers to come on the market from NewStar, ADI, NXP, Himalaya and Mirics.

Other big news for DRM is the decision by Russia and India to adopt the technology

Given the combined population of the two countries, these decisions should give manufacturers an impetus to speed the development and introduction of affordable DRM receivers, or so proponents hope. The countries have combined population of nearly 1.3 billion.

Indian state broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) announced its decision earlier this year following a series of DRM trials beginning in 2007. The technology also was highlighted in a dedicated session at an international broadcasting conference in Delhi in late February.

AIR currently airs regular DRM transmissions from a 250 kW shortwave transmitter near New Delhi, and it is in the process of converting four other shortwave transmitters to DRM. The broadcaster also plans to add 78 medium-wave transmitters operating in DRM to its national network over the next five years.

In Russia, the State Commission for Radio Frequencies has issued an order opening multiple short- and medium-wave frequencies up to DRM broadcasts. Russia began testing the system in April 2006.

Ruxandra Obreja, who chairs the DRM Consortium and is controller of business development for the BBC World Service, said she was excited and encouraged by the developments in India and Russia. DRM implementation on their large broadcasting networks will give radio a new and exciting "digital" lease of life, she said.

Brazil is also interested in DRM and Germany is now testing the technology, according to DRM experts who spoke at the NAB convention.

Lindsay Cornell, principal systems architect for the BBC, also discussed DRM+, an expansion of DRM technology that brings its features to the FM bands.

Using DRM, proponents hope to provide advantages over FM analog such as using a lower transmission power level to provide the same amount of coverage, provide new audio possibilities such as surround sound and increased spectrum efficiency, he said.

DRM+ is expected to join the family of open worldwide DRM standards later this year, according to the DRM Consortium.
(Radio World)