India starts tests on Digital Radio Mondiale transmissionSatyen MohapatraNew Delhi, January 31, 2007Since Jan 26, 2007, India has started tests on Digital Radio Mondialetransmission which is qualitatively much superior to the existing analogtransmission and also supports text-data transmission.In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times Director (Engg)
All India Radio Yogendra Pal said, "DRM will be available only on special DRM receiverwhich will allow us to provide the listener number of Programme AssociatedData. So while a listener is listening to a song we can let the listener seethe name of the movie, the name of the singer, composer, on the LCD screenon the Radio."
He said that the government would liaison with Railway, Civil Aviation andother Ministries whose messages could be flashed on the radio 'screens'whether it is on train and airlines arrival, departures or other generalmessages. News headlines and stock exchange rates could also be regularlytransmitted, he added."
This can also give us additional revenues and we can also generate more revenue by transmitting advertisements," he added.In the Eleventh Plan the government has proposed to go in for digital radio, he added."We have given the government the proposal to first start digital broadcastservices for External Services and in our Regional Services," he said.Digital Radio Mondiale technology is supposed to be the latest technology which does not require additional spectrum allocation and is felt to be more suitable for Indian conditions. Experiments on digital transmission have been going on for the past some years on eureka technology which requiresadditional spectrum.
A decoder has been installed at the AIR transmitter at Khampur, Delhi forthe broadcast of digital transmission.The government is importing a number of DRM receivers for testing theirquality under Indian conditions.One such receiver which can take upto 128 text characters at a time in asingle frame will be displayed at the Broadcast Expo at Pragati Maidanbeginning on Thursday, he added. www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1916500,0008.htm
(Source: Alokesh Gupta, India)