Digital Radio: The Time to Plan Ahead is Now

If COVID-19 has reset many parameters and changed our lives, some of the old assumptions have stayed strong.

One of these is that, despite the challenge from new platforms like internet streaming, expensive satellite and nebulous but undeniable 5G promises, terrestrial broadcasting still offers mobile reception that is both cost effective and reliable.

A recent study “Share of Ear” from Edison Research shows that listening in cars seems to be recovering after taking a hit during bleak pandemic summer months. And, at least in the United States, at home listening is now higher than pre-COVID 19. This reflects the work from home shift favored now by many companies.

Vital Services

For radio, there is more than this, however. At a recent ITU event for Africa the obvious but undeniable fact that radio reaches those parts that other newer technologies cannot was very evident.

Radio remains the most effective ways to deliver information and education in rural and remote areas, where information can educate and even save lives in emergency situations. Together with the growth of community radio, information and culture become more accessible to all.

Ruxandra Obreja

A new and vital component of radio services is increasingly becoming education or rather distance learning, with about 463 million students worldwide cut off from education. It was noted that in Africa, where AM, and particularly FM radio, remain extremely popular, the demand for new frequencies is increasing.

ITU and African Telecommunication Union (ATU) had already planned to optimize the GE84 Plan (the ITU frequency plan) for African countries in 2018. The optimization GE84 Plan was intended not only to respond to the increasing demand in analog sound broadcasting, but also to enable and facilitate the introduction of digital radio in Band II (DRM).

Looking ahead to 2021, three frequency coordination meetings are slated to take place in order to get all 54 African administrations to adopt common technical criteria and conditions for mutual agreements. During these meetings they will also submit their frequency requirements, run compatibility analyses and mutually coordinate their stations.

Stay Competitive

Clearly, there is quite a bit of planning going on for analog — as well as for digital radio. It’s now accepted that analog radio needs to make a transition to digital broadcasting to allow radio to add new programming and features. This move will permit radio to stay competitive in the new digital entertainment and information age.

More generally, as we know, some countries and broadcasters have strongly supported the transition; others are taking a more cautious approach. And some have expressed little or no interest.

We have quite a few good examples of planning on the arduous road to digital. Pakistan has put in place a three-stage costed plan to go DRM on all frequencies. Indonesia is following suit by starting with the Band II and digital FM (DRM) and showing how the DRM can be used for the vital emergency warnings the population needs.

Germany is planning a pre-Christmas marketing campaign on all platforms to promote the already rolled out DAB+.  This effort  also comprises the training of employees in over 1500 stores, presumably in order to increase the sale of DAB+ receivers.

For digital radio beginners (administrations and broadcasters, manufacturers, retailers etc.) going from evaluating and potentially increasing the number of frequencies or available programs to infrastructure upgrades (in the case of DRM) is not so simple.

Act Strategically

The planning also includes, or at least should include, a content schedule for broadcasters to include on these new channels. All India Radio is currently increasing its time of pure DRM transmissions and is comprising popular music, news, and generally attractive and different content from its analog offering.

The broadcaster is also considering the allocation of the third of three programs that DRM makes possible on one current frequency, for education. And then all this activity must run in parallel with planning for receiver availability and campaigns coordination, similar to the above-mentioned one mentioned in Germany.

DRM maps out this intricate process in its latest DRM video “DRM from Broadcaster to Listener.”

Source:- https://www.redtechtribe.com/guest-commentaries/digital-radio-the-time-to-plan-ahead-is-now/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

The  DRM video is an easy introduction to the benefit of the only all-band digital radio standard. Digital Radio Mondiale, accompanied by a clear explanation of how best to deliver local, regional national and international coverage. The steps that a country needs to consider are presented in a lively and easily understandable manner. The DRM video turns any digital radio novice into a DRM practitioner.

Source : https://youtu.be/V-DpTa5yU28

Coverage- AM V/S DRM

Coverage- AM V/S DRM

Digital radio technology has revolutionised the communications industry, improving many aspects of the radio user's experience. There are several benefits of using digital radios, but the most obvious benefits are:

Clearer signals – Unlike analogue radios, there is no background noise when using digital radios, so when the signal weakens the voice clarity remains the same. When the signal is fully lost the digital radios stop receiving.
Increased coverage – Digital technology increases coverage by up to 20% over analogue radios because the unwanted background noise is filtered out. Digital radios are also able to correct errors in weaker transmissions and therefore fill in the gaps.
Secure transmissions – It is much more difficult to listen in to digital transmissions than it is to listen in to analogue transmissions. Digital radios also offer encryption as standard.
Robust equipment – All manufacturers are investing their efforts and money into producing the very best digital radios, and therefore the quality and reliability of the equipment is excellent.

For details click here: www.drm.org

ALL INDIA RADIO (AIR) TO EXPAND DRM DIGITAL RADIO SERVICES

After the disruption caused by the pandemic, All India Radio (AIR) decided not only to restart transmissions in pure digital mode but also to expand DRM MW digital Radio services.

According to a recent decision of AIR, the stations with single DRM MW transmitters are to carry two digital audio channels in simulcast mode and three audio channels in pure digital mode with Journaline. All the DRM MW stations have been asked to carry out test transmission immediately, to ensure readiness and sustainability of the transmitters for regular transmission of DRM in pure and simulcast modes. This will be an opportunity to carry out field survey . In simulcast mode two digital audio channels and one Journaline (if feasible) is to be tested. In pure digital mode, three audio channels will be available with one Journaline (if feasible). Whether in simulcast or pure DRM the first channel will be News 24×7and second channel will be primary/main channel. In pure DRM the third channel will be the popular Vividh Bharati music programme.

It has further been decided that five major stations (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Rajkot), which have 2 MW DRM transmitters each, will operate one of these transmitters in pure Digital mode throughout the day.

Six more stations (Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Jagdalpur, Bhawanipatna, Sambalpur and Jeypore), which have digital ready MW transmitters, have also been asked to test these transmitters for DRM digital transmissions. In fact test transmission in DRM has already started from Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam is almost ready.