NEW DELHI: All India Radio, which is currently delivering the largest digital radio project in the world, has ordered another six DRM capable transmitters to supplement the existing 35.

Announcing this at the ongoing International Broadcasting Convention, the Nautel representative in India said AIR had demonstrated further confidence in his company. He was speaking at an event hosted traditionally every year on the second day by Nautel at the IBC, where Digital Radio Mondiale members introduced new transmitter deployments and receiver developments.

The first DRM event on Saturday (10 September) was hosted by Thomson Broadcast, which emphasised the return on investment and the cost-effective nature of investing in DRM transmitters. Key representatives of RRI, the public broadcaster in Indonesia, and WECODEC, a non-profit organisation serving disadvantaged communities in South Africa, enriched the event with their understanding of DRM benefits for their own countries.

In the afternoon, it was announced that in Europe, Antenna Hungaria (the national network operator in Hungary) had recently placed an order for a 2 megawatt DRM MW transmitter.

The participants at both events had the opportunity to see and listen to receivers and software solutions demonstrated at IBC by Gospell, PantronX (Titus II), Avion, Radio Haugaland and Fraunhofer IIS.

DRM’s first event was hosted by key Consortium member, GatesAir, which unveiled its DRM+ G4 Exgine card offering a quick DRM digital upgrade solution for their range of Flexiva FM transmitters, developed in association with another leading DRM Consortium member, RFmondial. During this event, two new DRM receivers, including the first DRM+ receiver were displayed to the public.

New Consortium member, Gospell Digital Technology presented the GR-216 which works in DRM30, AM and FM stereo. The other receiver unveiled today, PatronX Titus II offers an SDR android tablet solution for DRM and analogue, being in effect both a DRM+ and a multi-standard receiver. These new radios demonstrate the growing interest from receiver manufacturers in producing DRM capable solutions.

On day three of IBC, DRM members Ampegon and Transradio gave participants a window into the possibilities of DRM beyond broadcasting and announced another positive development.

The Ampegon presentation focused on the easy, secure and reliable capacity of DRM to deliver data over long distances. Delivery of data files to the navy, whether in text, audio or video form are being used and tested by a series of countries like Germany, France and the US. Rounding up the presentation, the Transradio representative announced that his company is offering a new FM transmitter which is DRM+ capable.

During the four DRM events hosted by GatesAir, Thomson Broadcast, Nautel, Ampegon and Transradio experts, the numerous participants got to know aspects of the cost-effectiveness of DRM, its flexible and varied characteristics. Their presentations were completed and enhanced by testimonies from Indian, Indonesian, South African and Norwegian specialists about what DRM can deliver to their countries and populations be they in cities or small communities.

The participants at all the events had the opportunity to see and listen to receivers and software solutions demonstrated at IBC by Gospell, PantronX (Titus II), Avion, Radio Haugaland and Fraunhofer IIS.

All the events were supported by Babcock International’s live BBC DRM transmission on 7240 kHz into Amsterdam.

DRM chairman Ruxandra Obreja said this has been the best IBC ever, “because we had new receiver solutions to demonstrate, important announcements to make, got the practical support of our full global DRM family in showing that digital radio is making progress and that DRM is in a better place than it has ever been. Congratulations also to the winners of the DRM receivers from Russia, Turkey, Hungary and Bulgaria!”