WE received a counter to our Editor’s Write of September 23 calling for the digitisation of radio in Jamaica. It has come from Digital Radio Mondiale’s London offices, which made the point that DAB/DAB+ is not the only path to radio digitisation.

Radu Peter Obreja, marketing director, argued that “the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard which we represent is the latest and most advanced digital radio system globally and was presented to CBU on several occasions.” The CBU reference is to the Caribbean Broadcasting Union.

Obreja pointed out that the DRM standard is “unique by being able to be deployed in all radio frequency bands”.

There is also an explanation of the critical differences between DAB and DRM. The letter went on, “FM uses only 96 kHz, which allows broadcasters to have three audio channels and one data channel from one transmitter on a frequency that, in analogue, delivers just one programme and no data. DAB+ uses 1,500 kHz for those 16 channels on one multiplex, which needs to be shared by several broadcasters to make financial, spectrum, and energy sense. DRM, on the other hand, does not need multiplexes and completely new and costly infrastructure. Each broadcaster can still use their existing analogue transmitter and antenna, their infrastructure, and be in control of content, transmission, and distribution by upgrading their analogue transmitters to DRM, thus saving costs.”

It also shared the energy-saving potential. “By using DRM, broadcasters save a lot of energy as well, between 50-90 per cent, depending on the type of broadcast band and transmitter used,” it said.

The letter to Digital Life points out that DRM roll-out in India “represents the largest digital radio implementation in the world, on par with the DRM rolled out in China. Other countries implementing it are Indonesia and Pakistan, both going for the digitisation of the FM band. Nearer to Jamaica, Brazil is just installing these days a locally manufactured short wave DRM transmitter to cover the seven million people in the Amazon region and beyond”.

DRM’s marketing director also disclosed that the USA is broadcasting from Virginia to the whole of the Caribbean and beyond on DRM short wave used by Radio Marti. Demonstrations of the system are also underway in the Russian city of St Petersburg on the FM band, while medium wave broadcasts are on the air in Siberia. Other countries set to deploy DRM are South Africa, the Netherlands, and Hungary, while other countries in Europe are looking seriously at DRM to be able to cover their locations fully.

Broadcasters like BBC, Voice of Nigeria, Radio Pakistan, Radio Indonesia, and All India Radio, as well as others like Radio Romania, have regular DRM transmissions daily, according to DRM.

Visit www.drm.org and watch the corporate video, summarising the benefits of the DRM standard: youtu.be/V-DpTa5yU28.