Special Digital transmissions for Radio Asia Conference in New Delhi

London, 19th Feb 2010: Radio specialists assembling for the Radio Asia 2010 Conference, to be held from 22nd -24th Feb in New Delhi, will be able to hear some high quality digital broadcasts via Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology. This year's Radio Asia Conference (RAC) looks at the digital future of radio with its overall title 'Journey to Digital Land'. DRM is the global digital technology which can convert analogue broadcasts to digital thus significantly improving the audio quality and bringing many other benefits to broadcasters and listeners through its added features.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is going to broadcast three hours in DRM everyday from 22nd- 26th February from 04:29:30 - 07:29:00 GMT (09:59:30 - 12:59:00 IST) on 17760 kHz. For the first time this year the broadcast will start with the daily Hindi programme followed by current affairs in English. Christian Vision Radio (CVC) will run DRM transmissions from 22nd -24th February from 0830-1230 UTC (2pm-6pm IST) on 17590 kHz. The programmes will be in Hindi.

All India Radio (AIR) already has a daily DRM SW broadcast from its transmitter in Khampur, Delhi. They air three hours of local transmission within India from 1430 to 1730 IST on 6100 kHz. AIR recently placed a contract for 2 MW medium wave transmitters to BECIL (Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited). BECIL and Thomson were awarded to supply these high-power medium wave transmitters including auxiliaries, commissioning and testing. The new transmitters will replace old existing transmitters near Kolkata and Rajkot. Both transmitters are equipped with DRM and can operate on analogue, on simulcast or on full power
digital with automatic change over between the 3 operation modes.

Special demos of DRM30 (meant for converting SW, MW, AM broadcasts) and DRM+ (meant for converting FM Bands I and II) will be held on the sidelines of the conference. RAC participants will be able to hear these transmissions as well as learn more about DRM and its potential at various sessions and also during the specialised DRM workshop scheduled for February 22nd a.m.

"We are delighted that the BBC and CVC will be transmitting these special programmes for Radio Asia," ABU Secretary-General, David Astley said. "It will enable delegates who may not be so familiar with DRM to hear first-hand the improvement in sound quality that the technology provides."

DRM is also the principal sponsor of Radio Asia 2010 and DRM Consortium Chair, Ruxandra Obreja, expressed hope that it will be a great success, "Radio Asia is being held in India for the first time and is already shaping as a significant radio event with industry representatives having committed to attend. This will be a great occasion to showcase the tremendous potential of DRM and how it can change the future of radio broadcasting for good. We extend our thanks to broadcasters who are putting in the special DRM transmissions for this event and making it even more useful for the participants."

(DRM Consortium Press Release)