Philips won’t sell TVs, CD players any more

AMSTERDAM: Philips Electronics is selling its audio and video business to Japan's Funai Electric in a deal that almost completes its exit from consumer electronics, to focus on more profitable home appliances and healthcare.

 

More at :

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/Philips-wont-sell-TVs-CD-players-any-more/articleshow/18249091.cms

 

I&B Minister inaugurates BES Expo 2013

Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Manish Tewari has said with the exponential growth in the media space, a paradigm shift has taken place wherein regulations have to keep pace with changing technologies. An enabling statutory environment has to be in place to keep pace with changes taking place across platforms. The changing landscape of the Media and entertainment industry had enabled it to become one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. This had been facilitated by policies that have encouraged investments, sustainability for business models and promoted entrepreneurship and innovation. It was imperative that the industry specially the Broadcasting sector had learnt to adopt, adapt and innovate with the changes taking place. Shri Tewari stated this while delivering his address at the BES Expo 2013 here today.

The Minister further stated that the renewed thrust by the industry has reinforced the concept of inclusive growth. "Inclusive Growth" is an act of faith - It was a developmental model that addressed the concerns of each stakeholder and recipient by the effective placement of social development programmes and policies. On the issue of democratization of media, Shri Tewari stated that it was important to understand the implications of this process on the social ethos of the country and the people at large.

Shri Manish Tewari further mentioned that due to the paradigm shift taking place, Broadcasting shall always remain a dynamic medium of communication. The guiding principles for this sector will always be innovation, ingenuity and the vision to converge technologies. Conferences such as BES Expo 2013 provided an opportunity to introspect and bring about changes at the policy level keeping in mind the roadmap and requirements of the future.

Earlier addressing the delegates, Shri Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations said technology had brought about a major change in the lives of the people.The shift was also visible in the way the broadcasting sector was functioning. The challenge lay in imbibing the innovations in the critical sectors which would determine the course in the future. During the course of his address , Shri Pitroda gave an overview of the initiatives undertaken by the government to strengthen the national knowledge network and public infrastructure system. In the course of his address, Secretary I&B, Shri Uday Kumar Varma highlighted the changes that had taken place in the sector in view of the policy initiatives undertaken recently and the immediate concerns that had to be addressed by the industry at large.

CP/ST

Press Information Bureau

Government of India
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
29-January-2013 17:28 IST

Satellite world explores action on ‘jamming’

A meeting at the headquarters of Eutelsat in Paris last Friday brought together industry protagonists who have already been or fear they will be affected by jamming, to discuss countermeasures to the problem. One option suggested is to enable satellite operators to share data about when and where malicious disruptions happen. The data would be stored in a common space for reference and used in discussions with international regulatory bodies. A start was made on creating such a database at the Paris meeting.

More info at : http://tinyurl.com/bxfqssv

Bangladesh Betar to modernise/expand its FM services

Summary of a news report (in bengali) published in banglanews24 dot com

 

Here's what Director General of Bangladesh Betar, Kazi Akhtar Uddin Ahmed said while responding to reporter's queries at a cultural program organised by Radio Colony Model School, Savar, Dhaka on 26th Jan 2013 :

 

- At present Bangladesh Betar has 13 FM transmitters of 1, 2 & 5 kW

 

- By next month 12 FM transmitters of 10 kW (BE FM 10S 10 kW solid-state) will be started/replaced at different places.

 

- During next 2 months 6 more FM transmitters of 10 kW will be on air.

 

- Bangladesh Betar transmissions will be gradually converted from analog to digital in the coming years.

 

Source :  http://tinyurl.com/alx6nql

 

Thanks to Nazmus Sadat via IDXCI Facebook group for sharing this link.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/idxcintl/

 

Locations :

 

Barishal (Planned)

Chittagong ( Existing 2 kW)

Comilla (existing 2 kW)

Cox's Bazar (Planned)

Dhaka (Planned/Installed ?)

Jessore (Planned)

Khulna ( existing 1 kW)

Rajshahi (existing 1/5 kW)

Rangpur (existing 1 kW)

Sylhet (existing 1 kW)

 

Excerpt from Bangladesh Betar website :

 

Introduction of Country wide FM Broadcast Network in Bangladesh Betar (1st Phase)

 

Objectives of the project:

 

- To establish countrywide FM Broadcasting Network throughout the whole country for high quality and noise free reception on cheap radio receivers satisfying the listener's needs.

- In order to transmit attractive and harmonious program to the remote corner of Bangladesh

- In order to motivate and inspire mass people to take part in present day nation building activities, such as Poverty alleviation/ Poverty reduction, Population Control, Farm Broadcast, adult Education, Promotion of Cultural Heritage and other development activities.

- With the advancement of modern technology, FM becomes increasingly popular because of high quality, less cost and easy in handing.

- Using modern digital studio equipment and proposed FM network. Bangladesh Betar will be able to radiate noise interference free, clear high fidelity, CD quality program, thereby satisfying the audience needs.

 

Location : Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Jessore, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet and Barishal .

Project Cost (in lakh) : GOB TK. 2356.25 including foreign expenditure TK 1724.45

Expected date of completion : December, 2012

 

Related Link :

 

Broadcast Electronics (BE) awarded large transmitter contract by Bangladesh Government Radio

 

http://www.bdcast.com/information-center/company-news/14

 

Buy the Official Limited Edition Radio Free Sarawak T-Shirt

 

Buy the Official Limited Edition Radio Free Sarawak T-Shirt and support radio distribution in Sarawak.

 

Ordering info at : http://radiofreesarawak.org/tshirts/

Special broadcasts by AIR for Republic Day 2013

                               

All India Radio will broadcast following special programs in connection with the Republic Day celebrations on 26th January, 2013

25 January 2013 (Friday) : Eve of Republic Day
1330 UTC (1900 IST) onwards President's address to the nation in Hindi & English. This will be broadcast by all stations of AIR on MW, SW, FM and by IGNOU Gyan Vani stations. Shortly after this broadcast, the local stations will broadcast its translations in local languages.

SW Frequencies : http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/sw/freq.htm

 

MW Frequencies : http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/mw/freq.htm

 

FM Frequencies :  http://www.qsl.net/vu2jos/fm/airfreq.htm

26 January 2013 (Saturday) : Republic Day
Running Commentary of Republic Day parade from 0350 UTC (0920 IST) onwards :

Hindi : 6155 (Bengaluru); 9595 (Delhi), 11620 (Bengaluru)
English : 5990 (Delhi); 15050 (Bengaluru)

 

Also try SW/MW/FM frequencies as per above mentioned links.
Please send your reception reports to :  spectrum-manager@air.org

Radio Free Asia anounces Year of the Snake QSL Card

                            RFA's Year of the Snake QSL card

Radio Free Asia (RFA) announces the release of our 2013 Year of the Snake QSL card. According to tradition, everyone born in a snake year is considered wise and intelligent. Other characteristics of those born in snake year is they are charming, romantic, exceptional communicators, maintain good tempers and excellent manners, and they like to be in control therefore they are also very calculating. Snake people love the arts, including books, music, and photography along with fine clothes, food, and luxurious surroundings. They are also patient, waiting for the right moment to achieve their goals. This card will be used to confirm all valid reception reports from January 1-April 30, 2013.

RFA is a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean to North Korea, Lao, Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), and Uyghur. RFA strives for accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content. As a 'surrogate' broadcaster, RFA provides news and commentary specific to each of its target countries, acting as the free press these countries lack. RFA broadcasts only in local languages and dialects, and most of its broadcasts comprise news of specific local interest. More information about Radio Free Asia, including our current broadcast frequency schedule, is available at www.rfa.org.

RFA encourages listeners to submit reception reports. Reception reports are valuable to RFA as they help us evaluate the signal strength and quality of our transmissions. RFA confirms all accurate reception reports by mailing a QSL card to the listener. RFA welcomes all reception report submissions at www.techweb.rfa.org (follow the QSL REPORTS link) not only from DX'ers, but also from its general listening audience. 

Reception reports are also accepted by email at qsl@rfa.org, and for anyone without Internet access, reception reports can be mailed to:

Reception Reports

Radio Free Asia

2025 M. Street NW, Suite 300

Washington DC 20036

United States of America.

(A.J.Janitschek, Radio Free Asia)

DRM India Chapter Noticeboard January 2013

DRM India Chapter Noticeboard January 2013 edition is available at :

 

http://tinyurl.com/axyvbj3

 

Main Stories :

 

- DRM to demonstrate Digital Radio at BES Expo 201

- Come and visit DRM at BES Expo 2013

- DRM Members to present all the benefits of Digital Radio at the BES Conference

- Special offer for enhanced DR111 receiver

- Broadcast Electronics join DRM

- Digital Radio Workshop conducted in the Staff Training Institute at All India Radio

- The Successful Implementation of High Performance Digital Radio

- India's next step in the transition to digital broadcasting

 

Around the Web…

AIR Medium Wave transmissions remain popular despite FM channels.

RTM Kajang tests observed in DRM mode

 

January 2013 issue of DRM newsletter is available at : http://tinyurl.com/af59tlz

 

 

AIR FM GOLD Delhi 106.4 MHz - now available online

AIR FM GOLD Delhi 106.4 MHz is now available online with effect from 23rd Jan 2013.

Here's the link to listen online :

http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Profile/ListenLive/Pages/FMGold.aspx

Official Facebook Page of AIR FM Gold Delhi 106.4 MHz

http://www.facebook.com/pages/AIR-FM-GOLD-Delhi-1064-MHz/132523946879778

ABU DB Symposium 2013 Offers Fascinating Line-up, Attracts Broadcasting Industry

 

Many leading industry players are participating in the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2013 and contributing to it in various ways. The symposium, with the theme Next-Gen Media Space and the Connected World, 9th in the series, is organised by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union as a key forum towards development of the industry in Asia-Pacific and other regions of the broadcasting world. This Year's offering is a mix of conference, workshops, a 60 booth exhibition and several value-add workshops and meetings conducted by other organisations. Last year's DB Symposium attracted more than 1000 participants. The event is closely supported by the leading lights in the broadcasting industry from the equipment manufacturers, system integrators, transmission network integrators, frequency planners, Internet and broadcast service providers, digital system proponents

and regulatory agencies.

The event will have an equipment exhibition with participation from Harris, WorldDMB, Sony, Grass Valley, Ideal Systems, Playbox Technology, Nevion, Conax, Front Porch Digital, Tektronix, Nautel, Measat, Rohde & Schwarz, Net Insight, Miranda, Kathrein, LS telcom, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting, Mahajak, Salzbrenner Stagetec Mediagroup, Exir Broadcasting, EMS Test Measurement, Gencom Technology, MediaCorp, VSN, RFS, SM CNS, Enensys, Lemo, Orban, Radio Television Malaysia and Asia Media. More are expected to join.

DB Symposium will also feature 16 dedicated workshops conducted by many of the above and also Dolby, DVB, Dalet and the ABU. The latter workshop will address TV content concepts and content creation. The main conference (6-8 March) features 11 sessions with 60 eminent speakers from all walks of the industry making presentations. The emphasis is on next generation services and employing Internet connectivity.

Six value-add workshops will be conducted alongside the symposium together with some other organisations. These are ITU-ABU-AIBD Workshop on Digital Migration, IPPTARABU Workshop on HDTV Operations, DRM Workshop, ABU Workshop on Implications of Broadcasters' Treaty, ABU Workshop on Olympic Sports Coverage and Production of Sporting Events and UNESCAP Workshop on EWB-Implementation and Operations.

We are pleased to have the Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium (DRM) as the Principal Sponsor of the Symposium. The six Major Sponsors of the event are Harris, WorldDMB Forum, Sony, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission, Grass Valley and Snell. In addition, IPPTAR (the media training institute of the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture, Government of Malaysia, is a Co-Sponsor of the Symposium.

About the ABU

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) is a non-profit, non-government, professional association of broadcasting organisations, formed in 1964 to facilitate the development of broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and to organise co-operative activities amongst its members. It currently has nearly 230 members in 60 countries, representing the who's who of the broadcasting industry and reaching a potential audience of more than 3.5 billion people.

 

For more information, please visit www.abu.org.my/dbsymposium or contact Sharad Sadhu at sharad.s@abu.org.my Tel: +(603) 2282-4995.

 

Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union P.O. Box 12287, 50772 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Email: info@abu.org.my | Tel: +60-3 2282 -3592 | Fax: +60-32282-5292   www.abu.org.my

 

(ABU Press Release)

Radio Raises the Volume

Radio has always baffled media futurologists, effortlessly bouncing back from perceived 'threats' such as recession right through to technological revolution - something consistently touted by 'radio assassins' as the next to bring about the demise of the medium.

 

More at :  http://allafrica.com/stories/201301211626.html?viewall=1

 

 

Nautel receives orders for 21 additional medium wave AM transmitters

 

Nautel Lands Largest High Power AM Transmitter Orders in Company History, 4.9 Megawatts in all

 

Investment by All India Radio to move to DRM digital AM radio changes dramatically the outlook for future cost effective receiver availability.

 

Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia — Nautel today announced that the company has received orders for 21 additional medium wave AM transmitters and associated equipment from India’s Prasar Bharati. The orders for 100 kW and 200 kW transmitters join the earlier-announced order of six 300 kW DRM transmitters from All India Radio as the world’s largest digital radio deployment to date. All transmitters in the system will be configured for DRM30 transmission and will be used in 27 locations throughout India.

 

All India Radio (AIR) serves the entire country of India via their analog broadcasting service, covering a broad range of languages and dialects through the country. The transition to digital broadcasting will allow AIR to use alternate platforms such as podcasting, SMS, webcasting and mobile services, and offer a 24-hour news channel along with other programming. Additional services such as Interactive Text Transmission and disaster warning are also planned.

 

“This project is especially significant for Digital Broadcasting, for India, for the AM Radio broadcasting industry as a whole and of course for Nautel,” said Peter Conlon, Nautel President and CEO. “This deployment will bring unprecedented numbers of listeners to digital radio which in turn fosters receiver innovation and places India at the forefront of broadcasting. It also reinvigorates Medium Wave transmission and underlines the coverage advantages of the AM band which has been languishing in many parts of the world. For the broadcast industry as a whole, this is an unabashed validation that Radio is a medium that has a place in our mixed media world for decades to come. And finally for Nautel, this being the largest order in our company’s history, it is a great endorsement of Nautel technology, expertise and integration services by Prasar Bharati and All India Radio. We are honoured to participate with such world class organizations.”

 

Nautel NX Series MW transmitters were first introduced in 2007. These high power transmitters occupy a surprisingly small footprint for their power and offer the industry’s highest efficiency (90%) along with AM precorrection, unmatched linearity and Nautel’s exclusive Advanced User Interface. Working with Nautel on the deployment are Comcon, Nautel’s in-country partner along with Altronic, providing RF test loads and Kintronic Labs, supplying matching systems for the project. The orders from Prasar Bharati include transmitters, DRM modulators/content servers, antenna coupling equipment and test loads as well as services. The project includes 6 Nautel NX300 (300 kW MW-AM), 10 NX200 (200 kW MW-AM) and 11 NX100 (100 kW MW-AM) transmitters.

 

“This is an amazing project and we’re thrilled to be involved in it,” said John Abdnour, Nautel Regional Manager, Asia-Pacific. “It marks a significant commitment to the people of India to provide them with the best, most comprehensive radio broadcasting in the region. Using DRM-30 gives AIR the unique opportunity to provide even more services to the many dialects and cultures found throughout the country.”

 

About Nautel

Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of broadcast transmitters. With more than 12,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital broadcasting and other applications.

 

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

www.nautel.com

 

(Nautel Press Release)

DRM to demonstrate Digital Radio Benefits at India’s BES Expo 2013

Digital Radio Mondiale is to have its own booth (95B) at this year's Indian Broadcast Engineering Society's 19th International Conference and Exhibition. The show will take place in Halls N 12 and 12A, Pragathi Maidan, New Delhi,India from 29th to 31st January 2013.

 

Very recently Prasar Bharati (All India Radio) awarded an order for 21 additional medium wave AM transmitters and associated equipment from DRM Consortium member, Nautel. The orders for 100 kW and 200 kW transmitters join the earlier announced order of six 300 kW DRM transmitters from All India Radio making this the world's largest digital radio deployment to date. All transmitters will be used in 27 locations throughout India.

 

DRM Chairman, Ruxandra Obreja, hails this development as: "the most significant development for digital radio in AM and receiver availability to date. Indian listeners will thus have a chance to hear their favourite channel in their chosen language in crystal clear quality with all the added benefits of the extra services that make digital radio an aggregator of all modern communication platforms".

 

Read - Nautel press release

 

http://tinyurl.com/b978lvs

  

With DRM now so high on the radio digitisation agenda in India, the Consortium intends to give BES participants and visitors a firsthand, live experience of the DRM benefits. In addition, several DRM members are to have their own booths at the event :  Ampegon (Booth 59), Digidia (Booth 109), Harris (Booth 97) and Nautel/Comcon (Booth 87). BE, which recently joined the Consortium as a full member, will also demonstrate at booth 91 their new DRM+ capable transmitters, which might be another cost-effective solution for India's third phase of FM privatization. Their new FM transmitter to be seen at BES broadcasts a DRM+ signal and an analogue FM signal simultaneously through one single transmitter.

 

DRM experts from Consortium members Analog Devices, Fraunfofer IIS, NXP and RFmondial will also be attending both the BES exhibition and the conference. Representatives from Ampegon, Analog Devices, Digidia and Fraunhofer are also to make presentations at the Digital Radio Broadcasting session on the morning of the 31 st Jan. The session will be chaired by the Engineer-In-Chief, All India Radio (AIR) and will also include a presentation on the AIR DRM roll-out plans, now in full swing.

 

If you want to come and experience digital radio for yourself at the BES Expo 2013 and meet senior DRM experts, come to booth 95B.

 

For more information and DRM updates please visit www.drm.org or subscribe to DRM news by writing to pressoffice@drm.org

 

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

TWR Guam Antenna maintenance

TWR Guam Antenna maintenance

http://ktwrdrm.blogspot.in/2013/01/break-for-new-year_9.html

And a video......

http://tinyurl.com/a2z7b6t

Nautel & Radio Veritas Bring the Good News

As the story goes, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), requested its service provider, Sentech, to switch off its Radio Metro transmitter on 576 kHz (at Sentech Meyerton Transmitting Station) along with relinquishing the frequency in June 2011, as this station has completely migrated to FM. This opened up an opportunity for Radio Veritas to lodge its application with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for this frequency, with a transmitter power output (TPO) of 50 kW.

More at :

http://www.nautel.com/resources/customer-stories/radio-veritas/

WRN offers free desktop widget

WRN is offering a free and versatile desktop widget that plays all the WRN language network live streams.

Features

- Beta v1.0 release candidate

Uses CDN network for reliable streaming

Select from low and high bandwidth streams

Displays network and currently broadcast station

Available free of charge

More info at : http://www.wrn.org/listeners/#tools

All India Radio now on WRN

Programming of General Overseas Service of All India Radio is now available on all the WRN English services.

 

Here's more info on schdule & times :  http://www.wrn.org/listeners/#all-india-radio/

Thousands Come to Open House at HCJB Quito

Radio Station HCJB began in 1931 as the world's first missionary radio station and the first station in Ecuador with daily programming. In 1974 the ministry added FM broadcasts, complementing the AM and shortwave broadcasts.

More at :  http://tinyurl.com/b54w4cf

Broadcast Electronics Joins DRM Consortium

Broadcast Electronics announced that it has joined the DRM Consortium in support of progressive DRM digital radio, especially in the FM band for the Indian market.

More at :

http://www.rwonline.com/article/broadcast-electronics-joins-drm-consortium/217180

Special event amateur station ATS150 to celebrate 150 years of Swami Vivekanand

A special event HAM Radio station to celebrate 150 years of Swami Vivekanand, will be operated from 11 January 2013 to 20 January 2013 with call sign ATSW150 place Sarth Shati Office, Naisarak, Gwalior. All are requested to be on air during day time. Freq. 7030, 7070, 14040, 14200, 21040, 21250 kHz. Operation will be in SSB and CW mode.

 

(Jayant Bhide,VU2JAU)

Reach of Radio Sawa Expands in Libya

The Broadcasting Board of Governors has just launched a transmitter in Misrata, providing Radio Sawa's latest news and information to citizens in the northwestern Libyan city. The Misrata FM channel marks the third transmitter launched in Libya since the fall of former leader Moammar

Gadhafi.

"Getting a clear signal into Libya is critical," said André Mendes, the BBG's Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer. "We're delighted that we've been able to complete the installation despite this period of uncertainty in Libya and now can reach a larger audience than ever before in this pivotal country."

"Radio Sawa is the most popular radio network in the region and we expect that success to continue as the network grows in Libya. Listeners tune into Radio Sawa to hear all sides to the most important

news stories of the day," stated MBN President Brian Conniff. MBN manages and operates Radio Sawa.

The Radio Sawa network can now be heard in the three largest Libyan cities-99.1 FM in Misrata joins 106.6 FM in Tripoli and 88.1 FM in Benghazi. Radio Sawa's coverage of the clashes in Libya won a Silver Radio Award in the 2012 New York Festivals Radio Program & Promotion Awards®. The award-winning report covered the violence in Misrata during the fighting that led to the fall of Gadhafi, highlighting the courage and resilience of the city's inhabitants who continued their fight for democracy in the face of death and destruction.

Recent surveys by international research companies such as ACNielsen show that Radio Sawa has a weekly reach of more than 13 million adults across the Middle East and North Africa. Radio Sawa is operated by the non-profit corporation, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN). MBN is

financed by the U.S. government through a grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors, an independent federal agency. The BBG provides oversight and serves as a firewall to protect the professional independence and integrity of the broadcasters.

(BBG Press Release)

Radio "Belarus" starts broadcasting in Chinese

Starting from January 1 the programs of international broadcasting of the Belarusian radio are also broadcasted in Chinese.

 

According to the Chief Director of the International Radio "Belarus" Naum Galperovich, this took place within the framework of the new program "Your Friend - Belarus" which will air weekly and will narrate about the relations of Belarus and the People's Republic of China, joint projects in economy and other spheres and the contacts of the citizens of the two countries. The creative team which prepares the programs includes Belarusian journalists and their Chinese colleagues working in Belarus.

 

Thus, starting this year "Belarus" broadcasts on international air in 8 languages: Belarusian, Russian, English, German, Polish, French, Spanish and Chinese.

 

A press-conference and a presentation for the representatives of mass media will take place at Belteleradiocompany on the occasion of the beginning of broadcasting in Chinese.

 

(Press Release)

Shortwave Broadcasting - Challenges and Opportunities

If shortwave had been discovered today instead of eight decades ago it would be hailed as an amazing new technology with great potential for the world we live in today.

John Tusa,

Former Director, BBC World Service

The current multi-platform media environment has created both challenges and opportunities for shortwave radio. While a number of shortwave broadcasting services have recently been severely cut or completely phased out, this distinctive medium remains relevant for a large critical audience interested in programming that focuses on both regional and international affairs and is broadcast from the perspective of different communities around the world.

Read the full article at : http://tinyurl.com/ad8ftfp

DRM to demonstrate Digital Radio Benefits at India’s BES Expo 2013

Digital Radio Mondiale is planning to have a strong presence at this year's Indian Broadcast Engineering Society's 19th International Conference and Exhibition on Terrestrial and Satellite Broadcasting. The Consortium will have its own booth (95B) at the show scheduled to take place in Halls N 12 and 12A, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India from 29th to 31st January 2013.

India is one of the leading countries in introducing DRM through an ambitious roll-out plan spearheaded by the public broadcaster, All India Radio (AIR). The progress has been good with AIR DRM transmissions now on the air both internally and externally. In December of last year, India's public radio and television broadcaster, Prasar Bharati (of which AIR is part), issued orders for six 300 kW medium wave transmitters configured for DRM30 transmission. But DRM is so much more than just superior audio broadcasting. For the first time in its long association with the annual BES event the DRM Consortium have decided to use its own booth to give participants and visitors a first-hand, live experience of the DRM benefits.

DRM Consortium Chair, Ruxandra Obreja, says:

"The technical implementation of DRM has been shown and demonstrated over the years very successfully. We now need to take the project to the next level and demonstrate the benefits to the listeners and why digital is demonstrably superior to analogue. By participating and listening to the presentations made by some of the Consortium members during the BES conference and then testing, programming and experiencing the DRM benefits directly, we are offering a unique and new experience to the broadcasting industry in India."

Some key companies with an interest in this market (Ampegon, Analog Devices, Digidia, Harris, Fraunhofer IIS, Nautel, NXP, RFmondial) will attend both the BES exhibition and the conference.

If you want to come and experience digital radio for yourself at the BES Expo 2013 and meet senior DRM experts come to booth 95B. For more information please write to: projectoffice@drm.org

For more information and DRM updates please visit www.drm.org or subscribe to DRM news by writing to pressoffice@drm.org

(Press Release)

Newstar announces production version of its DRM receiver DR111A

                                                                       Screenshot from CDNSE website

                    

Newstar has posted info & specifications of an updated version of the Newstar DR111 receiver - DR111A. Comparing with DR111 specifications no changes has been observed, but the newer version is marked as "available for ordering" & not marked as "pre-production sample" as was marked for DR111.

Newstar DR111A specificatons : http://www.cdnse.com/products/dr111a

Order the new Newstar DR111A here : http://www.cdnse.com/dr111a-order

Update :

Tudor Vedeanu says via drmna yg "I've just found this piece of information: according to Dave N9EWO (http://n9ewo.angelfire.com), Newstar said "DR111A is a cost-down model of DR111 which removes long wave band reception and Journaline function".

The Successful Implementation of High-Performance Digital Radio

Check out this interesting write up on development & implementation of digital radio by T.V.B. Subrahmanyam and Mohammed Chalil in the latest issue of Analog Dialogue...

http://www.analog.com/library/analogDialogue/archives/47-01/digital_radio.html

ARELIS group Acquires Thomson Broadcast

PARIS — December. 20, 2012 — ARELIS group acquires entire transmission business portfolio including radio and television transmitter products lines of the former subsidiary of THALES which later became the TECHNICOLOR group. This acquisition significantly enhances the activities of the former French industry flagship company.

With more than 160 references worldwide, THOMSON Broadcast entity remains a leader both in radio and television transmission and in the military market. ARELIS Group will keep on investing to guarantee sustainable and lasting development of THOMSON Broadcast with 100% of its products manufactured in France – these include the latest generation of high efficiency GreenPower radio and television transmitters providing significant energy savings.

With this acquisition, ARELIS becomes a key European provider of radio frequency and microwave electronics, energy conversion and testing with complete capabilities ranging from R&D to production. Strongly established in the aerospace and defense markets, ARELIS adds with this acquisition, a new sector of television and radio transmission. The group now employs 270 over four main sites: Marville, Saint-Aubin-les- Elbeuf, Saumur and Conflans-.

###

About ARELIS Group

The French group formed by the merger in 2010 of two innovative companies MEUSONIC and SERICAD became in less than two years a major industrial and strategic partner in microwave energy conversion. Member of the Gifas (Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautique et Spatiale) and of the NAE (AeroEspace Normandy), the group acquired in 2010 LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) activity of ZODIAC Data Systems. The group manufactures since 2011 radar power modules for a subsidiary of Thales in Brazil and has acquired a production unit AsteelFlash Anjou. ARELIS is also actively supported by the French DGA (Direction Générale de l'Armement) especially through the RAPID program, a financial support program dedicated to small defense companies. ARELIS has been fundraised in June 2012 by ACE Management (a private equity investor acting on behalf of prime rank partners such as EADS, Airbus, , Thales, Safran, CEA, Areva...) for 6.5 million Euros which has strongly accelerated its development and external growth. The French group has now significant financial resources to carry out its development policy. The goal is to increase by 3 years € 27 million turnover to € 75 million in the areas of R & D and production in the microwave electronics and energy conversion as well as testing.

For more information on ARELIS Group product, please visit our website

www.arelis.com

About THOMSON BROADCAST

Since the earliest years of broadcasting, the Thomson name has been synonymous with expertise and innovation at the highest level. A trusted partner to the world's leading broadcasters, Thomson has pioneered many developments that have shaped the industry, leading innovation in solid-state technology, Digital Adaptive Pre-correction (DAP), Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), and Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB); winning multiple Emmy® Awards; and gaining more than 50 patents in technologies that have become fundamental to broadcasting. THOMSON Broadcast is building on this great heritage with a market-leading portfolio of transmission products for terrestrial television, radio broadcasting, and state-of-the-art products for scientific applications, combined with world-class systems integration services.

With more than 50,000 active Thomson transmission systems deployed worldwide and a global support presence, THOMSON Broadcast continues to forge technologies for the future, with initiatives such as the innovative GreenPower and broadcast/mobile convergence programs. In addition to broadcasting, Thomson's list of projects in the field of special applications dates back to 1981 and includes installations on five continents managed by private and public organizations operating in the areas of scientific research, medical, or industrial applications.

Information about products from THOMSON Broadcast is available at www.thomson-broadcast.com

What is ailing the radio industry? (In India)

Operators are desperate to attain scale and profitability, but policy paralysis in the government stemming from fear and conflicting lobbying is holding them back...

 

Read more at :

http://www.business-standard.com/taketwo/news/what-is-ailingradio-industry/497308/

New MF band

Following the World Radio Conference in 2012, the frequency band 472 kHz to 479 kHz (630 Metres) will formally be available to radio amateurs in many countries from January 1, 2013.

More at : http://tinyurl.com/d7w49v3

RNZI New Year Schedule

RNZI will be relaying RNZ National programming on statutory holidays over the Christmas/New Year fortnight (Dec 25 and 26, and Jan 1 and 2).

On December 27, 28, 29 and 31 and January 3, 4 and 5, RNZI will broadcast shorter news bulletins on the top of the hour throughout the breakfast session and will have nornmal bulletins at 2.30pm, 4pm and 8pm NZ times. These bulletins will include World, Pacific, New Zealand, Business and Sports News.

RNZI's full normal news bulletin service will resume from Monday January 7th. RNZI's cyclone watch service will be maintained throughout the period and special weather bulletins regarding tropical cyclones will be broadcast if required.

 

(RNZI)