Schedule Changes of VORW Radio International - Newsletter 4

Dear VORW Radio Listeners,

It has been almost two months since the last newsletter has been sent out, in the time that has elapsed there are several schedule changes to report.

As of Thursday (June 1st) transmissions to East Asia on 9875 kHz and transmissions to Europe on 11580 kHz will be discontinued. The transmission on 9875 kHz has been discontinued due to low modulation of the signal, causing listeners difficulty to hear what is being said during the broadcast. The 11580 kHz transmission is being discontinued due to poor signals in the target area.

Despite the bad news, starting June 1st, a transmission on 7730 kHz at 0000 UTC (8 PM Eastern) will begin, targeting listeners in Western North America. This transmission will be heard every Thursday. There is also a new transmission on 7490 kHz at 2200 UTC (6 PM Eastern) every Sunday to Eastern North America - you could even tune in to that broadcast tomorrow!

Here is the Transmission Schedule:

Thursdays:

6 PM Eastern - 11 PM BST - 9955 kHz to South America

8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 7490 kHz to North America

8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 9395 kHz to North America

8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 7730 kHz to Western North America

8 PM Eastern - 1 AM BST - 9455 kHz to Central America

Sundays:

6 PM Eastern - 11 PM BST - 7490 kHz to Eastern North America

You may also be able to hear VORW Radio International on Tunein Radio at 8 PM every Thursday and 6 PM every Sunday at:

https://beta.tunein.com/radio/The-Planet-7490-s24829/

Archived programs can be heard any time on SoundCloud at:

https://soundcloud.com/vorw_radio_int

VORW Radio International is a light entertainment program featuring a mixture of commentary and listener-requested music of all genres.

Comments, questions, reception reports and music requests may be sent to vorwinfo@gmail.com E-QSL's are provided for reception reports.

For advice on how to listen if you are impacted by these broadcast discontinuations, please email at vorwinfo@gmail.com

Bangladesh Betar's MW stations on extended schedule for cyclone Mora

Bangladesh Betar's MW stations were on extended schedule last night due to cyclone Mora, carrying non stop devotional program & special weather bulletin every 15 minutes.

Following stations were heard at my QTH 1845 UTC onward, external service on 13580 kHz was carrying regular programs  :

558 - Khulna
630 - Dhaka Kha
693 - Dhaka Ka
819 - Dhaka Gha
873 - Chittagong
963 - Sylhet
1170 - Dhaka Ga

Related :

Cyclone Mora: North East India, Bangladesh brace for wind-speeds of 117 kmph

http://www.firstpost.com/world/cyclone-mora-north-east-india-bangladesh-brace-for-wind-speeds-of-117-kmph-all-you-need-to-know-3495891.html

John Abdnour of Nautel : Proponent of the Power of Radio

Interesting interview with John Abdnour of Nautel

Abdnour: Proponent of the Power of Radio

http://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/0004/abdnour-proponent-of-the-power-of-radio/339731

AIR likely to launch new Dzongkha service for Bhutan

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) National broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) is likely to launch a new language service -- Dzongkha -- for Bhutan, a move seen to strengthen ties with the neighbouring country.

Dzongkha will take the total foreign language offering of AIR's External Services Division (ESD) to 16 which includes French, Russian, Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, English, Pashto, Nepali, Tibetan, Urdu and Baluchi.

A one hour daily Dzongkha language service is proposed between 6.00 am and 7.00 am IST.

Either a transmitter in Kurseong, a hill station some 32 kms from Darjeeling in West Bengal, or in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, will be used to broadcast the new service.

Source/Full story at :

http://www.ptinews.com/news/8730077_AIR-likely-to-launch-new-Dzongkha-service-for-Bhutan.html

TDF DRM Tests

TdF is to run DRM tests under the so-called SmartCast programme on 6175 kHz from 0900 to 1100 UTC between 29 May and 30 July.

It is unclear yet whether they will be daily or just on weekdays.

( Henri Cravanche  via Continental DX)

Digital Radio Mondiale General Assembly Concluded Successfully in Switzerland

The DRM General Assembly ended by announcing that All India Radio, the Indian public broadcaster, has now joined the Consortium and its leading bodies. 

This year's General Assembly reviewed the many and successful developments of the past year and set the directions for 2017-2018 with emphasis on receivers and key markets in Asia and Africa. Under the banner "Digital Radio Mondiale Delivers", the 2017 General Assembly of the DRM Consortium took place on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th of May in Baden, near Zurich, Switzerland, being hosted by the industrial company and key Consortium member Ampegon. 

The exclusive General Assembly meeting for members only on Wednesday, May 10th in the morning reviewed the major developments in DRM, updates on technical developments, receivers, cooperation with international organisations and specific developments as reported by some of the key members like Fraunhofer IIS, NXP, Radio France International, BBC, Nautel, Ampegon, RFmondial etc.

The open DRM sessions had special addresses from the representatives of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) and BBC. The open session had two major headings: key DRM countries. This was illustrated with reports from local representatives in India, Pakistan, Germany, Southern Africa and Brazil. The other major topic was the development of several types of DRM receivers. The news on several car models launched this year in India and carrying standard DRM receivers was greeted with interest. 

Equally impressive was the presentation of the software defined multi-standard receiver, Titus II, and the latest developments of receivers like Avion and Gospell, as well as the plans of companies in South Korea and the UK. The available receivers were put to good use on both days when Babcock facilitated a live BBC transmission from the UK. On Thursday participants were linked to the Babcock engineers at the Woofferton transmission site in south-west England while the signals were on air. For the coming year, the DRM Consortium will consolidate its work in markets like India, Indonesia, other Asian countries and Southern Africa. In parallel it will vigorously pursue receiver developments, preferably as multi-standard offers, and will pay particular attention to the automobile segment. 

For Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman, the General Assembly was more than a moment to take stock. "It was a celebration of success in countries like India. It was also a moment to review the excellent DRM progress in other key countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, South Africa, and acknowledge the interest shown for DRM in some African countries, Russia and other Asian countries. The fact that there are already ingenious standalone and car receivers featuring DRM gives confidence in DRM and the ultimate success of digital radio all over the world." After the General Assembly, some of the DRM members and experts made their way to Indonesia where together with RRI they will carry out a DRM for local coverage demo and will present an update on the full benefits of DRM for both wide and local coverage. 

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium and the Public Indonesian Broadcaster, RRI, to showcase DRM for local coverage

On the first day of the DRM Consortium's annual General Assembly held in Switzerland and hosted by Ampegon, it was announced that the Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium will join the Indonesian public broadcaster RRI in the upcoming demonstration of DRM for local coverage in Batam, Indonesia, May 16th-18th. One of the existing local FM frequencies and transmitters will be upgraded to DRM mode to present some of the clear benefits of digital radio for local coverage: excellent audio, multimedia features including Journaline advanced text and images, good coverage and efficient energy use. In addition to international digital radio experts, participants include RRI experts, broadcast authorities, the industry and commercial broadcasters. They will be able to learn about the effectiveness and many features of DRM for local coverage in the environment of Batam island, situated in the west of Indonesia not far from Singapore.

RRI is following its successful demonstrations of DRM in the AM bands (medium wave) for large-area coverage in Bogor (2015) and in Bali (2016) with this new showcase and evaluation of DRM for local coverage. After a full-day update explaining the technology background and applications, the participants will have the opportunity to see and hear for themselves how DRM performs by boarding a specially equipped vehicle for an excursion around Batam. After that the participants will analyse the results and draw the conclusions for the next steps towards the roll-out of digital radio DRM in Indonesia.

RRI President, Mr M. Rohanudin, says that: "By looking closely at the performance of DRM for local coverage, we will have tested and learnt about DRM both in the AM and VHF frequencies; we will have thoroughly understood the standard which will be useful for the future digitisation of Indonesia."

DRM Chairman Ruxandra Obreja welcomes the great support offered by and thorough effort made by RRI with all its recent DRM trials. "DRM in the VHF bands including the FM band is the newest and most flexible solution for local radio coverage. We are happy to see how it delivers during this short Indonesian demonstration. Having been ITU endorsed not long ago, DRM for local coverage is already being heard in Pakistan and is being demonstrated in South Africa."

RRI specialists will work together with other colleagues from the DRM Consortium representing Fraunhofer IIS, GatesAir and RFmondial. 

To attend the workshop, contact projectoffice@drm.org.

About DRM

Digital Radio Mondiale™ (DRM) is the universal, ITU endorsed and openly published digital broadcasting standard for all broadcasting frequencies, able to cover fully any country whatever its size at much reduced energy costs.

The DRM standard comprises optimized configurations both for large-area and international broadcasts in the AM bands on short, medium and long wave up to 30 MHz, and for the VHF bands including the FM band, tailored for local and regional coverage with broadcaster-controlled individual transmissions.

All DRM configurations share the same listener benefits including audio coding, data and multimedia services, service linking, multiplexing and signalling schemes. DRM provides high quality sound combined with a wealth of enhanced features: Surround Sound, Journaline text information, Slideshow, EPG, traffic information and data services.

The DRM Consortium was recognised by ITU and awarded for its outstanding contribution to the Telecommunications over the past years and has signed the EBU Smart Radio Memorandum that promotes access to free to air radio on all devices.

DRM can help deliver the mandate of any government: To reach all its citizens with information, education, entertainment and emergency warnings.

For more information and regular DRM updates please visit www.drm.org or subscribe to DRM news by writing to pressoffice@drm.org. Click here for the Newsletter with all the latest DRM news from around the world.

--

DRM Consortium

E-Mail: pressoffice@drm.org

Site for DRM: www.drm.org

AIR Demonstrates Full Capabilities of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)

New Delhi, India April 25, 2017

As part of Phase II of the DRM introduction in the country, AIR is demonstrating the full complement of services which are part of the DRM standard. Recently AIR was congratulated by Hon'ble Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Venkaiah Naidu for having successfully completed phase-I of the national DRM digital radio roll-out – the installation of 37 DRM transmitters, now operational, throughout the country.

AIR is in the process of launching phase-II of the DRM project by offering full features/services from these DRM transmitters and further improving service quality. With the finalization of phase-II, the full featured DRM services will finally be available to the audience and a public information campaign will be initiated to inform the Indian citizens of the completely new and future oriented DRM radio platform and its many benefits.

The first steps of phase-II of the digital radio roll-out project are already visible and audible to the audience in Delhi. The DRM transmissions from Delhi/Nangli now provide excellent audio quality based on DRM's xHE-AAC audio codec. It also includes DRM text messages and Journaline. The advanced text service Journaline provides detailed news of various topics to listeners – accessible on their radio set screen – free of charge, without requiring Internet access. All this is available in the simulcast configuration and with the most robust DRM transmission configuration, enabling increased in-door coverage.

21 DRM transmitters are now operating in pure DRM for one hour everyday, in addition to simulcast operation. Excellent feedback is being received by AIR about of the reception quality of DRM signals. AIR is planning to enhance the DRM service from Chennai, Pune and Bangalore very shortly.

(All India Radio Press Release)