DRM Roll-out in India with DIGIDIA

After the roll out in India in 6 towns with HARRIS/GATES AIR 20kW MW transmitters, now the roll out with NAUTEL is starting. All factory acceptance tests are finished and a first site in Delhi has been installed. In total DIGIDIA has delivered 26 redundant DRM systems consisting each of two OPRANO DRM Modulators and two ALTO Content Servers. The delivered systems cover the complete DRM functions including Journaline and EWS. All NAUTEL transmitters (100 kW, 200 kW nd 300 kW) have been shipped and will be installed all over India during the next 1 to 2 years.

Source : digidia.fr

Harris Broadcast Splits and Renames as Imagine Communications and GatesAir

Harris Broadcast, part of the Gores Group, has been split into two companies that have been named Imagine Communications and GatesAir. The announcement was made at an inaugural MediaDay held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

More at .....

http://radiomagonline.com/currents/business/harris_broadcast_splits_and_renames_as_imagine_communications_and_gatesair_0317/

DRM: “Your ‘Smart’ Radio solution” at IBC 2013

The DRM Consortium will have a stronger presence than ever at this year's International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam 12th -17th September. IBC is considered to be the leading global tradeshow for broadcasters and media professionals and attracts over 150,000 visitors

every year from over 160 countries worldwide.

At this year's event, in conjunction and with the support of the European Broadcasting Union, DRM Consortium representatives will offer visitors to the EBU stand (Hall 10.F20) an update on the latest DRM developments. These presentations are scheduled for Friday 13th September 4 p.m. and Saturday 14th September 11 a.m. in the EBU presentation theatre.

DRM Consortium members, Harris Broadcast and Nautel Ltd, will also be hosting DRM events during the show. Harris Broadcast are holding a 'Meet and Greet' event at The Beach on Friday afternoon (13th) and Nautel Ltd (Hall 8C.61) are holding the already DRM traditional event on Saturday afternoon (14th). Participants will be able to see and hear then all the latest DRM and DRM+ technology in action and receive the most up-to-date information on the latest market developments.

Ruxandra Obreja, the Consortium Chairman, is delighted that: "DRM will have more events than ever at IBC. They will showcase the technical and finer details of the DRM benefits with their practical application and reception. Digital radio is here and we want to get the key players and the public convinced that DRM is indeed a very smart radio solution for them."

For more information please write to: projectoffice@drm.org.

About DRM

Digital Radio Mondiale™ (DRM) is the universal, openly standardised digital broadcasting system for all broadcasting frequencies.

The DRM standard comprises of two major configurations: 'DRM30' intended for broadcasts on short, medium and long wave up to 30 MHz and providing large coverage areas and low power consumption. The configuration for the VHF bands above 30 MHz is called 'DRM+', tailored for local and regional coverage with broadcaster-controlled transmissions.

All DRM configurations share the same 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, and data services.

For more information and 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

Postal Box 360

1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva

Switzerland

E-Mail: projectoffice@drm.org

Site for DRM: www.drm.org

 

(DRM Consortium 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)

Harris Corporation to Sell Broadcast Communications to The Gores Group for $225 Million

MELBOURNE, Florida, December 6, 2012 — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) has reached an agreement to sell Broadcast Communications to an affiliate of The Gores Group, LLC for $225 million. The price includes $160 million in cash at closing, a $15 million subordinated promissory

note and an earnout of up to $50 million based on future performance. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory review and closing conditions and is expected to be completed in early calendar year 2013. On May 1, 2012, Harris announced plans to divest Broadcast Communications.

"The sale of Broadcast Communications reflects our strategy to optimize our business portfolio and focus on our core businesses," said William M. Brown, president and chief executive officer of Harris. "As previously communicated, we plan to repurchase up to $200 million of our shares after the deal closes. This is in addition to the $200 million of share repurchases already planned for fiscal 2013 and reflects our ongoing commitment to effectively deploy capital, including returning cash to shareholders."

"In Harris Broadcast Communications, we are investing in a proven technology leader with great products and a great team. We are excited to provide the capital and support to transition this division to a strong and independent company further enabling it to continue developing and delivering market leading technologies to its customers," said Ryan Wald, Managing Director of The Gores Group.

About The Gores Group

The Gores Group, LLC is a global investment firm focused on acquiring controlling interests in mature and growing businesses which can benefit from the firm's operating experience and flexible capital base. The firm combines the operational expertise and detailed due diligence capabilities of a strategic buyer with the seasoned M&A team of a traditional financial buyer. The Gores Group, which was founded in 1987 by Alec E. Gores, has become a leading investor having demonstrated over time a reliable track record of creating substantial value in its portfolio companies alongside management. Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Gores Group maintains offices in Boulder, CO, and

London. For more information, please visit www.gores.com.

About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5.5 billion of annual revenue and about 15,000 employees — including 6,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services. Additional information about Harris Corporation is available at harris.com.

(Press Release)

Harris Corporation Transmitters Support Launch of First DAB+ Digital Radio Services in Australia

SYDNEY, Australia, July 21, 2009 — Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, announced the sale and installation of its DMB 670 transmitters to support the build out of DAB+ digital radio services in Australia, the largest such service in the Southern Hemisphere. Installed and commissioned for Broadcast Australia pty Ltd by local Harris agent — The Bridge Networks (TBN) — the transmitters form the infrastructure foundation for the provision of DAB+ service to Australia's national broadcasters — the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service (SBS).
DAB+ digital radio offers interference-free reception, digital sound quality and a wide and varied choice of stations that broadcast both nationally and locally. Launched in early July, the new digital radio service in Australia has a countrywide reach encompassing five major cities — Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney — enabling over 60 percent of the nation's population to receive DAB+ digital radio.
"Australia is pioneering DAB+ digital radio in the world, and Harris is delighted to share in this momentous event by supporting the build out of the country's first digital radio broadcasting infrastructure," said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. "The success of digital audio services worldwide has fuelled the consumer demand for multimedia capabilities. Over time, the added functionality that DAB+ brings is set to considerably enhance the consumer experience by offering high-quality multichannel audio and rich media services, such as mobile video."
The core of the digital operation is Broadcast Australia's Network Operation Centre (NOC) in Sydney, which provides centralized monitoring and forward control of all the transmission sites. At its NOC, Broadcast Australia receives the encoded and multiplexed signal and provides broadcast transmission services for its customers. This hub allows Broadcast Australia to effectively manage the performance of the entire network, respond remotely to any issues and keep clients abreast of the live status of their broadcast.
"The customer had a unique requirement, and Harris actively collaborated with The Bridge Networks and Broadcast Australia to design new products to meet the customer's needs," said Chris Dredge, national sales manager at The Bridge Networks. "With a wide variety of power levels to address every transmission strategy, the Harris DMB transmitters allow broadcasters to better serve consumers by offering distortion-free reception and superior CD-quality sound that considerably enhance the overall listening experience."
Available in power levels from 125 W to 10 kW, the DMB 670 mates the world-standard DAB665 exciter with a new, compact amplifier system to provide powerful, efficient, air-cooled DAB/DMB transmitters. With a unique modular design that provides for maximum redundancy, along with dual, auto-switching transmitters and exciters to eliminate off-air time, the DMB 670 is able to support the demanding requirements of Broadcast Australia and their end customers.
All DMB 670 transmitters utilize Harris PowerSmart™ architecture, which features a new 50-volt LDMOS device that minimizes parts within the transmitter — creating a compact and energy-efficient solution that provides robust transmission output for reliable delivery of multimedia services. PowerSmart enables television and radio broadcasters to lower the cost of ownership over the course of the transmitter life through a cost-effective, compact and "green" energy-efficient design.
Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire media delivery chain. The Harris ONE™ solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.