IRF: DRM envisions new revenue streams for FM

By: Anita Iyer 30 May 09 15:04 IST
MUMBAI: The session by Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) at the India Radio Forum 2009 appraised India’s private broadcast industry about the benefits of conversion of traditional analog FM bands into digital arena.Addressed by DRM Chairman Distribution Interfaces and vice chairman DRM technical Committee Alexander Zink and DRM Project Director Vineeta Dwiwedi, the session highlighted the various incremental revenue streams for the FM sector through DRM.

Read the full report here :

http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/irf-drm-envisions-new-revenue-streams-fm

Strong interest in DRM digital radio amongst Indian FM broadcasters

Mumbai, May 28 2009 - A DRM Digital Radio Mondiale session was very well received by the commercial FM broadcasters in the annual India Radio Forum held in Mumbai on Wednesday. The event's special session titled 'Digital Broadcast - Changing the World of Radio' was attended by delegates from most of the biggest Indian FM broadcast companies. The session was a first introduction for India's private broadcast industry to the many benefits of DRM digital radio. The broadcasters were particularly interested in the key features opening new commercial opportunities, including up to four services per frequency and multimedia services like EPG, Journaline text information service and Slideshow. They also experienced the 5.1 digital surround sound of a DRM+ broadcast, which was on display throughout the day. The programme makers and creative heads were impressed with the excellent audio quality and reception robustness of DRM broadcasts. The regular All India Radio broadcast from Delhi on DRM SW, officially launched in January, could be heard by delegates live on various DRM receivers. The Indian state broadcaster - All India Radio - has recently announced its decision to adopt DRM for the upcoming transition to Digital Radio. Seventy per cent of the country is planned to be covered with DRM broadcasts by the end of government's 11th five year plan. This analogue-to-digital migration plan is in line with the analogue radio switch off date of 2015. India Radio Forum (IRF) brings together all the major Indian FM players. Here the present and future of commercial FM is discussed, and best of the industry performance is celebrated. This was the first time that a digital radio session was organised during IRF. After the session, many broadcasters showed strong interest in exploring this option and taking their present analogue FM business to the next level of service offerings and revenue opportunities.

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

http://www.drm.org/news/detail/news/strong-interest-in-drm-digital-radio-amongst-indian-fm-broadcasters/

IRF 2009 Session - Digital Broadcast: Changing The World Of Radio

INDIA RADIO FORUM 2009
Mumbai, 27th May, Taj Land's End Hotel

EXCELLENCE IN RADIO AWARDS
Awards Ceremony will be on 27th May after the Forum

FORUM HIGHLIGHT

Digital Broadcast: Changing The World Of Radio

As the world moves into the new digital era for almost all technologies, radio is changing too. With digital taking up much less bandwidth than the traditional analogue system, there is room for more radio stations, in much better quality and with many new exciting features. Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) has jus been adopted by India (AIR) as its choses technology to change the SW and MW transmissions and reach out to masses of radio listening population in crystal clear quality with uninterrupted transmission, easy tuning by stations (and not frequency), lots of text based features in local languages and a wide choice of content. DRM in FM bands gives the same choices, CD like sound, upto 4 services per frequency and even surround-sound. This interactive session will tell you more about digital radio, the various techonologies, their roll-out in the world and hot it can change the future of radio.

Biography

Alexander Zink

Since 2000, Dipl.-Ing., MBA, Alexander Zink works at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (Erlangen, Germany) as vice group leader for the work group 'Broadcast Applications'. Initially he developed the mobile and location based information system UMIS (Universal Mobile Information System). In 2001 he started as project director and business development manager for the professional broadcast system "Fraunhofer DRM, DAB/DMB ContentServer™". Since 2002 he is project director of Journaline, an interactive text based information system for digital radio, and makes significant contributions to its development, standardization and market rollout. In addition he works in the fields of AudioServers, software defined radio, and transmission protocols. For Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) he acts as chairman of the work group Distribution Interfaces, vice chairman Technical Committee, and vice president of the DRM Assocication. In addition he is a member of the WorldDMB Technical Committee, various DAB and DRM work groups, and the European HD-Radio Alliance.

Vineeta Dwivedi

Vineeta Dwivedi is the Project Director of Digital Radio Mondiale – the international non-profit organisation working for adoption of the DRM gloabal standard. She is a media industry professional with experience in radio broadcasting and business development. Vineeta has worked with the BBC for many years and was BBC World Service's Business Development Manager for India responsible for distribution, marketing and developing BBC's radio and online business and has worked on a variety of distribution platforms. She worked with the BBC in London as a radio journalist and has been a broadcaster. In her present role she manages the DRM project office and contributes to the achievement of the DRM global strategy.

CONTACT
On Conference:
Contact Janet Alcantara - Conference Director
+65 6736 1472 or janet@pim-asia.com

On Sponsorship & Branding:
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