PBC adopts Digital Radio Mondiale, unveils digital migration policy

According to a news report published in Dawn, Islamabad on 24th Dec, 2019 Digital migration policy for PBC (Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation) will be presented to Prime Minister next week. Information Secretary Zahida Parveen told a subcommittee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting.

The secretary said the digital migration policy would be implemented in PBC in three phases at the cost of Rs3.995 billion in six years. 

1st Phase - Estimated cost of Rs42 million, digital broadcast pilot project will be completed in one year

1 kW DRM/FM station - Islamabad

400 kW DRM/AM station - Peshawar

100 KW DRM/AM station - Dera Ismail Khan.

2nd Phase - To be completed in three years at the cost of Rs 3,153 million.

1000 KW DRM/AM station - Fort Monroe, Dera Ghazi Khan

5-10 kW DRM/FM stations - At 13 cities

3rd Phase - Estimated cost of Rs800 million.

100 KW DRM/AM stations - Lahore, Skardu, Quetta and Peshawar

The committee was informed that the technology migration of Radio Pakistan from analogue to digital, would allow transmission of four channels on a single transmitter and crystal clear sound quality.

The transformation to digital will cut the operational costs of Radio Pakistan. The new technology was a necessity as the obsolete AM/FM held receivers were no more available in the market.

With the new digital technology, all locally assembled cars will be equipped with DRM receivers and the local assemblers and manufacturers will incorporate DRM capability in mobile phones.

(Source : Dawn/APP, 25 Dec 2019)

DRM = Digital Radio Mondiale

Radio Pakistan starts work on converting transmission to DRM+ technology

Radio Pakistan has started work on converting its transmission to state-of- the art DRM Plus technology to make its broadcasts clearer and cost-effective.

Director General, Radio Pakistan Khurshid Malik visited the project at Broadcasting House in Islamabad today where he was briefed about progress on introducing DRM Plus technology.

He was informed that this technology enhances quality of broadcasts to perfection.

The present AM and FM transmitters of Radio Pakistan can be made compatible to this technology with little amendment.

Under this technology, three channels can be aired from a single transmitter, which will prove cost-effective. This technology enables listeners to get access to text services as well. Khurshid Malik emphasized the need of improving contents of programmes besides introducing modern technology to cater the need of all segments of society.

(Press Release)

Source : http://www.radio.gov.pk/30-Jan-2017/radio-pakistan-starts-work-on-converting-transmission-to-drm-plus-technology-dg-pbc

Related  :

DRM Plus technology being introduced to make PBC broadcasts state of the art: DG PBC

http://pakobserver.net/drm-plus-technology-being-introduced-to-make-pbc-broadcasts-state-of-the-art-dg-pbc/

Radio Pakisan, Multan starts regular transmission

After testing it's new 100 kW Nautel NX100 transmitter for almost a month Radio Pakistan, Multan has started its regular transmission with effect from 10th March 2016 on 1035 kHz 

Timings :

0545 - 0930 Hours Local Time (0045-0430 UTC)

1100 to 2300  Hours Local Time (0600-1800 UTC)

Related :

http://alokeshgupta.blogspot.in/2016/02/radio-pakistan-multan-testing-on-1035.html

(Alokesh Gupta)

Radio Pakistan, Multan testing on 1035 kHz

PBC, Multan SRM

Radio Pakistan, Multan has started test transmission on 1035 kHz using new Nautel NX-100 transmitter with effect from 4th Feb, 2016. Well known dxer from India, Jose Jacob noted the station first on air 5th Feb, 2016 at 1400 UTC. Test transmission is scheduled 1200-1600 UTC (1700-2100 Local Time). They are announcing phone number to send listening reports, also live tele conversation with listeners about broadcast by new transmitter was noticed.

 

Radio Pakistan Multan Was inaugurated on 21st November 1970. The listening area of Radio Pakistan Multan comprises of District Multan, Vehari, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffar Garh, Lyyea, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajan Pur.

 

Related :

Nautel NX100 Transmitter

http://www.nautel.com/solutions/high-power-mw-nx-series-100kw-2mw/

(Photo's courtesy PBC,Multan)

PBC is the new DRM Consortium Member

Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Welcomes Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) to DRM Consortium

Digital Radio Mondiale is delighted to announce the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation as a new member of the Consortium.  Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, also known as Radio Pakistan, is a public radio broadcasting network, as well as a mass-media state-owned big corporation in Pakistan.

Syed Imran Gardezi, Director General of PBC said, "The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation is interested in introducing the latest digital technologies for the benefit of the Pakistani listeners.  As such we are happy to join the DRM Consortium as we are embarking on the modernisation and digitisation of our infrastructures".

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman, welcomes PBC to the DRM Consortium and sees this "as a serious commitment of PBC to the latest radio technologies like the DRM standard and a chance for the DRM Consortium to strengthen its position in Asia and to learn more from an important market like Pakistan".

About Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation    

PBC provides a wide range of radio and news services broadcast on TV, internet and radio and in almost two dozen languages used in Pakistan. Outside Pakistan PBC broadcasts in more than half a dozen languages. PBC's programmes aim to entertain people through music, features, and plays, while educating the overseas audience about Pakistan, its culture and government and the world. PBC programmes educate people on socio-economic issues covering 'health‚ education‚ environment‚ population welfare‚ agriculture‚ special persons‚ rights of women‚ human rights‚ minorities and media freedom'. Its core mission states the aim of PBC as: "education, news and information to bring public awareness to a whole range of significant activity."  At national level, PBC broadcasts in 23 different state-recognized languages 24-hours a day.  The PBC external services programmes are broadcast 8-hours a day in 10 different foreign languages, covering Western, Southern, Eastern, Northern Asia and some parts of Eastern Europe.

For more information please see www.radio.gov.pk  

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.                                                                                                                  

(Press Release)

Radio Pakistan installs modern digital 500 KW transmitter at Faqeerabad

Radio Pakistan has installed a modern digital 500 KW transmitter at Faqeerabad to multiply the outreach of its medium wave broadcasts on 585 KHz. The transmitter, along with renovation of studios at National Broadcasting House, has been installed with the technical and financial assistance of Japan.

The signing ceremony to hand over renovated studios and transmitter to PBC was held at National Broadcasting House Islamabad on Thursday. Director General PBC, Samina Parvez and Department Manager of Yachiyo Engineering, Kiyofusa Tanaka signed the documents. In her remarks on the occasion, Director General PBC thanked the Japanese government for helping PBC in strengthening its signal and modernizing its broadcasting system.

She said induction of new transmitter is another milestone reached by the PBC management in its endeavour to replace its obsolete and aging transmitters to cater its audience. The listeners in several parts of the country will enjoy radio programmes in clear voice. She said it is a matter of pride for PBC to have completed the project on time. Addressing the ceremony, Kiyofusa Tanaka said the completion of this project marks is yet another milestone in Pakistan-Japan relationship. He appreciated the effort put in by the staff of PBC for timely completion of this landmark project.

The objective of 'The project for rehabilitation of medium wave radio broadcasting network' executed with grant-aid of 'Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA) was to rehabilitate dying medium wave service of Radio Pakistan Islamabad for effective coverage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, Punjab and Gilgit-Balitstan. 

Under the project, 38 year old medium wave transmitter at Faqeerabad was replaced with a new 500 KW medium wave transmitter, based on latest digital technology. Besides, five Studios and master control room at National Broadcasting House were also digitized.

JICA provided grant-aid of 1,385 million Japanese Yen while Pakistan's government's share was 85.761 million rupees. M/s Yachiyo Engineering Company of Japan executed the project while M/s NEC Corporation, Japan supplied and installed equipments. On-job training was also given to the PBC engineers to effectively run the system.Programme in seven language, including Urdu, Punjabi, Potohari, Hindko, Pushto, Shina, and Balti will be aired on 585 KHz for listeners in 500 kilometer radius as compared with 70 kilometer radius in past. However, this transmission can be heard in a radius of up to 1,200 kilometers at night. Fourteen hours programmes will be aired from the transmitter on 585 KHz from tomorrow.

Samina Parvez Khalid

Director General

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation

(Via Facebook)

Radio Pakistan Chooses GatesAir AM Transmitters

Radio Pakistan, also known as the Pakistan Broadcasting Corp., has chosen GatesAir's high-power Flexiva DX and 3DX series of AM transmitters to deliver news, information and entertainment over the air and across the country.

Read the 'Radio World' artcle here :

 

http://www.radioworld.com/article/radio-pakistan-chooses-gatesair-am-transmitters/270839

Radio Pakistan to restore medium wave transmission

Addressing Guest Hour programme of Peshawar Press Club here on Monday, PBC Director General Samina Pervaiz said that medium wave transmission would be revived in Karachi, Multan, Hyderabad and Larkana.

More at :

 

http://www.dawn.com/news/1108855/radio-pakistan-to-restore-medium-wave-transmission

Voices from the past

Tuning a radio set in the past needed some of the same skills required to crack a high security safe. One hand on the knob and the ear close to the box; as the knob played back and forth, so did the chances of hitting the right station… BBC, All India Radio and bingo “Yeh Radio Pakistan Hai!”

Radio Pakistan is an organisation that came into being the day Pakistan was created. On the night between August 14 and 15, 1947, the first announcement was made from Lahore by celebrated broadcaster, Mustafa Ali Hamdani, followed by a similar announcement in English by Zahoor Azar, a CSS officer who later became the Director General of Radio Pakistan.

Full story at : http://dawn.com/2012/06/17/flashback-voices-from-the-past/

PBC’s South Asian Broadcast Services

ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP): Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Ammad Khan inaugurated PBC's South Asian Broadcast Services under which programmes in three more languages: Nepali, Sinhala and Tamil had been launched. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation is already broadcasting programmes in seven languages including Bangla, Hindi, Chinese, Gujarati, Pashto, Dari and Farsi. Induction of three more services would make the number of foreign services to ten.

More at : http://tinyurl.com/ye47cud

PBC launches English music channel

By Mahtab Bashir
ISLAMABAD: After successful transmissions of FM 93 and FM 101, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) has launched its English music channel FM 94 to provide healthy entertainment to its audience and end monopoly of private FM radio channels in the country, said PBC Director General Murtaza Solangi on Thursday. Talking to media persons at the launching ceremony of the channel at a local hotel, Solangi said FM 94 would focus on rapidly growing population of English music lovers and expand and consolidate usage of Frequency Modulation (FM) networking all over the country. Solangi said it was a soft launch of FM 94, while PBC would start full-fledged transmission on the eve of Eidul Fitr. “It is the first FM English music channel of PBC from Islamabad that has been converted from old system of Medium Wave (MW) to FM,” he said. “We have shifted our few channels from MW to FM, as FM’s quality of voice and clarity and expansion is more effective than MW,” he added.

More at :
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C08%5C21%5Cstory_21-8-2009_pg11_10

PBC A08

PAKISTAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION
HF BROADCAST SCHEDULE A08
Effective From 30th March,2008 to 25th October,2008

Language Freq Band Time(UTC)Target Area
-----------------------------------------
Far East
Chinese 9385 31 1200 1300 41,42,43,44,45
Chinese 11570 25 1200 1300 41,42,43,44,45

South East Asia
Urdu 11580 25 0045 0215 41,44,45,49,50,51,54,55,59
Urdu 15490 19 0045 0215 41,44,45,49,50,51,54,55,59

South Asia
Bangla-1 9380 31 0115 0200 41
Bangla-2 9340 31 1200 1245 41
Hindi-1 9380 31 0215 0300 41
Hindi-2 9340 31 1030 1130 41
Gujrati 9380 31 0400 0430 41

Iran,Gulf & Middle East
Irani 7500 40 1700 1800 40
Urdu 15100 19 0500 0700 40
Urdu 17835 17 0500 0700 38,39,46,47
Urdu 9385 31 1330 1530 37 - 39
Urdu 11570 25 1330 1530 38,39,46,47
English 9380 31 1600 1615 37 - 39
English 11570 25 1600 1615 38,39,46,47
Urdu 6065 49 1915 0045 40

East/South East Africa
English 15625 19 1600 1615 48s,52,53,57

West Europe
Urdu 15100 19 0830 1104 17,18SE,27-29
Urdu 17835 17 0830 1104 17,18SE,27-29
Urdu 7530 40 1700 1900 17,18SE,27-29
Urdu 9390 31 1700 1900 17,18SE,27-29

Afghanistan
Dari 6060 49 1430 1530 39NE,40
Pushto 6065 49 1300 1400 39E,40

Frequency Management
303 Peshawar Road,
Rawalpindi,
Pakistan.

(Via Iftikhar Hussain Malik)
-----------------------------------------
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi