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.

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DRM Consortium

E-Mail: pressoffice@drm.org

Site for DRM: www.drm.org

Team RRI is the DRM Enterprise Award 2016 Winner

The Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium is delighted to announce that the recipients of the 2016 DRM Enterprise Award Asia Pacific Region 2016, jointly sponsored with SAS, the leader in analytics, is awarded to the team of Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) engineers at Denpasar, Indonesia for their support and hard work in running a DRM AM trial in 2016. The winners are:  Mr Salwan, Manager of Technology and New Media Director; Mr Ketut Suandi, Assistant Manager Transmitter, and Mr Cok Dalem Javadi, Staff of Technology and New Media unit.

The award aims to stimulate interest in the DRM standard in various parts of the world that would benefit from the full introduction of digital radio. The RRI engineers on the beautiful island of Bali were selected to receive the award in recognition of their work in preparing a medium wave transmitter to broadcast in DRM during the Asia Broadcasting Union's General Assembly in October.

On behalf of RRI Mr R.Ginging, CTO, also proudly congratulated his staff for having engaged and worked so well together with Consortium representatives thus quickly learning about new digital opportunities for radio broadcasting.

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chair, congratulated the local RRI engineers as "their work shows how quickly DRM can become part of day-to-day activity. This proved that the Indonesian public broadcaster has the talent and capacity to test the latest digital technologies in their effort to future proof public broadcasting."

Details of the 2017 DRM Enterprise Award - Africa will be announced at the beginning of 2017.

For more information on the award, to get updates on the next award, please write to:  projectoffice@drm.org.

(Press Release)

DRM Consortium welcomes Radio Republik Indonesia and signs co-operation agreement to Introduce DRM Digital Radio technology in Indonesia

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium is delighted to welcome the Indonesian public broadcaster, Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) as a member of the Consortium. DRM and RRI have also signed a cooperation agreement to introduce the DRM technology in Indonesia starting in 2016.

The cooperation agreement was signed on behalf of RRI by Mrs R. Niken Widiastuti (President) and Mr M. Rohanudin (Technology and New Media Director), during the Asia Broadcasting Union's General Assembly meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.  The DRM Consortium was represented by the DRM Chairman, Mrs Ruxandra Obreja and Vice Chair, Mr Alexander Zink.

Mr Sunarya Ruslan, Head of Supervisory Board of Radio Republik Indonesia, said: "This is the first step for RRI to implement digital radio to serve the people of Indonesia."

Mr Rohanudin, added: "Digitisation of broadcasting is the first point of entry of new technologies into a country that consists of islands like Indonesia. Its presence must have the support of all parties to convince the Indonesian society of using this technology."

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chairman, is delighted to have the Consortium working so closely with RRI: " The DRM trial and workshop earlier in the year opened up possibilities and interest in a key Asian market like Indonesia, whose needs can be excellently met by DRM". 

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

Digital Radio Mondiale™ (DRM) and Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Conclude Successful DRM Digital Radio Trial and Workshop

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium and the Indonesian public broadcaster, Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), held a most comprehensive DRM30 digital radio trial and workshop in Jakarta, between 24th and 27th of March. This was one of the most comprehensive such events ever organised by the Consortium. The technical presentations on the first day were perfectly illustrated by the medium wave trial organised the next day at the Bogor station, about 60 kilometres south of Jakarta. The practical discussion of the excellent trial results on the 26th and the exploration of all DRM options and benefits completed the picture. On the last day of the workshop a discussion on the best way to introduce DRM countrywide and the possibilities of producing single or multi-standard receivers in the country completed a very successful event.

Mr Sunarya Ruslan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RRI Indonesia, hailed the DRM, RRI joint endeavour as most significant: "In our country of over 13,000 islands and about a quarter billion people we want to have radio broadcast services that are economical, easy, and mobile. They need to offer the same good quality to Indonesian citizens, whether they are in big or small cities, near or afar. Good sound, good programmes and available and affordable receivers for everyone is the aim now."

Mr Muhammad Rohanudin, Technology and New Media Director of RRI, was enthusiastic about the ease of adapting the existing analogue infrastructure (in Bogor) in record time in order to carry digital programmes in simulcast or pure digital. He declared the DRM sound quality "spectacular" and thought that "DRM can provide an option for RRI to reach every corner of the country, if all stakeholders work together."

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chairman, was delighted to see that the event involved RRI but also  spectrum specialists, representatives of the government, of private broadcasters and receiver manufacturers. "The DRM trial and workshop", she said, "demonstrated that DRM offers the coverage, multi-platform content, excellent audio quality, extra features and cost savings that really fit with RRI's aspirations. DRM is made for Indonesia and Indonesia is made for DRM."

(Press Release)

Digital Radio Mondiale™ (DRM) and Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) to Trial DRM Digital Radio in Indonesia

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium and the Indonesian public broadcaster, Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), are pleased to announce a DRM30 digital radio trial and workshop in Jakarta, Indonesia in the week of 24th of March. Indonesia is mostly coastal lowlands, larger islands and mountainous areas creating a challenging broadcasting landscape; RRI is exploring ways of overcoming these challenges to provide quality broadcasting services that can be received countrywide, with the efficient use of energy.

Mr Sunarya Ruslan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RRI Indonesia, says: "We are looking at the weaknesses that we experience currently in analogue radio with a desire to offer radio broadcast services that are economical, easy, and mobile, offering the same good quality to Indonesian citizens, whether they are in big or small cities, even in remote areas and whether they are farmers, fishermen, government officials or private citizens.  Mr Muhammad Rohanudin, Technology and New Media Director of RRI, adds: "RRI is currently reviewing the appropriate technologies to be used as a delivery medium. These technologies include DRM and we hope that the DRM trial in the Bogor area will provide us with options and a better understanding of digital radio broadcasting."  

Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chairman, is delighted to have the Consortium working so closely with RRI: "We believe that DRM will prove to be the full and cost-effective solution for Indonesia allowing it to provide quality broadcasting with extra services, to densely populated urban zones but also to remote areas. The DRM trial and workshop will be run together with Indonesian specialists and will give them the opportunity to experience the quality and advantages of DRM digital radio broadcasting while we will learn more about this important Asian market."  

The DRM30 trial and workshop will be held from 24th - 27th March 2015 in Jakarta and Bogor. They will be supported by RRI and key Consortium members:Fraunhofer IIS, GatesAir, RFmondial and Transradio.  During the workshop attendees will be invited to observe the results of the DRM30 trial and to learn more about the full DRM standard.

(DRM Consortium Press Release)

Cooperation between RTI and RRI

Radio Taiwan International (RTI) signed an MOU on cooperation with Indonesia’s national radio station Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) on cooperation in news, programs and information exchanges.

Read more on the RTI blog .....
http://blog.rti.org.tw/english/2012/09/14/cooperation-between-rti-and-rri/


Comments at alokeshgupta@gmail.com

Radio Republik Indonesia to expand its overseas broadcasts

To mark its 6th anniversary, state radio RRI plans to expand its overseas broadcast programs to serve 2.68 million Indonesian migrant workers across Asia and Middle East.

Read the full report here : http://tinyurl.com/2frla4v

RRI to Cooperate with Community Radios

TEMPO Interactive, Bandung: In order to widen its broadcast to remote areas, the state-run radio station network Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) is creating partnerships with community radios. It is expected that with this way, the radio network can reach more areas. At present, RRI can only reach 76 present of Indonesia.RRI Director, Parni Hadi, said that embracing community radio is a solution to widen the radio's coverage. “This is a win-to-win program. Community radios can get news materials from us and we broadcast their programs,” said Parni Hadi, on Monday (10/8).

More at :
http://www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasional/2009/08/11/brk,20090811-191947,uk.html