|
|
|
|
DRM testing in Mexico to expand
into commercial radio
Mexico’s Cámara Nacional de la Industria de
Radio y Televisión (CIRT) has announced that it will begin conduct-ing
DRMTM tests this spring. CIRT will use a commercial station of one of
its members, Radio Centro of Mexico City, for this purpose.
This development expands the scope of DRM testing in Mexico
into the commercial radio realm. On February 9th,
the Ministry of Communications and Transportation authorized the commencement
of a national DRM testing project to be carried out by Radio Educación,
the country’s public, cultural and educational network.
“We are very interested to evaluate the DRM system, in particular
its medium-wave/AM simulcast modes, as soon as possible,” said Ernesto
Reyes Ramirez, CIRT’s Director of Engineering. “The test results
will be presented to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation.”
CIRT participated in DRM’s Mexico City symposium on February 9th.
During the event, more than 80 commercial and non-commercial representatives
of the Mexican broadcasting industry heard about DRM’s advantages
from a panel of experts. The DRM symposium featured a live broadcast of
the actual switch of Radio Educación from analogue medium-wave/AM
to DRM, as the Mexican testing process began. Live DRM broadcasts from
overseas on the short-wave band were also demonstrated.
“We are delighted to work with Mexican broadcasters
who are interested in evaluating DRM’s potential as a digital radio
solution,” says DRM Chairman and Deutsche Welle COO Peter Senger.
“Enthusiasm for DRM’s advantages for Latin America is clearly
growing.” While the DRM system
currently covers the broadcasting bands below 30 MHz, the DRM General
Assembly will vote on a proposal to extend it to the broadcasting bands
up to 120 MHz, at its upcoming meeting in Paris on March 10th.
In January, DRM members Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI)
and RadioScape made the landmark announcement that they are developing
software and hardware to support the design of cost-effective DRM consumer
receivers. This accelerates the timeline for development of a range of
DRM consumer receivers. TI will supply the necessary digital signal processor
(DSP) - based digital radio silicon along with RadioScape's software-defined
digital radio technology,
enabling consumer receivers to have DRM, DAB, FM, short-wave, medium-wave/AM
and longwave capabilities.
The World DAB Forum and DRM announced their cooperation
in markets of mutual interest in 2003. DRM’s European commercial
launch will take place later this year. The DRM consortium has 88 members
from 28 countries. DRM has developed the world’s only non-proprietary,
digital radio system for short-wave, AM/medium-wave and long-wave (also
called DRM) approved by international standardization bodies for use worldwide.
DRM revitalizes radio with clear, FM-like audio quality
and excellent reception, free from static, fading and interference. More
than 70 radio stations worldwide have begun DRM broadcasting.
DRM’s Live Broadcasts Schedule and additional information
are at www.drm.org (English),
and the DRM Koordinations – Komitee Deutschland web site (German)
is at www.drm-national.de.
|
|
|
