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Digitalisation will initiate
“a world-wide renaissance of radio”
“Digital short-wave will revolutionise
cross-border broadcasts and will initiate a world-wide renaissance of
radio”.
This was the opinion of the Director General of Deutsche
Welle, Mr Erik Bettermann, during a panel discussion at
Münchner Medientage. Mr Bettermann, the head of the German international
broadcaster – and instigator of the event– was not the only
one to present an optimistic prediction of a “Digital Global Radio”
development: The other panel specialists also emphasised the advantages
of digitalisation in the so-called AM range, i.e. short, medium and longwave.
The discussion was chaired by Peter Senger, Director of
Distribution at Deutsche Welle and Chairman of the Digital
Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium; and next to Erik Bettermann, BBC representative
Mike Cronk, Dan D'Aversa of RTL Group and Phil Laven of the European Broadcasting
Union (EBU) were also participating in the debate.
Senger outlined the advantages of digital short-wave as follows: The world-wide
accepted DRM standard provided an
excellent audio-quality comparable to FM. In addition, the search for
frequencies was obsolete, as the station
identification tuned in to the designated frequency and automatically
switched to the best one. In parallel, it allows for the sending of accompanying
programme information such as text messages.
“On top of everything, digital transmission technology
saves a lot of energy and costs compared to the analogue one”, Senger
said. This would open up enormous opportunities, especially for international
broadcasters.
For several years, DW – like many other broadcasters – has noted
that listeners migrated from short-wave to FM or
other new distribution channels in digital quality, said Bettermann. Deutsche
Welle had to stay abreast of these
changes. “According to test transmissions being operated by Deutsche
Welle, we anticipate large area coverage in
almost FM quality without interference such as jitters, induced power-noise
or fading”, the General Director stated.
At the same time, not only stationery indoor reception,
but also mobile reception in cars and with small portable devices is possible.
Admittedly listeners would need new receivers. As a consequence, the real
challenge for the DRM consortium would be to achieve successful implementation,
said Technical Director of the EBU, Mr. Philip Laven. The timetable for
the introduction of digital services in the AM bands would in fact be
set by broadcasters, “but the speed of the transition to digital
will be set by consumers”, stressed Laven.
Dan D’Aversa of RTL Group sees the chance to develop pan-European
coverage and that RTL Group would try to ensure “that low-cost DRM
receivers will be on sale in time for Christmas 2005”.
Mike Cronk stated that the BBC had invested heavily in DRM and that they
were now developing “a detailed strategy for its initial deployment,
probably into Europe, in 2005”. According to Cronk, DRM offered the
unique combination of
wide area short-wave coverage and FM usability and quality.
As a consequence of using this digital medium, continuous direct delivery
to the audience avoiding “political or other
regulatory obstacles” will be possible.
Bettermann, having also stressed the aspect of the impossibility to censor
short-wave and, focussing on European implementation, announced that Deutsche
Welle would gradually switch off its analogue short-wave transmissions.
A pre-condition would be the world-wide availability of DRM receivers.
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