ASIA

The Digital Radio Mondiale™ (DRM) Consortium is preparing for a rich and ambitious presence at the 28th international BES Expo (Broadcast Engineering Society) on Broadcast & Media Technology, under the title “DRM Expanding in India and All Asia”.With more than 1,000 delegates, speakers and panellists from India and abroad the BES event is rated the biggest in Asia. The BES exhibition and conference will be held in Delhi, from 15 to 17 February.Several of DRM’s Indian and international members and partners like CML Microcircuits, Fraunhofer IIS, Gospell, NXP, RFmondial and Starwaves will welcome visitors in Hall 12A – Booth C1. Other DRM members like Inntot (India) and Nautel (Canada) will also be close by.

Each of the participating companies will showcase the latest developments of the DRM technology as well as the progress made in providing high-quality and economical chipsets and receivers. The DRM C1 booth will be the stage for live DRM signal demonstrations highlighting the versatility of the standard.CML Microcircuits (UK, global) is introducing its new energy and cost-saving all-band receiver module announcing the creation of a consumer tester programme for its forthcoming DRM1000 receiver module. The testing process will ensure excellent consumer experience from the DRM1000 in the expanding DRM-capable receiver market in India. CML will invite up to 25 DRM enthusiasts andlisteners to receive pre-production module versions of the DRM1000 at booth C1. They will be asked to provide user feedback on features and performance of the module to CML, in return for free participation in the programme.NXP (global and strong in India) will also present its new powerful chipset (recently introduced at CES in Las Vegas and commercially available from 2025). Fraunhofer IIS (Germany) will introduce its latest innovation for DRM transmission and reception including DRM ContentServer and MultimediaPlayer technologies (available for manufacturer integration), as well as showcasing a series of applications turning the rich DRM standard feature set into useful hands-on experiences for users and listeners.RFmondial (Germany) is a company offering professional products and services for the digital broadcasting industry (DRM Multichannel, DRM-FM, DRM-AM). At BES it will highlight its major, tested innovations in providing superefficient DRM for FM broadcasts.Gospell (China) will show their latest small, integrated and superefficient receiver solutions. And receiver manufacturer STARWAVES (Switzerland/Germany) will demonstrate its newest and attractive receiver W2401 which can make the received DRM content and live streams available through its built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, as well as an exciting novel mobile solution. STARWAVES will also introducetheir local distributor in India.The BES conference held in parallel with the exhibition will include two DRM contributions on “Digital Radio – Ingredients of Success” and “Digitising FM – the Way to a Win-Win Solution”.For the DRM Consortium Chairman, Ruxandra Obreja, BES will be a great opportunity to show how much the standard has progressed recently not only in India but in other big and significant Asian countries. “Being able to demonstrate the DRM chain from transmission to reception will be the best showcase for the strength and versatility of the DRM standard. This will be a practical explanation forwhy an increasing number of important countries are investing in digitising with DRM in AM and FM.” […]

This is a joint statement from EBU together with UNESCO, Association of European Radios (AER) and 12 world industry associations on World Radio Day 2024.Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”World Radio Day 2024 marks 100 years of radio, a period in which it has become the medium that is arguably closest to human hearts and minds, providing news, entertainment and education in all corners of the world. It satisfies our need to be informed both for day-to-day decision-making and in times of emergency and crisis. Over the past century, radio has proved itself as a crucial medium in maintaining freedom of opinion and expression, often being the only one still up and running in times of crisis.

Studies have repeatedly shown that radio has the greatest trust, with most citizens rating it above television, the internet, social networks or the written press. Radio is a triumph of accessibility, immediacy and intimacy, and there’s a strong public-interest case for protecting it and our access to it.We believe that remaining easily accessible to all people, in all places, regardless of how they receive radio means using terrestrial broadcast networks (both analogue and digital) – still relied upon by the majority of listeners globally – and fostering online access to radio that is just as democratic and open.Cars are a particular concern, consistently among the most popular locations for radio listening. Whether it is terrestrial broadcast or internet, radio in cars should not just be easy to find, it must be impossible to miss.Information is a public good and a shared resource for all of humanity. Radio has its place in the digital transformation of the information ecosystem, complementing the internet and digital platforms. The evolution of communication technologies should advance people’s right to receive information and ideas through any media – instead of regressing it.We call upon governments, regulatory bodies, the technology and automotive industries, and all members of the global radio community to put safeguards in place to ensure that radio continues to thrive; to protect the free and unfettered access radio provides to a plurality of opinions and to trusted information; to allow radio to continue to help communities and all minority language speakers to receive information and participate in democratic processes; and to ensure radio remains available to all people regardless of their financial means or personal circumstances.Statement SignatoriesAcademia Espanola de la RadioAER – Association of European RadiosAIR-IAB – International Association of BroadcastingAMARC international – World Association of Community Radio BroadcastersAsia-Pacific Broadcasting UnionASBU – Arab States Broadcasting UnionCaribbean Broadcasting UnionCOPEAM – Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual OperatorsEBU – European Broadcasting UnionEGTA – Association of television and radio sales housesPublic Media AllianceUNESCOURTI – International Radio and Television Union […]

To celebrate World Radio Day , the World Radio Alliance and egta, the association of TV and radio advertising sales houses, released a slide deck listing seven reasons why radio is an effective medium for brand building. According to WRA, the compelling insights and argumentation, often forgotten by marketers, are backed by data and research from around the globe.WRA is an informal group of 19 trade bodies representing radio companies and sales houses in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia and it aims to widely promote and demonstrate the power and value of radio/audio in the media landscape by sharing best practices and speaking with a unified voice.The slide deck showcases the following seven points:

Trust, engagement and community Radio stands out as a trusted medium that fosters companionship and connection with listeners.
Emotional connection Radio establishes deep emotional connections with its audience, leaving a lasting impact on brand perception.
Attention and memory Radio drives attention, nurturing brand memory and recall, thereby enhancing overall brand performance.
Creativity & theatre of the mind Radio empowers creative storytelling and ignites listeners’ imagination.
Sonic branding Sonic branding carves a distinctive identity in the auditory landscape, making the brand more memorable in the listener’s mind.
Brand integration Radio’s unique capabilities extend beyond traditional 30-second spots, offering opportunities for creative and original brand experiences.
Synergy with other media Radio seamlessly amplifies other advertising channels. A cross-media marketing strategy amplifies brand awareness and recognition. […]

“Radio – a century of infotainment and education” is the theme of the 2024 writing contest organized by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) in response to World Radio Day (WRD) 2024. The contest honours radio’s contributions to humanity, society and countries around the world.Over two and a half months, from November 15, 2023 to January 30, 2024, the organising committee received hundreds of entries from listeners from all over Vietnam.Nguyen Thuy Hoa, Head of VOV’s International Cooperation Department, said: “Contestants put in much effort to write emotional pages with lots of citation and suggestions on how radio should change to suit today’s life and to attract young people. Some essays praised the radio profession, its practitioners, and VOV’s programs. The forms of expression are diverse: writing, images, voice, sound, and even a real radio program, or a podcast. In particular, some young contestants created cartoons, video clips, or comics.”

“That is a good sign, showing that young people are interested in broadcasting and they have seen the good, the advantages of radio. Their perspectives on radio are very good, new, interesting, and very young.”Contestant-listener Nguyen Huu Cong, in Ho Chi Minh City, submitted a comic titled “Radio Interview.”“My family used to listen to the radio, but now we don’t listen to it anymore. When I learned that VOV organized this contest, I remembered the old days when my mother and father often turned on the radio, and I also often listened to radio programs. The contest evoked my memories. I want to tell my story in a different form. My strength is drawing, so I want to express my thought through drawings,” Cong said.February 13 each year is designated by UNESCO as World Radio Day. The objectives are principally to raise awareness among the public and the media regarding the importance of radio as well as to encourage decision makers to establish and provide access to information through radio as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters. […]

Malaysia’s Suria FM has ranked 30th for the first time in Triton Digital’s recently released “Monthly Global Triton Digital Streaming Metrics Rating.”Suria FM has successfully recorded 10,771 thousand AAS (average active sessions), 2.6 million SS (session starts), and 1.18 ATSL (average time spent listening) every Monday to Friday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.Additionally, from Monday to Sunday, spanning from 6:00 am to 12:00 midnight, the station has garnered 7,963 AAS (average active sessions), 4.4 million SS (session starts), and 1.01 ATSL (average time spent listening).

Roslinda Abdul Majid (DJ Lin), the General Manager of Suria FM, expressed gratitude for the recognition and success of Suria in securing the prestigious 30th position in the Triton Global Digital Streaming results.“This ranking is not just a recognition but also an achievement that motivates us to continue growing and delivering quality content to our loyal Suria FM listeners, especially for those tuning in via suria.my and other digital platforms.”This rating demonstrates Suria FM’s presence among the top audio producers globally, alongside other listed global audio producers such as iHeartRadio, PrisaRadio, Grupo Bandeirantes, and others. Additionally, it solidifies Suria FM’s position as one of the vast audience’s preferred creative digital platforms. […]

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium is celebrating the World Radio Day (WRD) 2024 by shining a light not only on the illustrious legacy of radio but also on the power and new possibilities of this 100-year-old medium.To mark WRD 2024, the DRM Consortium, an integral part of all the major promises of radio’s dynamic future, will launch a new distance learning e-book and updated information on DRM, the open, ITU recommended standard for all frequency bands (in an interview recorded for the occasion of the Radio World Day).The new DRM e-book DRM Delivers Education for All, available for free to all, makes a strong case for using DRM for distance learning. Being a “one-to many” platform, digital DRM radio can deliver audio and text over vast areas and, therefore, to all the schools, homes, and students in villages far away or in busy cities. The same content and quality, without any discrimination, will reach all.

Radio remains worldwide the most widely consumed medium as it provides information, entertainment and education while being relatively free and portable. In recent years radio has increasingly become a public safety net during emergencies and power outages when natural and human-made disasters occur. Radio also promotes democracy and equality serving as a glue for underserved populations, be they poverty-stricken, caught in conflicts, on the move.DRM provides excellent audio in all bands but also enables essential data carriage. As data means any files, those can be text disaster warnings (in different languages), maps and images. Data files can be also illustrated school texts, images of any kind like graphs, formulae etc. The principle is the same whether we transmit (using DRM) a text alert, a map, or a mathematical figure.Contributing to a century of informing, entertaining and educating, on the World Radio Day 2024, the DRM Consortium free e-book is also an invitation to participate in an exciting adventure, our DRM Delivers Education for All Project (first started in Africa).If you want to learn about, get involved in, support and implement the project in your country please contact: [email protected]. […]