Category Archives: Broadcasters

India To Go DRM

In the broadcasting world, All India Radio has been an early adopter of DRM technology. I was pleased to find this article from the DRM Consortium via Andy Sennitt at RNW Media Network:

The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium has welcomed the Indian government‘s approval of All India Radio (AIR)’s ambitious plan of converting its vast broadcasting network to digital using the DRM standard. India is one of the first countries in the world to implement such an extensive and well-researched plan to upgrade its radio infrastructure using the global open DRM radio technology and thereby ensuring that it can maintain significant reach to its 1.2 billion strong population whilst delivering enhanced radio services.

India’s Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure on Thursday 8 April gave its approval to the proposal from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding 11th Plan of Digitalisation where Rs 9.20 billion (approx US$200 million) have been earmarked for AIR to convert to digital which will cover approx 70 per cent of the country. By converting to digital, AIR will deliver enhanced radio services that offer crystal clear sound, increase user experience with additional functionality such as automatic tuning by station name, interactive user interface through digital screens that offer slide-shows and many other services like EPG, Journaline.

The digitisation scheme involves the installation of over 40 digital (DRM capable) transmitters as well as other digital enhancements and networks for both state radio and television.

All India Radio (AIR) began moving towards digitisation with the adoption of the DRM standard after extensive field trials and tests since 2007 that was offering in their opinion the most ‘robust, reliable’ technology. Last year, it started a regular DRM broadcast from one of its high-power shortwave transmitters located at Khampur near Delhi and this year it acquired two high powered mediumwave DRM transmitters.

Source: DRM Consortium via RNW Media Network

Irish Times Reports On Shortwave Broadcaster Targeting North Korea

Free North Korea Radio is giving voice to a growing opposition to the dictatorship, writes David McNeill in Seoul.

Building up a new network of stringers took time. Today, 10 freelance journalists provide reports from behind the bamboo curtain on a retainer of about $100 (€73) a month. They include a university professor, a teacher, at least two soldiers and a North Korean security agent…

…FNKR provides them with small digital recorders, which are used to record interviews, and mobile phones with signals that work across the Chinese border – Pyongyang’s fledgling mobile- phone system was bought from Egypt and is incompatible with the South Korean network.

The recordings are smuggled across the Chinese border and transported back to Seoul via a network of spies.

The results detonate on air during Voices of the People , where the raw views of the North’s citizens – electronically distorted – are broadcast back into their own country. Brainwashed automatons in so much reporting, the people heard here emerge as thrillingly human, alive and angry.

Read full article in the Irish Times.

Other reports of Free North Korea Radio:

PCJ Media Brings Nash Holos to Shortwave

PCJ Media has announced the addition of Nash Holos (Ukrainian: “Our Voice”) to its program roster.

Nash Holos is a bilingual Ukrainian-themed radio program which focuses on Ukrainian culture with an international perspective. The program is produced and hosted by Paulette (“Pawlina”) Demchuk MacQuarrie.

Pawlina made her radio debut in 1990, when Nash Holos first went on the air in British Columbia, Canada. In 1996 she and her team disbanded but returned to the airwaves in 2000 and continues to broadcast on AM1320 CHMB Radio in Vancouver.

PCJ Media, producer of the New Happy Station Show, is bringing Nash Holos to the shortwaves. The first international edition of Nash Holos will air February 12th, 2009 at 0200UTC on 9955khz (via WRMI) and will be made available for download online at www.pcjmedia.com with weekly edition to be produced for PCJ Radio.

More Information:

New Shortwave Radio–The Thanko Raremono USB Shortwave

The Thanko Raremono USB shortwave radio.

I can’t wait to review one of these. It’s a new, inexpensive, computer-controlled shortwave radio by the Japanese company, Thanko. The jury is out about its performance, but it does have the following features:

AM, FM and good Shortwave coverage (3,000 kHz-20,000 kHz)
Ability to record radio programs live or schedule recordings of future broadcasts.
Hooks up to the USB port on your PC and is software controlled
Works on Windows XP and Vista

The Thanko Raremono USB Shortwave is available from the Thanko website for $45 US (English translation).

Stay tuned–I plan to review this radio in the near future.

Radio Australia Now in Burmese

The New Happy Station Show via WRMI

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SWLers will be happy to know that one of the longest running shortwave radio shows of all time will be back on the air after a 15 year absence. The return of The Happy Station Show? Well, sort of.

The original Happy Station Show host, Edward "Eddie" Startz. Photo courtesy of RNW.

A little history…The original Happy Station Show was broadcast by Dutch station PCJJ from 1928 until 1946 when Radio Netherlands took the show. The format was eclectic and very much tailored to an international crowd–it included popular music (mostly European), vintage recordings and multilingual banter; shows were in English or Spanish (sometimes both). As the name implies, the show was light-hearted and fun.

The Happy Station Show was first hosted by the popular Edward “Eddie” Startz who served until his retirement in the early 1970s. Many hosts took the reigns after Eddie, including Tom Meijer, Pete Myers, Jonathan Groubert and Jaime Báguena. Unfortunately, the show was canceled by Radio Netherlands in 1995.

I was delighted to hear (via Kim Andrew Elliot) that The Happy Station Show will once again be on the air. At least, a show called “The Happy Station Show” will be on the air. You see, this show will be based in Taipei, Taiwan and will not be sponsored by Radio Netherlands. The new host is experienced Canadian broadcaster Keith Perron.

Radio Miami International

I can’t wait to hear the first broadcast in March from WRMI to North America (9955 kHz)–sounds like those of you who’d rather listen on an iPod will probably have that option available, too.

I will post info here as it becomes available–please subscribe to our feed and comments.

Addendum

Just heard from host Keith Perron, who writes:

The first show will be March 11th at 0100. March 11th, incidentally, is the same date Philips Radio signed on with broadcasts to the Dutch East Indies.

He adds, regarding the new format:

…I don’t want to give too many details, but the first new Happy Station in almost 15 years will have some surprises.

Tom [Meijer] will appear in the new series in guest spots every now and again.