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- DRM: The Story So Far
- Popular Frequently Asked Questions
- Tougher Stuff - really technical questions answered
- Field Trial Results Listen Now to DRM!
- Digital AM Links
- Receiving DRM Software now available!
- Current DRM schedule
Introduction
There have never been as many radio stations as now! People are listening more hours per week to radio than ever before! Audio distribution has never been more important.
But the audience is also becoming more critical. The arrival of affordable CD-players, MP-3 portables, the home theatre experience of the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) as well as audio via the Internet, means audiences come to better audio and perfect reception. Traditional broadcasting on long-, medium-, and shortwave (in other words below 30 MHz on the dial) is challenged. For the moment, although it can travel vast distances, the signal sounds muffled and often un-even by the time it comes out of the receiver. In short, AM needs to sound better to survive.
Fortunately an international consortium of engineers have been working since 1998 on making AM radio sound like FM! They have cherry-picked some of the proven technologies associated with the Internet and added a great deal of original research of their own. Just under 70 organisations are now members of the so-called DRM consortium. DRM stands for Digital Radio Mondiale, (Digital Radio World-Wide).
The official launch of regular DRM transmissions took place on 16 June 2003. Radio Netherlands is among the international broadcasters which have begun regular DRM services. These digital transmissions are running alongside our regular analogue services.