AIR has acquired 37 DRM transmitters, in talks to get cheaper radio sets: Rathore

All India Radio (AIR) has introduced digital radio technology in the AIR Network by installing new state of the art Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Technology transmitters by replacing old outlived 37 Medium Wave/ Short Wave transmitters. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told Parliament however that the provisions contained in Policy Guidelines on expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services through private agencies (Phase-III) do not provide for private FM broadcasters to adopt digital radio technology. He said Digital Radio allows significant improvements in service reliability, audio quality, more radio services and higher efficiency. The new AIR transmitters include 35 new state of art technology Medium Wave (MW)/ DRM transmitters as a replacement of old technology valve based MW transmitters. Additionally, two new state of the art technology Short Wave (SW) DRM transmitters have been approved for installation as a replacement of old SW transmitters.

The Minister admitted that at present, Digital DRM Receivers are expensive. However, AIR is in touch with DRM Receiver manufactures for producing DRM Receiver at an affordable price. The new state of art technology DRM transmitters are capable to transmitting signals in analogue or digital or simulcast mode (mix of both analogue & digital). Therefore, these new transmitters are presently operating in simulcast mode so that common man can receive AIR programmes in conventional receivers and also in Digital DRM receivers. Of the new transmitters, four are in Delhi: two 100 Kw SW, one 20 Kw for Vividh Bharati and one 200 Kw for the Delhi ‘A’ channel. Of the balance, there are four each in West Bengal and Rajasthan; three each in Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu; and two each in Assam, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab have one each.