Presently, Brazil is considering the choice of digital radio system; HD Radio or DRM+.  As there are more than 4.000 community radio FM stations in the country the choice for small-scale broadcasting is very crucial.  In a letter to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications CMFE together with AMARC-Europe strongly recommend the choice of DRM+ for community radio in Brazil as well in other parts of the world.

The European community radio organisations sees it valuable that DRM+ main characteristic is that it is the only open worldwide standard for viable digitization of local FM radio in a Eureka 147 compatible way. DRM+ is a universal standard accepted by ETSI and ITU.

For community radio, mostly operating its own transmitter systems, an open systemis of importance. The DRM (as well as the DAB) systems are open in contrary to HD Radio, which is a proprietary system. An open system offers the possibility to everybody to develop new applications including open source transmitter software. It will be possible for community radio to build own, low-cost transmitters.

HD Radio (IBOC) operates with a total bandwidth of 400 kHz, which is not compatible with the existing channel raster of Band II (the FM-band) in Europe and many other parts of the world. DRM+ operates within a bandwidth of 100 kHz, which makes it natural choice for a smooth transition from analogue to digital on the FM band. It would allow 1-4 radio programmes within the same spectrum currently occupied by one FM programme.

There are also possibilities to use Single Frequency Network 6) for DRM+ transmitters as a benefit for small-scale broadcasting.Today DRM+ is the widely accepted choice for digitalization on Band II (the FM band) in Europe.

Read the letter European Community Radio Sector Opt for DRM+