News from the ABU Region Saudi Arabia


SAUDI ARABIA TO ACQUIRE DRM-READY TRANSMITTERS


Continental Electronics agreed to supply a quantity of 4 each 250 kW HF DRM-ready transmitters and associated equipment to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Information (MOI) through First Gulf Company of Riyadh. First Gulf will construct an entirely new HF station where the transmitters, antennas, and other equipment will be installed at the existing Al Khumra site outside Jeddah. The Al Khumra station presently accommodates multiple 2-megawatt and 1-megawatt Medium Wave transmitters.


The new high-power HF DRM-ready transmitters will enhance the Saudi MOI’s digital broadcast capabilities and can reach targeted audiences at long distance ranges with a clear, high quality signal. The DRM-ready transmitters are similar to those recently supplied to Broadcast Australia and Radio-TV Malaysia, employing Transradio’s latest DRM exciters with its unique pre-correction features. The transmitter station is planned to be fully operational by mid-2011. (Digital Radio Mondiale website)


Sri Lanka


NEW TV TOWER The Kokavil transmitting tower in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka will be ready for television, radio and other broadcasts within the next couple of months. The erection of the new transmission tower, replacing the old television tower destroyed during the war, has now been completed. The installation of transmitting devices and other equipment is now taking place. It should be ready for all TV and radio broadcasts before the end of this year.


This will be Sri Lanka’s first ever common broadcasting tower. Common transmitting towers will be built in other parts of the country in the future so that all TV and radio channels will share facilities available at strategic locations. (Observer Online)


DVB-T2 TO BE INTRODUCED IN SRI LANKA


The Digital Video Broadcasting’s DVB-T2 digital terrestrial broadcasting standard will be introduced to all television channels in Sri Lanka by the year 2015. The Committee appointed to look into the eligibility of its use in Sri Lanka has confirmed that it could be used for local TV channels subject to government agreement.


It would take at least 5 years to introduce the DVB-T2 technology to Sri Lanka while the Ministry of Information aims at implementing it in several phases and under the first phase the system will be introduced to the Western


Province. The Ministry expects all TV stations in the island to commence the DVB-T2 transmission by 2015.


Sri Lanka began pilot trials using DVB-T in 2008 and adopted the system in August 2009. However following the development of the DVB-T2 system, which has 50% more capacity using the same channel bandwidth, it now intends to switch to DVB-T2. The trend towards DVB-T2 is increasing especially in countries where Digital TV is still to be introduced. This is because the additional capacity DVB-T2 provides is much greater than with any other current DTT system and it can be implemented at much the same cost as for DVB-T. (www.dvb.org)


Vietnam


VOICE OF VIETNAM TRAFFIC CHANNEL TO GO NATIONWIDE


The government has agreed to allow the Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) to launch its VOV Traffic Channel nationwide. The radio channel, in co-operation with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security, will broadcast on FM 91 MHz to provide traffic updates to cities and provinces along the National Highway. The new radio channel will broadcast round the clock traffic information on the north-south route via a system of cameras located at 2,000 points across the country. The channel, which has been trialed successfully in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, will officially begin operating at the end of this year. The channel would provide the latest traffic information and entertainment. VOV plans to develop the channel into an interactive radio station. (Voice of Vietnam)


SUPPORT FOR DIGITAL RADIO


A digital radio action plan floated by an EBU working group won an unequivocal endorsement of delegates attending the organisation’s 2010 Digital Radio Conference in Dublin. Digital radio supporters claim the endorsement is unique in that it’s supporters included representatives from the WorldDMB Forum (Eureka 147), Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), and the Internet Media Device Alliance (IMDA), each of which represent a unique technological approach to digital audio content delivery. The endorsement also reflects a growing consensus that each technology fills a particular niche and that with the standards issue largely resolved, broadcasters are now free to concentrate on business models, content development and policy issues. More than 150 delegates from 60 different organizations attended the two-day conference, which included demonstrations of integrated Internet radio player/hybrid radio devices, as well as sessions on digital radio, audio streaming and audience measurement. BBC Northern Ireland and RTÉ hosted the event.


(www.radiomagonline.com) 39


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