TI and RadioScape Pursue DRM Technology; News Called a ‘Milestone’ for DRM

Texas Instruments is working with RadioScape to develop hardware and software to support Digital Radio Mondiale – a move that, in the short term, is of interest in Europe and could have ramifications in any market where DRM is pushed.
DRM is a non-proprietary digital AM radio system intended for short-, medium- and long-wave formats. TI will supply DSP-based digital radio semiconductors with RadioScape’s software radio technology, the companies said. Together they will offer a platform for designing consumer receivers.
Peter Senger of Deutsche Welle, the chairman of a DRM consortium, said the announcement is “a major milestone” for the consortium, which is pushing DRM in worldwide markets. “We believe their commitment to DRM will help drive its commercial success in the coming years – repeating their success at driving the DAB market by enabling a wide variety of receivers to be made at easily affordable prices,” he stated.
A Texas Instruments official said, “The use of RadioScape’s software-defined radio solutions will allow a single cost-effective hardware platform to receive DRM, DAB, FM and AM broadcasts.”
DRM proponents position the technology as a complement to existing DAB services, such as those in Europe, and hope that DRM and DAB functionality can be combined into new receivers. They say a single tower can broadcast over a huge area; thus listeners across Europe will be able to receive the same station. They say DRM is expected to drive expansion of the under-30 MHz radio market and that existing transmitters can be modified easily to carry DRM signals.