VT Merlin has launched two new weekly digital streams, bringing the benefits of Digital Radio MondialeTM (DRMTM) to a number of its most important international broadcast customers.
This new service ‘vtdigital’ features news and general programming from broadcasters compiled into a stream, interspersed with informative continuity announcements. Two streams are broadcast, one on Friday and one on Saturday on 9770 kHz. They are carried from VT Merlin’s Rampisham site in the UK on digital short wave into Central Europe in near FM quality. Broadcasters including Radio New Zealand International, Radio Australia, Radio Japan (NHK), Radio Taiwan International and Radio France International have joined and are keen to experience the benefits of the DRM system and range of services offered by VT Merlin.
These streams complement the highly successful Sunday stream based on religious programming, which began in February 2004.
Peter Gordon, VT Merlin’s Head of Digitalisation commented: “We are very proud to have brought some of the world’s leading international broadcasters together onto our DRM platform in an innovative way. Their commitment to DRM is a major boost for this new broadcast technology. We look forward to growing and expanding the stream concept over the coming months”. VT Merlin is a founder member of Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), a consortium of broadcast related organisations working to bring digital AM radio to the market place.