KBS World Radio is first to use innovative DRM/AM Hybrid transmission through WRN Broadcast

Vauxhall, London, 15 October 2013 – WRN Broadcast has today announced that the company will be enabling KBS World Radio to provide a one hour daily transmission in German using an analogue-digital 20kHz simulcast mode of the Digital Radio Mondiale system via a shortwave transmitting station in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Broadcasting from 27th October 2013, the daily transmission will be at 1900 to 2000 UTC (2000 to 2100 local time, in Germany) when listeners with a DRM receiver will be able to hear the broadcast in high audio quality on 5875kHz while listeners with a conventional analogue set will be able tune their radio to 5885kHz.

David Treadway, CEO, WRN Broadcast, says "This mode of transmission was defined early in the development of DRM but has seemingly never before been operated for a regular broadcast service. This is another great example of how WRN Broadcast’s world-class expertise continues to support our clients’ broadcast ambitions."

Based in Seoul, KBS World Radio has been working with WRN Broadcast for the past 20 years. KBS discussed the possibility of providing a DRM transmission to Germany but WRN Broadcast believed it would gain a larger audience if it could use both analogue and digital transmission and saw the efficiency of placing both within 20kHz.

The transmission, targeted at Germany, Austria and Switzerland, will be made from Sofia, Bulgaria where WRN Broadcast first installed DRM transmission hardware in 2003. The station is owned by Spaceline, which has subsequently invested in further DRM equipment. WRN Broadcast has also previously operated a local trial DRM transmission in the London area on 26MHz.

KBS broadcasts globally in 11 languages and 2013 marks its 60th anniversary.