South Africa’s digital sound broadcasting landscape has taken a significant step forward following the launch of the country’s latest Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) trial in the FM band.
The trial officially commenced from a high site in Northcliff, Johannesburg, under a specialized test license issued by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to private station BluLemon Pty Ltd on behalf of the DRM South Africa Group.
Designed to demonstrate the consumer and operational features of DRM technology, the broadcast went live on 91.25 MHz with an initial transmitter output power of 70 watts.
Unlike previous local digital radio trials that focused primarily on signal propagation and transmitter coverage modeling, this phase is explicitly structured to test multi-channel capabilities, data services, and transmission efficiency.
Multi-Channeling and Public Interest FeaturesA central highlight of the ongoing trial is its demonstration of DRM’s multi-channeling capacity. Using a single FM frequency slot, the Northcliff transmitter is simultaneously carrying three separate audio broadcast services: Hot 102.7FM (Commercial music/talk), Radio Pulpit (Christian community broadcaster), and an Educational Channel (Dedicated distance learning).
“The objective is to showcase how a single transmitter can bundle multiple high-quality audio signals alongside text and images,” said Aldred Dreyer, Chairman of the DRM South Africa Group.
“This provides immense infrastructure and energy-cost savings for signal distributors like Sentech.”
The trial successfully executed a world-first demonstration of AI-enabled distance learning via digital radio. Utilizing the Journaline advanced text-and-data application component of the DRM standard, the project team transmitted structured audio lessons supported by text-based digital textbooks and guided graphics over the airwaves—all completely independent of an internet connection or cellular mobile data. Technical Assessment and Ecosystem Development.
The initial ICASA regulatory approval grants an eight-month operational trial window, with an built-in provision to request a six-month extension.
Beyond text and audio delivery, technical teams are actively collecting data across a variety of performance metrics:
- Energy Efficiency: Compiling precise measurements of actual operational power reduction when using DRM compared to traditional high-power analog FM transmitters.
- Emergency Warning Functionality (EWF): Testing DRM’s flagship disaster response features, which allow authority overrides to broadcast urgent audio and text alerts to specific regions during crises.
- Workflow Integration: Investigating how digital metadata, scheduling, and multi-program management integrate seamlessly into the daily master control room (MCR) operations of local broadcasters.
Organizers have actively extended invitations to public broadcaster SABC as well as local community radio operations to integrate into the testing matrix. The findings of the trial are slated to form the basis of a comprehensive digital implementation guide aimed specifically at lower-budget community stations across the African continent.