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Chris,
177 DLR (Deutschlandradio) is owned the German
Federal Govt., just like Deutsche Welle; Peter Senger, the head of the DRM
organization is the Chief Engineer of DW. I think this is a
"push to acceptance" issue. The German public practically has abandoned AM
radio (LW or MW). The Megaradio commercial network project on
MW failed for that reason. Chain stores don't carry many multiband
radios like they did years ago, they're mostly of Asian origin and AM-FM
only (no LW/SW). So DRM is an attempt to bring people back to the AM
bands.
DLR and DLF (Deutschlandfunk) are the only Federal
networks in Germany, all other public broadcasters are state run (like Bavaria,
Saar, or Brandenburg for example). DLR and DLF are carried as networks on
FM as well, so the public won't miss 177 (if they even listen). Sweden
turned off their LW station after they found out that only a few hundred regular
listeners to 189 existed. Austria abandoned MW except for 1476, and that's
mostly foreign service stuff. I read that Denmark's DR is planning to
axe 234 and 1062.
DRM radios are only now being rolled out, having
been shown at the big IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.
Check out the radios at the following
link:
but it's in German. The pictures are
interesting... note the one receiver tuned to 177.
As someone who DXed 51 countries on LW/MW on my
last 3 week trip over there, I have mixed feelings about it. DRM does
not seem to be interested in a hybrid mode, so interference may be less over
there. My receptions of DRM stations' hash on MW didn't slop as badly
as HD Radio does here.
Rich Toebe
Vacaville CA
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