August 28: BBC Atlantic Relay station special DRM broadcasts
(Source: DRM Consortium)
DRM will be part of a big anniversary on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean. On 28th of August at 1155 GMT Babcock International will ensure a special BBC digital transmission on 21715 kHz from the BBC Atlantic Relay station, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the BBC's first short-wave radio broadcast from Ascension Island.
Since 1966, the Atlantic Relay station has broadcast BBC World Service programmes to Africa and South America, and to this day, continues to broadcast over 250 programme hours every week to East and West Africa in English, French, Hausa and Somali.
The two hour-transmission on 21715 kHz will start with the old, special sound of Bow Church Bell in east London, the sound of which, even if in DRM this time, will remind older listeners of the BBC broadcasts of many decades ago. The 21-hour transmission will be the regular BBC programmes for West and South Africa and will end at 1400.
DRM - Digital Radio Mondiale, is an international digital radio standard designed by broadcasters, for broadcasters, in co-operation with transmitter and receiver manufacturers. DRM is a high quality digital replacement for analogue radio broadcasting in the AM and FM bands.
This special transmission will be sent with greetings from Ascension Island's BBC and Babcock International staff and visitors, who will be celebrating half a century of sterling broadcasting on August 28th.
Click here to read more about the fascinating history of the BBC's broadcasts from Ascension Island.
Transmission Details
FREQ TIME (UTC) SERVICE TX kW Bearing Day LANG TARGET
21715 1155-1201 BBC DRM ASC 250 114 1 English S. Africa (Special Announcement)
21715 1201-1400 BBC DRM ASC 250 114 1 English S. Africa (English - ENAFW)
21715 1400-1430 BBC DRM ASC 250 250 1 English Brazil (English - ENAFW)
Additional analogue transmission will broadcast from 13.30 GMT for ceremonial purposes.
15105 1330-1430 BAB ASC 250 27 1 English W. Africa (Special Announcement)