DRM MEMBER AMPEGON WINS A NEW SHORTWAVE TRANSMITTER CONTRACT WITH RNZ

In September 2022, Ampegon Power Electronics AG and RNZ (New Zealand public broadcaster) signed a contract to supply a new TSW2100-V4 100 kW shortwave transmitter to New Zealand. The transmitter will broadcast the RNZ Pacific service to millions of people living across the Pacific with high reliability and energy efficiency:

For many years now RNZ has used DRM to feed FM stations in the Pacific islands, a sustainable and ingenious way to use the digital DRM standard to distribute analogue content and introduce digital broadcasting to far-away places in the Pacific. RNZ provides an essential shortwave service, 24 hours a day, for 22 broadcasting partners across the Pacific region.

This new transmitter upgrades their service to the newest standards, the most modern capabilities, and together with their current transmitter, can provide redundancy or additional services in the future,

The TSW-2100 transmitters is capable of both traditional analogue broadcasts and DRM digital broadcasting. It is designed to provide DSB and AMC analogue modes to significantly reduce power consumption and when broadcasting DRM, energy usage is reduced by up to 40% without compromising broadcast range.

Additionally, DRM provides FM quality stereo sound alongside a data stream which can be used to send text messages, advertising, images and the “Journaline” text service which provides capabilities for remote learning.

Richard Sutherland, Head of News at RNZ explains:. RNZ shortwave transmissions are a lifeline source of information, which helps to support sustainable social and economic resilience”.

The new transmitter is planned to be delivered in 2023 and put into operation in early 2024

A spokesperson from Ampegnon, Simon Keens said “With growing global instability, Ampegon is receiving more and more frequent requests for shortwave transmitters, which are capable of extremely long range international and intercontinental broadcasting. Additionally, with the increasing cost of energy, DRM digital shortwave broadcasting makes a lot of sense, saving over 40% of the energy at the flick of a switch. Radio New Zealand has chosen one of our most economical transmitter setups for maximum efficiency, while providing FM quality DRM coverage over the entire Pacific region over shortwave for decades to come.”