Brazil Already Has the AM Band Ready for Digital DRM Broadcasting

Unlike in the past, when there was resistance to the implementation of digital radio due to the need for broadcasters to replace much of their equipment, today's scenario is different: we have an unoccupied band, begging for life, calling for something that can truly make it competitive with the FM band. And only the path of digital transmission can make that possible.

Instead of sterile, paralyzing debates about digitalization, what we now have is a band that cries out for it, one that demands urgency and knows that only through this path will life return to populate the medium wave spectrum in Brazil.

The AM band in Brazil is now virtually empty, as a result of the successful migration of stations to FM. This creates a historic opportunity: to reuse the entire AM band for exclusively digital broadcasts using the DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) standard.

This new use is technologically more viable, cost-effective, and efficient than past attempts with hybrid transmissions, which combined analog and digital signals in a narrow frequency band, leading to instability and interference. With DRM operating in full digital mode, broadcasters can offer stereo sound quality, reception stability, and signal robustness, making AM once again competitive with FM — but with the extended coverage range that has always been a hallmark of the AM band.

Spectral and Energy Efficiency of DRM

• Covers long distances with lower energy consumption.

• Allows for multiple services (audio, text, data) to be transmitted within just 9 kHz on AM or 100 kHz on FM.

The Magic of a Free AM Band in Brazil

With the massive migration of AM stations to FM, Brazil expanded the FM band from 87.5–108 MHz to 76.1–108 MHz, taking over the former TV channels 5 and 6. While this expansion was strategic, it also opened the door to repurposing the AM band with a new mission: digital radio.

Migration was a logical solution. In many cities, AM stations struggled with reception inside homes, buildings, malls, and even vehicles — where electromagnetic interference from power lines and electronics made the signal nearly unlistenable. FM competitors, meanwhile, offered cleaner, more stable audio.

Moreover, radio began competing for listeners with platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and streaming services, while also losing part of its advertising revenue to social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. AM stations were hit harder than FM, and the move to FM saved many stations. A strong example is CBN Natal, which gained both financial and audience traction after switching to the FM dial.

What Ensures DRM’s Success in Brazil

For DRM to succeed in Brazil, transmissions must be exclusively digital, with no hybrid format involved.

The AM band, now unoccupied and technically ideal for digital, must not regress to the model that forced stations to abandon it in the first place. Bringing analog back would be inefficient, costly, and commercially irrelevant.

Specific Advantages of DRM for Brazil

• Revitalizes AM with stereo, clean, and stable audio.

• Uses existing towers and frequencies, minimizing implementation costs.

• Ideal for remote regions, especially in the North and Midwest.

• Supports data services, which are valuable in emergencies and distance education.

Advanced DRM Features

• Dynamic text display (e.g., song title, host name, real-time news).

• Transmission of useful data, like weather forecasts and alerts.

• Capability to send simple images, maps, program guides, and even GPS positioning signals.

An Open International Standard

• Non-proprietary system, unlike HD Radio, which is licensed and restricted.

• Already adopted or under testing in countries such as India, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, among others.

Why I Raise This Flag

My name is Ricardo Gurgel, an engineer with technical experience in major FM broadcasters in Rio Grande do Norte, and also a consultant for smaller local stations. For over a decade, I’ve observed the challenges of radio digitalization in Brazil. Even back then, I was warning about the problems with the HD Radio system, particularly in its hybrid mode.

I clearly saw that this model wouldn’t succeed — and time proved it. HD Radio never took off in Brazil. Even the tests that were conducted, mostly in São Paulo, yielded unsatisfactory results.

A Unique Opportunity

We now have a completely free radio band, ready to welcome new stations designed to be digital from the start, with no analog baggage. The chance to do it right from the beginning is real.

Brazil has continental potential to lead the implementation of DRM, not only domestically but also as a reference for Latin America and other developing countries. This shift isn’t just about broadcasting, it’s about technology, national industry, innovation, and economic development.

If well managed, digital radio through DRM can transform local realities, strengthen regional broadcasting, and reposition Brazil as a global leader in digital communication.

A National Asset in Our Hands

Brazil now holds a unique opportunity: to transform a portion of the radio spectrum — long associated with noise and technical limitations — into a modern, digital, accessible, and strategic space for the future of broadcasting.

This isn’t just a technical upgrade, it’s a matter of public policy, industrial development, and communication inclusion. By adopting DRM as the exclusive standard for the AM band, Brazil can turn radio into a tool for connection, citizenship, and regional development, especially in places where FM and internet coverage are weak or nonexistent.

Let’s not waste this open spectrum with inefficient hybrid models or timid pilot projects. It’s time to think big, plan wisely, and act with vision. Digital radio is already a reality in many parts of the world and Brazil, with its vast territory and broadcasting legacy, has everything it takes to lead this movement in the Americas.