DRM Offers Fertile Ground for the Growth of Nationally Recognized Radio Stations

I will use Brazil as an example, but this kind of situation will certainly be found in other countries as well—especially those with large territories, where major radio brands emerge and demand coverage. The comparisons and scenarios presented in this text will make it easy to understand.

The Legendary Rádio Globo 1220 AM

I remember well the time when, at night, Rádio Globo from Rio de Janeiro could be heard in Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, thousands of kilometers from its transmitter. And not just in Natal: several capitals across the North and Northeast of Brazil tuned in to the turma da maré mansa, the iconic jingle “O Globo no ar,” and the broadcasts of Flamengo’s matches. It’s no coincidence that Flamengo’s fan base became national—largely due to the “catechization” of the audience carried out by that station.

The Arrival of FM

Over time, FM stations began to emerge. But at least initially, this did not cause a drop in audience numbers for stations like Bandeirantes, Jovem Pan, or Tupi. FM was entirely focused on music, leaving AM to handle news and sports broadcasting.

The Domestic Electromagnetic Storm

Year after year, with the widespread adoption of electronic equipment, the arrival of fluorescent lights, and countless new sources of electromagnetic waves invading households, AM radio began to struggle to deliver its signal with quality. My father, for example, had radios that, when plugged in, could only receive FM clearly. To listen to football matches on AM, he had to rely on a battery-powered portable radio—unplugged—to avoid being overwhelmed by interference. And the struggle didn’t stop inside the home: as power grids became denser, the AM signal fought for its survival.

New Times

Rádio Globo eventually stopped broadcasting on AM, migrated to FM, and changed much of its programming to adapt to what it saw as more suited to the FM profile. It abandoned its long-distance signal, and on streaming, it is definitely no longer the same Rádio Globo of 1220 kHz.

Tupi, Globo, Jovem Pan, Bandeirantes, and Other Giants

Until recently, my father would still ask me to save the streaming link to Rádio Tupi on his phone. He was never quite comfortable navigating radio apps, and I’d always start the stream for him so he could listen for hours. Tupi today holds much of that legion of listeners who once followed Rio de Janeiro football through Rádio Globo. It has earned the loyalty of this audience across many Brazilian states. Its profile is similar to that of the old Globo, and it ranks among the most searched stations online—alongside names like Antena 1, Bandeirantes, Jovem Pan, and Itatiaia. These are nationally recognized brands with strong streaming demand. But DRM could represent a true audience revolution for these stations, which still hold scattered listener bases throughout the country.

With easier tuning and superior audio quality, many of these broadcasters could invest in robust shortwave transmission facilities, ensuring presence on listeners’ dials at any time of day. Others, with more regional focus, might find a better fit through DRM on AM. One example is Rádio Clube de Recife in its former AM format, well known to listeners in Natal, João Pessoa, Maceió, and much of the Northeast. It was the true “cannon of the Northeast,” with massive reach. Itatiaia, for instance, could also adopt DRM on AM to reach fans beyond Minas Gerais—a state that, it’s worth noting, has dimensions equivalent to France.. There are also the Amazonian stations that must overcome vast distances. In a region with less economic dynamism, a more efficient and low-cost system like DRM would make a tremendous difference.

The DRM Revolution

It’s not hard to recognize, even at a glance, the audience potential that DRM would bring to stations like Tupi, Bandeirantes, Globo, and Record, among many others with strong regional demand. Digitalization is a necessary process to confront the many media distractions that weakened AM—and that will soon affect FM as well. The many services and features of DRM, along with its audio quality and coverage, create a robust package that can no longer be postponed.

It would be like going back in time—when AM stations from Recife could be heard during the day in Natal, and at night it was possible to tune into stations from all over Brazil. But now, with FM-comparable quality. A diversity that today may seem impossible, but that DRM can easily make a reality.

Other stations could go even further, adopting shortwave transmissions with bold, unconventional programming unlike anything in today’s analog model. It may seem hard to believe: a station from a thousand kilometers away, with clean audio, being picked up on a DRM receiver—but all of this is entirely possible.

Let’s simulate.

Let’s explore some possibilities. Below the image, I present a conceptual visualization of estimated coverage for different broadcasting modes: FM, DRM on AM (daytime), and DRM on AM (nighttime).

Let’s take Rádio Tupi, based in Rio de Janeiro, as an example:

• The yellow ring illustrates the station’s estimated FM coverage.

• The cyan ring (a light blue tone) represents the daytime DRM coverage on the AM band.

• The red ring illustrates the nighttime DRM coverage on the AM band.

The actual reach of each broadcasting mode depends on a range of technical and environmental factors. However, for educational purposes, this image provides a plausible coverage scenario. Although we are using Rádio Tupi as an example, the same reasoning applies to other stations that once had national prominence on the AM band—such as Rádio Globo.

Shortwave DRM

There is also another viable alternative for daytime nationwide coverage: DRM on shortwave. This could offer a new path for those stations that still have a large national audience "in waiting," eager to hear their broadcasts again.

Shortwave DRM is an effective tool to reach the Brazilian population on a massive scale, both day and night. Its ability to offer national daytime coverage creates a new commercial horizon for stations with robust journalism and sports infrastructure—allowing them to be heard during radio’s prime time without the traditional limitations of analog reach.

An Audience Already in Place

We’re talking about a ready-made stock of listeners—eager to use all kinds of platforms to tune into their favorite stations. The ability to return to AM, now with a new look and packed with easy-to-use technological features that eliminate problems like noise, static, and signal loss, would be an extremely attractive combination. And if nostalgia runs deep, even a button to simulate static, noise, or other retro effects could be trivially added—just for emotional attachment.

The Spirit of AM

Some stations still preserve much of the old AM format, even while operating on FM—and these are precisely the ones best positioned to reclaim lost ground. Among the regional stations with broad reach beyond their home markets is Rádio Jornal from Recife, which boasts a loyal and sizable following. The same goes for thematic stations with massive audiences, such as Rádio Evangelizar or Novas de Paz.

With DRM, new horizons emerge. Many of today’s limitations would simply vanish. Each broadcaster would be free to explore the potential of this new band in its own way—through a process of discovery and creativity that might even surprise the DRM Consortium itself.

Integration

In parallel with the effect of national integration, we would also see a factor of continental integration, driven by the proximity to neighboring countries and the presence of other major audience leaders like Rádio Gaúcha. Broadcasting from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which borders Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, Rádio Gaúcha could become a powerful driver for the adoption of the digital system across South America.

The Northeast of Brazil also has strong radio brands—both in music and sports—that could gain even more prominence. One clear example is Verdinha, from Fortaleza, which, even after migrating to FM, preserved its traditional AM essence and still commands a large and loyal audience. Other stations already mentioned, such as Rádio Jornal, and possibly the return of the classic Rádio Clube, with its focus on news and sports—hallmarks of its former AM format—are also noteworthy.

Stations from Maranhão, for instance, could finally become more connected to the rest of the Northeast. In short, many new broadcasting layouts are possible. And it won’t be long before even FM stations must once again undergo major adjustments. Digitalization is the leap forward, and it already gives the AM band a certain advantage over the challenges FM is bound to face.