NEW DELHI: Only 35 transmitters of All India Radio of the 72 cleared for conversion to digital technology cleared by the Planning Commission will be ready by the end of this calendar year.

The pubcaster had received clearance of a total of 143 medium wave transmitters of which 72 are to be digitized.

Addressing the DRM Consortium's General Assembly in London, DRM Consortium India Chapter Honorary Chairman Yogendra Pal said after these projects are completed, it will have covered 70 per cent by digital radio. He said the sub-group set up by the Planning Commission has set 2017 as the deadline for AIR to go digital.

The range of the transmitters cleared by the Planning Commission varies between 1-1000 MW and AII India Radio expects that all the 50 MW and 300 MW transmitters will be completed by the end of this year.

The roll-out of Digital Radio Mondiale by All India Radio formed the main crux of the DRM General Assembly held in London, with Indian contributors including broadcasters and receiver manufacturers updating the audience on the digital roll-out in India.

Meanwhile, Roxandra Obreja was re-elected Chairperson of the DRM Consortium. Matthias Stoll (Ampegon) and Alexander Zink (Fraunhofer IIs) were elected as Vice-Chairpersons. Matthias was elected Chairman of the Executive Board. Lindsay Cornell and Alex Zink were confirmed as Technical Committee Chairperson and Treasurer respectively. The new Steering Board includes representatives of Ampegon, Babcock, BBC, BT Transmitters (the first Brazilian member), Continental, Fraunhofer IIs, Gates Air, NXP, RFI, RFmondial, Thomson, Transradio. The new members are BT Transmitters (Brazil), Thomson Broadcast (France), and Gates Air (formerly Harris Broadcast, USA).