Interdisciplinary Network of Radio, Technical Development and University

With the research results achieved in the area digital broadcasting at Fraunhofer- Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS the idea was born to use this experience for current courses at the Chair of Information Technologies LIKE at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Initiated by the director of Fraunhofer IIS, Professor Heinz Gerhäuser, the college radio station bit eXpress has been broadcasting a non-commercial 24 h digital shortwave radio program at 15,896 MHz according to the DRM standard since June 2003 (since fall 2008 also over middlewave 909 kHz). The program is part of a joint project and available online at www.bitexpress.de as well as via DVB.

Students of the Erlangen-Nuremberg university have the opportunity to work with the new technologies from production to reception. To experience and comprehend radio is the premise. After an introductory period the students create the radio program – and with it the media of the future. The cutting-edge studio environment allows acquiring a profound understanding and knowledge, which, in regular media practice, is hardly ever possible. The objective is to test and enhance the new digital receiver and transmitter technology while on the air and with an ever growing and involved listenership.

The young team of editors, radio hosts, freelancers and engineers produce an innovative program of popular and alternative music with reports on the areas society, politics, culture, sports, music, science and technology for its listeners in Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany and around the world. The project is of a cross-faculty nature and is open to anybody interested. The students are instructed and supervised by Fraunhofer IIS and LIKE members. In recent years bit eXpress has received emails from interested radio listeners from countries all over the world. We are very proud to be able to export our vision of digital radio to Egypt and the young students of the German University GUC in Cairo.