Next RDS Forum meeting in October 2026 at Geneva
RDS Forum - the association of RDS users
First, WorldCast Systems (WCS) is widely known for its Audemat RDS encoders. Until 2020 they had worldwide sold 17,000 units of their first-generation model which was then replaced by the second generation that is also RDS2 ready.
To better understand what can be achieved nowadays for optimizing the transmission chain studio to transmitter, please use this WCS webinar offer:
Worldcast shares FM optimization insights in on-demand webinar
Hosted by Gregory Mercier, director of product marketing at WCS, the session covers end-to-end improvements across the broadcast chain, from the studio to the transmitter.
In 2025, WCS has released APTmpX v2, an MPX/composite transport technology update that now includes RDS transport as synchronized data and as an RDS 57 kHz subcarrier.
Previously available only in the 900 kbps version, this extended RDS feature is now supported at lower bitrates of 300, 400 and 600 kbps.
WorldCast is rolling out APTmpX v2 across its codec lineup. It will start with APTmpX Software for Windows, designed for use with third-party software sound processors. The update will then be available in the Virtual APT IP Codec and hardware codecs, including the APT IP Codec, APT Silver MPX Encoder/Decoder, APT AoIP Multichannel Codec and the Ecreso FM AiO Series transmitters. It is designed to support broadcasters transitioning to MPX transport over IP while maintaining existing infrastructure.
During 2024, for example, in the Netherlands over 60 transmitters were equipped with innovative products from WCS. For more details, please refer to the document that you can download from here.
In Germany, after the test phase with around 900 FM Ecreso transmitter from WCS of the latest generation (with the SmartFM software option), another 2000 were added, so that about 3000 transmitters with the latest technology are in operation. So, they will continue to serve for at least another 10 years.
Noteworthy is also another important innovation: APT SureStream redundancy technology is used throughout the network for signal reliability. Kybio network manager oversees the whole ecosystem.
Even more transmitter energy savings are possible using a new software from WCS, called Smart FM.
Broadcasters everywhere are looking for ways to simplify operations while scaling their networks. For 100% Radio, this challenge became urgent as their programming expanded to 16 feeds across 50 FM frequencies and DAB+ in major French cities. The traditional hardware-based approach was reaching its limits, creating complexity and slowing down growth.
That's when they decided to embrace a fully virtualized broadcast chain with WorldCast. By moving to a software-based MPX over IP architecture — powered by Virtual APT IP Codecs, APTmpX, Ecreso AiO Series, and monitored through Kybio — they gained a flexible and future-ready setup that matches their ambition.
Want to see how they did it?
