Segment of the VHF radio band with frequencies from 87.5 MHz to 108.0 MHz

VHF CCIR is the Western European standard for Very High Frequency broadcasting. This segment of the VHF radio band covers frequencies from 87.5 MHz to 108.0 MHz (worldwide) and from 75.0 MHz to 90.0 MHz (Japan). It is used for broadcasting, including transmission of a stereo signal. In common usage, it is referred to by the type of signal modulation (frequency modulation) employed in broadcasting only on VHF, as the “FM band.” In some modern radio receivers, it is labeled as VHF-2 (while VHF OIRT is labeled VHF-1).

An extended FM band refers to a receiver frequency range that includes both VHF OIRT and VHF CCIR (65.9–108 MHz). In receivers manufactured in Germany, the VHF band is marked as UKW (from German Ultrakurzwelle — “ultra-short wave”).

In the United States, regular stereo broadcasting began in 1961. In Europe, stereo transmissions started much later — in 1966–1967. There are notable differences between the European and U.S. versions of the stereo broadcasting system. The main difference lies in the time constants of the high-frequency pre-emphasis circuits: in Europe, it is 50 xs, while in the USA and Canada it is 75 xs. Additionally, in the USA, the system allows transmission of an extra narrowband audio signal (SCA) on a 67 kHz subcarrier, intended as background music to the main stereo program. Europe abandoned this practice from the start. Instead, in the European CCIR system, it is possible to transmit digital data at a 57 kHz subcarrier frequency (the third harmonic of the 19 kHz pilot tone) using the RDS (Radio Data System) instead of SCA.

The CCIR FM standard, unlike the Soviet VHF OIRT, also initially differed in the channel bandwidth (OIRT standard TV signal — 8 MHz, CCIR standard — 7 MHz). Further differences lie in the stereo signal encoding principles and the ability to insert RDS signals (VHF CCIR allows transmission of textual information over the RDS subcarrier).

Other performance characteristics of both broadcasting systems are almost identical:
- transmitted audio frequency range: 30–15,000 Hz;
- stereo channel separation: at least 25 dB (40 dB or more in modern equipment);
- signal-to-noise ratio degradation in mono reception: 2 dB (Soviet) / 1 dB (Western).

The signal-to-noise ratio degradation in mono reception occurs because part of the transmitter power in both systems is used to transmit the additional (L–R) difference signal. Due to the lower subcarrier frequency of the difference signal (31.25 kHz), the VHF OIRT system has a narrower composite stereo signal spectrum (165 kHz versus 190 kHz in the American system), which theoretically allows for more stations in the VHF band and more efficient transmitter power use. However, in the Soviet system, the “gap” between the upper limit of the tonal spectrum (15 kHz) and the lower sideband boundary of the modulated subcarrier (16.25 kHz — from 31.25 kHz minus 15 kHz) is just over 1 kHz, imposing strict filtering requirements for the supersonic signal. In the pilot-tone modulation system, this gap is 8 kHz, making it easier to filter tonal and supersonic signals. Therefore, the likelihood of cross-distortion in stereo decoders using polar modulation is significantly higher.