FM radio may not be as important as it once was but it hasn’t really faded into oblivion just yet, but Norway seems to have no problem in nudging it towards that direction. It was expected that Norway would become the first country in the world to shut down FM radio and it really has claimed this title for itself. Starting today at 11:11 am local time, Norway will shut down FM radio and start the transition to digital radio.
The transition is going to start from Bodø, a town in the far north of Norway, at the aforementioned time. It’s expected that the entire transition process is going to be completed before the end of this year.
Norway has been running both FM radio and Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB since 1995. The country’s Ministry of Culture is of the view that supporting FM radio is becoming too costly. After all, it’s not that easy trying to reach a population of more than five million people that’s scattered across mountainous geography.
On the other hand, the Ministry adds, DAB is going to provide citizens with better choice and enhanced audio quality. There will be more than 20 national channels on DAB as opposed to the five currently offered on FM radio. This doesn’t apply to local stations who can continue to broadcast on analog signals if they want to stick with it.
While DAB might be the future, most Norwegians aren’t happy that their government is taking this step. 66 percent oppose this move and only 17 percent are in favor of it.
Filed in .. Source: ft