Norway To Become First Country To Switch Off FM Radio (reuters.com)

Norway is set to become the first country to switch off its FM radio network next week, as it takes the unpopular leap to digital technology. Reuters reports: Critics say the government is rushing the move and many people may miss warnings on emergencies that have until now been broadcast via the radio. Of particular concern are the 2 million cars on Norway's roads that are not equipped with Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) receivers, they say. Sixty-six percent of Norwegians oppose switching off FM, with just 17 percent in favor and the rest undecided, according to an opinion poll published by the daily Dagbladet last month. Nevertheless, parliament gave the final go-ahead for the move last month, swayed by the fact that digital networks can carry more radio channels. By the end of the year, all national FM broadcasts will be closed in favor of DAB, which backers say carries less hiss and clearer sound throughout the large nation of 5 million people cut by fjords and mountains. Torvmark said cars were the "biggest challenge" - a good digital adapter for an FM car radio costs 1,500 Norwegian crowns ($174.70), he said. For the same cost, digital radio in Norway allows eight times more radio stations than FM. The current system of parallel FM and digital networks, each of which cost about 250 million crowns ($29 million), saps investments in programs.

Comments

The real reason for the digitalization

[cheetah_spottycat]

... is monetization. They can sell more channel licenses, encrypt their radio streams, and sell paid subscriptions. This is the beginning of the end of free radio.

Re:The real reason for the digitalization

[Attila Dimedici]

Which is the end of radio...which is the end of the music business as we know it. I am sure that I am not alone in that I will not pay for radio.

Re:Norway switching off FM ?

[NJRoadfan]

DAB already uses a different part of the spectrum, particularly L-Band. The US and Canada got around this "problem" (it was mostly howling by the NAB and its members), by cramming in the digital signals with the existing analog AM/FM broadcasts using IBOC/HD Radio..... which hasn't been a success. Its actually harder to find aftermarket HD Radio tuners now then it was when it launched!

DAB is garbage.

[fyngyrz]

DAB is all or nothing.

And compared to FM, DAB is mostly nothing. At a fraction of the range where you'd still be pulling in very usable FM audio. DAB is gone entirely, or slamming open and closed like a berserk doorman on meth.

There have been a series of really bad decisions along these lines. In the US, CQUAM is available for AM stereo, and it, like standard AM, doesn't cause you to lose distant stations or take up extra bandwidth. So what do we see? AM digital stereo modes that take up three AM channels, plus they have the extra feature that they really don't sound very good, whereas CQUAM... well, it does. Analog television: same as DAB, in that you can catch a broadcast at distance and you can still get a picture, where at the same distance, digital television is long gone.

Previous poster who said they should have maintained current infrastructure and put the new garbage elsewhere was spot-bloody-on. But, you know, government. They don't have to do anything well; they just think they have to do something, anything. If it wrecks a bunch of people's circumstance, well, so what. Besides, corporations were slavering to get at that bit of spectrum, and we know who really runs the government.

Re:DAB is garbage.

[I'm New Around Here]

He wasn't completely wrong. They should keep the existing FM stations how they are. And nothing in the summary above mentions that the spectrum used is different. It says the decision was "swayed by the fact that digital networks can carry more radio channels." Most of us readers probably assumed it used the same spectrum. Especially since the American system does do that. And we were wrong in only that one aspect.

And if digital audio broadcasting is anything like the digital TV broadcasting here in the US, digital FM is going to be a nightmare. We don't have cable TV at the moment (the past year so far), and my wife doesn't want to watch local broadcast TV because of the lousy reception. So we have Netflix and Hulu instead of free digital broadcast. With digital FM, I expect Norway is going to see a surge in music streaming, or maybe cassette decks will make a comeback. I still have tapes I can listen to.

Digital Killed the Radio Star

[puddingebola]

I'm one of the minority of people who still like radio for music, news, and entertainment, but I don't think I'd spend $175 for a digital FM receiver. I bet Norwegians are switching over to AM,if they listen to radio at all anymore. Do you think they have crazed conservative personalities ranting about the fact they live in a Socialist welfare state there?

Misguided Priorities

[mysidia]

The NUMBER of Analog FM stations which the bands can accommodate are MORE THAN NEEDED.

And switching them off is a major public detriment, Because of the loss of the major advantage which Analog FM radio has....

Receivers for FM are CHEAP, UBIQUITOUS, Easy to receive transmissions, And Analog signals are very forgiving.

Also, the relatively small NUMBER IS AN ADVANTAGE. When FM receivers are being used for THEIR MAIN PURPOSE, which.....
Is to receive broadcast messages, potentially during a time of emergency when aLL THE DIGITAL STUFF is broken.....
(E.g. Due to EMP)