Norway is set to become the first nation to start switching off its FM radio network next week, in a risky and unpopular leap to digital technology that will be closely watched by other countries considering whether to follow suit.
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 two million cars on Norway's roads that are not equipped with digital audio broadcasting (DAB) receivers, they say.
Sixty-six per cent of Norwegians oppose switching off FM, with just 17 per cent in favour 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.
Should there be a push to switch off FM radio in order to 'persuade' users to upgrade their receiving equipment? Or should the change be implemented much more slowly to enable FM radios to be replaced as they age? How would you do it?
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday January 07 2017, @08:06PM
Digital TV didn't just free up bandwidth, it allowed HDTV to be broadcast, and there's no snow or ghosting. Since TV went digital, there's absolutely no reason whatever to have cable, unless you're running a bar.
OTOH if there would be ghosts, you lose the signal on digital. Since digital, I can no longer pick up NBC or PBS from the next city, but digital gives me three times as many channels as I had with analog, so no great loss.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 08 2017, @02:18AM
Good for you, but multiple relatives i know in different states had to get satellite because they don't get any stations in watchable condition anymore. The ones that can be tuned in are a mess of decoding artifacts, frozen picture and cutting in and out. Maybe its because my family lives in rural areas, but at least analog TV worked. Additionally, many blind people I know instantly had their TV audio receivers become useless with no inexpensive alternative (short of buying a television, the cheapest of which are 8x the price and programmed visually).