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Norway to Become 1st Country to Switch Off FM Radio

posted by janrinok on Saturday January 07 2017, @03:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the more-haste-less-satisfaction dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

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?

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  • (Score: 2) by mcgrew on Saturday January 07 2017, @07:53PM

    by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Saturday January 07 2017, @07:53PM (#450816) Homepage Journal

    LOL, I'm in Illinois paying $42 per month for unlimited everything including internet. There are more companies like that, and they're nation wide.

    If you live alone and use AT&T or one of the other big guys, you're a fool.

    Also, there's an app called "Next Radio" that will let you listen to local FM broadcasts on Apple and Android without using your data for streaming, it plays the station's analog broadcast signal. I'm waiting for an app that will let me watch broadcast TV on my phone.

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  • (Score: 1) by lars on Sunday January 08 2017, @05:11PM

    by lars (4376) on Sunday January 08 2017, @05:11PM (#451080)

    Next Radio does not work in Canada for those wondering.