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from the elites-with-flawed-data-making-choices dept.
El Reg reports
With digital reaching its audience targets, the government set a 2017 date for the death of analogue FM radio in [Norway].
[...]However, the Norwegian Local Radio Association disputes the communications ministry's figure, pointing instead to Norwegian Government Statistical Bureau data that "listening to DAB radio is presently limited to 19% on a daily basis."
In an e-mail sent to Vulture South [El Reg's Australian operation], the association says the Minister of Culture's announcement swept up DVB-T and Internet radio to claim that "digital listening" had hit the 50 per cent target that triggers an FM switch-off.
The association also notes that an all-DAB nation would provide a lot less service to motoring tourists without digital radios in their cars. "This proposed change means that most visitors will not be able to listen to national channels or public radio for emergency alerts, traffic or other important information", the group said in a media release e-mailed to El Reg. It claims that a focus on large broadcasters would leave FM investments by community radio stranded.
The local broadcasters are backed by the Progress Party, a partner in the coalition government in Norway, [as well as by] the Greens.
Related: Norway to be First Nation to Switch Off National Analog FM Stations
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 28 2015, @05:24PM
The question is whether it is indeed enough of an advantage that the cost is justified. The cost is that all FM receivers will turn into useless junk. For stationary, you'll probably be able to buy an extra box, like with TV, to add DAB reception, but for non-stationary ones that's not an option.
Case in point, I've got 1 TV, but 5 FM radios (only counting those I use regularly). And I don't even have a car radio. Of those radios, only one has an input for external signals, and three are designed to be portable, making them an inappropriate target for an extension box anyway.