Norway begins FM radio shutdown, makes controversial move to digital technology

It’s official: Norway is set to begin switching off its FM radio network this week. The shutdown will begin in the northern city of Bodoe on January 11^th , and by the end of the year, the rest of the country will follow suit in favor of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB).

While the announcement of the shutdown was made in April 2015, it apparently hasn’t been enough of time for people to warm up to the idea. A recent poll published by Dagbladet, a Norwegian daily newspaper, showed that 66% of the country’s citizens oppose the switch-off; 17% are in favor; and the remaining 17% are undecided. Those who oppose it are concerned that it will present a safety hazard if people simply don’t have a DAB receiver and are, thus, left without radio access.

“We are simply not ready for this yet,” said Ib Thomsen, an MP from the Progress Party, a partner in the Conservative-led government. “There are 2 million cars on Norwegian roads that don’t have DAB receivers, and millions of radios in Norwegian homes will stop working when the FM net is switched off. So there is definitely a safety concern.”

Meanwhile, DAB proponents are attracted to having more channels, clearer sound, and significant cost savings. The government estimates that switching from analog to digital will save radio stations more than 200 million kroner, or $23.5 million, a year.

“The main reason that Norway is the first [country to switch off FM radio] is because of the Norwegian landscape, which has deep fjords, high mountains, and scattered communities,” the government said in a statement. “This makes it particularly expensive to operate the Norwegian FM networks compared with other countries.”

Norway may be the first country to go digital with the radio, but it probably won’t be the last. Switzerland is planning a similar shift in 2020, and Britain and Denmark are also considering making the switch. Britain plans to evaluate the need for a switch when digital listening reaches 50%, a trend that could be achieved by the end of the year, according to Digital Radio UK spokeswoman Yvette Dore.

Is DAB-or-nothing the right way to go? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Sources: Reuters, CNN, Mashable