FM radio has been a key part of our media world for decades. Not only is it the preferred radio band for music distribution, but it also hosts some of the most popular radio stations on the planet. However, many believe the technology is growing out of date, especially as digital radio becomes the standard practice in radio.
That's why Norway is going to turn off its FM radio in two years. The Norwegian Ministry of Cultural announced that it plans to hit the off switch for all Norwegian radio stations on Jan. 11, 2017. "Norway is making an historical move into a new radio era, being the first country in the world to decide upon an analogue switch-off for all major radio channels. With DAB and digital radio, listeners will be provided with more radio channels and greater diversity in content," reports Radio.No.
Minister of Culture Thorhild Widvey said in a statement that along with providing more content variety, "Digitization will also greatly improve the emergency preparedness system, facilitate increased competition and offer new opportunities for innovation and development."
The Verge reports that Digital Audio Broadcasting, or "DAB" for short, will offer Norway more stations than they currently have available in their country. "DAB currently offers 22 national channels as opposed to FM's five, and has the capacity to host almost 20 more. The cost of transmitting radio channels through FM is also eight times higher than the cost of DAB transmission, the [Ministry of Culture] reports."
Other countries are currently considering the DAB option. However, no one has released a timeline for their shut off schedule.
