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The Country Where FM Radio Is About To Become Extinct
On January 11th, Norway will do something no country on earth has ever attempted: begin the shut off of almost all FM radio stations in an official conversion to - wait for it! - DAB. Yes, the technology that went nowhere in Canada is about to become the only way to get terrestrial radio in that nation. There's a lot of opposition to the move, with many worried those in unconverted cars and others at home will suddenly be cut off.
"There are 2 million cars on Norwegian roads that don't have DAB receivers," noted one local MP, "and millions of radios in Norwegian homes will stop working when the FM net is switched off."
Considering what happened in Canada, it's amazing to think it will be the major over-the-air radio source in one country. And what happens if someone from another nation drives through Norway and loses all their signals? Something similar happened in North America when every OTA TV station went digital, first in the U.S. then later here, rendering all analog sets all but useless. But since most people were already on cable, it wasn't as potentially disruptive.
There is a lot of opposition to the FM change (polls say as many as 66% are against the idea) but they're doing it anyway. (Sounds a lot like the Ontario government's stubborn insistence on sticking with its Green Energy Act and the new carbon tax, which have caused hydro and gas prices to soar to ridiculous levels, despite intense consumer backlash.)
Still, it will be fascinating to watch what happens going forward.
Although the unconverted won't be able to hear about it on their radios.
Norway to switch off FM radio in risky, unpopular shift to digital
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No, this isn't the fourth posting of this story. It's actually the first one that appeared here on Jan. 5th. So I'm using this thread to update the story.
On Tuesday morning, CKTB's morning man Tim Denis featured an interview with an official from Norway about the big change, which is set to begin in one region on Wednesday. (It will take until at least next December before it's nationwide.) Two things were said during the Q&A which I'm curious about.
The first: the guest mentioned that DAB has a greater range than FM and it meant more people would be able to get the stations. I always thought that a digital signal was by its very nature a lot more fragile than its analog counterpart and didn't have the range of FM. True? False? Either way, unless they're giving the stations some kind of power boost, that's the first time I've heard that.
Second, Denis noted in an almost throwaway manner that Switzerland was set to follow the example sometime down the road. And he said they'd be turning off FM, but switching everything over to AM. What? Did I hear that right? Does that make any sense to anyone? So far, I've never been able to find any article that mentions this odd change.
Meanwhile, this has become a big deal in Norway, which seems to be taking an inordinate pride in what they're doing, despite the fact recent surveys indicate more than half the population is adamantly against it. They're even covering it live, with press conferences and a major presentation leading up to the first round of shut downs. It's not in English, but if you can follow it in Norwegian, you can see it here. Or as they say in Norwegian, kan du se det her. (Thanks Google translate!)
Poor Duff Roman. His guys tried so hard to make DAB a reality in Canada and it never worked. It must be bittersweet to see it becoming the standard in so many countries in Europe.
This World DAB website outlines the status of the technology around the world, while this power point presentation contains an extensive list (around page 16) of the state of digital radio in the old country, and when some of the major nations there are planning to pull their FM signals, too.
Last edited by RadioActive (January 10, 2017 11:11 am)
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Thread Starter- Fitz
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Re: The Country Where FM Radio Is About To Become Extinct
RadioActive wrote:
No, this isn't the fourth posting of this story. It's actually the first one that appeared here on Jan. 5th. So I'm using this thread to update the story.
The first: the guest mentioned that DAB has a greater range than FM and it meant more people would be able to get the stations. I always thought that a digital signal was by its very nature a lot more fragile than its analog counterpart and didn't have the range of FM. True? False? Either way, unless they're giving the stations some kind of power boost, that's the first time I've heard that.
Second, Denis noted in an almost throwaway manner that Switzerland was set to follow the example sometime down the road. And he said they'd be turning off FM, but switching everything over to AM. What? Did I hear that right? Does that make any sense to anyone? So far, I've never been able to find any article that mentions this odd change.
.
Switzerland plans to move to digital perhaps by 2024 but I think the report about the move to to AM even as a transition is false. The idea is to move away from analogue.
The question about range in terms of carriage distance is interesting and I am wondering if anyone on the board can provide some clarity there ?
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- Kilgore
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Re: The Country Where FM Radio Is About To Become Extinct
After FM broadcasts end there, Norwegians in greater Oslo will be able to receive o.t.a. broadcasts from Stockholm (Sweden) & Copenhagen (Denmark), particularly in their vehicles. ABBA, anyone?
If FM is cancelled in this country, Torontonians will continue to receive AM & FM from Buffalo (just like now)
Last edited by Kilgore (January 13, 2017 11:01 am)
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re: Kilgore - "If FM is cancelled in this country, Torontonians will continue to receive AM & FM from Buffalo (just like now)"
Actually, 'better' than now!, Because of the loss of Humber College's campus station, and all other T.O. terrestrials, Buffalo stations should come-in like gang-busters..
Once again, if I were of a mind to, I could once again easily listen to 96.9 
Last edited by DeepTracks (January 13, 2017 11:42 am)
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It's the reason I hate the CN Tower so much and have harboured secret fantasies of taking an axe and chopping that radio Iron Curtain down. We tried the DAB experiment and it flopped here at great expense to those involved, so I don't expect a repeat of it anytime soon.
And neither does Bloomberg News. In an article about the shutdown, it notes Norway may well find it's going it alone when it comes to killing off traditional FM.
Why Reports of Death of FM Radio Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
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- Iain Grant
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Be thankful we don't have SimSub FM 
. If the same song is playing on a US station and a Canajun' station at the same time blah blah .
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
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Just what I was thinking Deep Tracks but the problem is that even the Buffalo airwaves are quite barren now now and not like when WPHD, WBUF, WZIR and WUWU were on the air to provide deep playlists and an element of surprise and not just the tired old same old. Glad to have preserved some of the past glory and I have uploaded a clip from Scott Muni on WNEW NY from Nov/80 on the site recently and even though the station was moving towards a more conventional AOR format at the time it's still miles ahead of most things heard on these air waves these days.
Last edited by Fitz (January 14, 2017 1:19 am)
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Re: The Country Where FM Radio Is About To Become Extinct
Hey Fitz...I got hooked on WYSL before they turned 'PHD'.
I remember telling my friends about hearing Sunshine of You Love by Cream - something that CHUM-FM wasn't yet playing.
I'm still haven't come across my videotape that I captured all three Buffalo TV newscasts, at both 6 & 11 timeslots, reporting on the WUWU takeover of their broadcast tower. Ah well, one day I'll find it and make it available - one day.
FM radio wasn't all boring back in the late 60s and into the 80s!
Love your site BTW! I don't connect to it as often as I once did. I'll look to rectify that soon 
Last edited by DeepTracks (January 13, 2017 1:34 pm)
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Re: The Country Where FM Radio Is About To Become Extinct
Hey Fitz...I got hooked on WYSL before they turned 'PHD'.
I remember telling my friends about hearing Sunshine of You Love by Cream - something that CHUM-FM wasn't yet playing.
I'm still haven't come across my videotape that I captured all three Buffalo TV newscasts, at both 6 & 11 timeslots, reporting on the WUWU takeover of their broadcast tower. Ah well, one day I'll find it and make it available - one day.
FM radio wasn't all boring back in the late 60s and into the 80s!
Love your site BTW! I don't connect to it as often as I once did. I'll look to rectify that soon
Rock radio fans in this area had a great dial into the 80's with the Buffalo stations and CFNY and even Q 107 had some good programming off and on. I know we have been harping about this on SOWNY forever but it's not just nostalgia. I am still surprised that the Toronto market does not have a triple A station with it's history. Chicago has WXRT. All we have now is John Donabie and his Mixed Bag but at least it's something.
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Well, that didn't get off to a very good start.
"Some parts of the country, including areas near the capital, Oslo, were left without Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) on Wednesday night after two separate and simultaneous cable breaks caused by human error, said Norkring, the public body responsible for broadcasting.The connection was re-established after about three hours, but the incident will do little to reassure most Norwegians, who see the transition to DAB from FM as premature."
Setback for Norway Digital Radio After Tuning Out FM
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