[SIZE=6]Norway is the first country to kill its FM radio network[/SIZE]
Norway is entering the history books with a radio-related first: The Nordic country is switching from FM to digital radio - called DAB - because the digital option offers more channels, better audio quality and savings for broadcasters. The plan has been in place for years as digital radio costs Norway the same as the FM network, $29 million, but allows for eight times more radio stations.
The country will begin cutting its FM network on Wednesday, starting with the northern city of Bodo, before moving south. All five national channels on FM will stop broadcasting by the end of the year.
The government estimates that radio stations will save more than 200 million kroner ($23.5 million) a year by ditching FM, allowing them to invest further in radio content. It doesn’t expect any jobs will be directly affected by the shutdown as stations will switch to broadcasting via DAB. There is an exception carved out of the regulations that will allow some very small local stations to continue broadcasting on FM frequencies. Norway does not have any AM stations.
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.
I wonder why radio was rarely mentioned during our digital migration shenanigans. To date, I only see KBC and it’s affiliate stations on the Signet platform.
More popular FM stations will lose popularity as listeners spend more time on the New ones that will crop up since it will be cheaper to run one. I’ll be more than glad to see Kiss 100 and classic fm vanish into the oblivion.
Hii itakuwa serious, itapigwa kama vile TV akina nation, ktn and citizen fought it. Radio frequencies in Nairobi are owned by a cartel, ukitaka kufungua station unaenda una rent frequency from this guys (two such guys are S.K Macharia and a guy the entertainment circles call Sir Henry). That Henry guy kicked homeboyz off the frequency 91.5 when they could not agree on the rent.
MMNN iko juu ya technology,
Hii wanasema kila mtu ako fta from klost ako hapo
Tulianza kitambo,
The microwaves from space are yours for the taking with the right equipment na iko bei ya chini you can get epl ecl documentaries and movies in glorious HD
Nakumbuka hiyo saga ya HomeBoyz. There’s also another guy who hoards them, a KANU-era fellow said to be behind Radio One and Radio Two. Jina linasahaulika. Not forgetting KBC itself.