webfact Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Norway first country to switch off FM radio Robert Hackwill OSLO: -- Norway has become the first country in the world to begin switching off its FM radio network. For the moment the scheme applies only to northern Nordland, but the whole country will be digital by the end of the year. The government says DAB radio will save money, allow more broadcasters, and sound better, but that is only if people can hear it. “New products will be introduced onto the market over the next few months, they will have tactile buttons and a text-to-speech function. This means that what’s on the display will be read out loud,” said the Norwegian Media Authority’s Line Langnes. Critics say that while FM programmes in mountainous Norway need many transmitters and is costly, reception at the launch was poor, and especially elderly people, particularly dependent on the radio, with first-generation DAB sets will have to upgrade to DAB+ devices. Two point three million car owners will have no DAB in their vehicles, either. Many fishermen are also said to be ill-equipped for the changeover. One newspaper opinion poll revealed two-thirds of the population think the government is moving too fast. -- © Copyright Euronews 2017-01-12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 (edited) Once more a cabal of so called democratic politicians, but actually dictators, forces people to pay more to continue receiving the service they already are happy with. Happened in my country when they forced people to pay extra to receive tv when they cancelled analogue services and went digital. No doubt those same dictators in many governments are planning to implement the cashless society as the perfect means to have absolute power over the citizens. Edited January 12, 2017 by thaibeachlovers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuaBS Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 If only they would stop killing whales !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinBoy2 Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 I'm actually surprised anyone still listens to 'radio' of any kind anymore. With internet radio offering thousands of choices, and with 4G networks being pretty ubiquitous, it almost seems a technology, even a digital one, rooted in the last century Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khon Kaen Dave Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 How would this affect a car radio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbalEd Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said: Once more a cabal of so called democratic politicians, but actually dictators, forces people to pay more to continue receiving the service they already are happy with. Happened in my country when they forced people to pay extra to receive tv when they cancelled analogue services and went digital. No doubt those same dictators in many governments are planning to implement the cashless society as the perfect means to have absolute power over the citizens. Dictators? Hyperbolic much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3NUMBAS Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 In the UK radio stations can't afford to use Dab in some cases already and have moved to net radio only.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carib Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 1 hour ago, Khon Kaen Dave said: How would this affect a car radio? I will be very silent ones you cross the Norwegian border.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up-country_sinclair Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yahooka Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 8 hours ago, BuaBS said: If only they would stop killing whales !! Stop your non-sense.The Norwegian whale hunt is fully sustainable !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yahooka Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 3 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said: In the UK radio stations can't afford to use Dab in some cases already and have moved to net radio only.. Yes and as a Norwegian I feel that the whole DAB debate is just a big step sideways.Personally I haven`t listened to FM radio for the last 3 years,all my radio listening is done via satelite TV distribution or internet.And with the rapidly increasingly speed and cheaper data packages from cellphone providers,I usually listens on radio in my car with those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 11 hours ago, BuaBS said: If only they would stop killing whales !! Whale meat is delicious , you should try it. And we only kill whales that are not in danger of getting erased from the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 (edited) Net radio is the future , not so sure about DAB. Most people will only use their smart phones anyway . I listen to any radio station on my bluetooth speakers. Edited January 12, 2017 by balo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 19 hours ago, GinBoy2 said: I'm actually surprised anyone still listens to 'radio' of any kind anymore. With internet radio offering thousands of choices, and with 4G networks being pretty ubiquitous, it almost seems a technology, even a digital one, rooted in the last century This might be news to you, but millions of people don't have access to the internet. I only get it intermittently. Am I to be condemned to be without a radio service because of that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 8 hours ago, balo said: Net radio is the future , not so sure about DAB. Most people will only use their smart phones anyway . I listen to any radio station on my bluetooth speakers. Don't have my own internet access and don't have a smart phone. Like so many now, some think that the whole world is about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grouse Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 15 hours ago, Khon Kaen Dave said: How would this affect a car radio? You sure you have DAB on your car radio? Many don't...: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khon Kaen Dave Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Grouse No mate,i dont have DAB.Si i assume that once the switch is made all FM stations will go off air.It was meant to be a tongue in cheek question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinBoy2 Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said: Don't have my own internet access and don't have a smart phone. Like so many now, some think that the whole world is about them. Don't get all touchy here, but what I think I and others are just trying to suggest is that broadcast radio is a fading technology, no matter what you may think. Ultimately it will go the way of cassettes, 8 tracks, VHS. The idea of promoting DAB as a 'future' technology is shortsighted, and at best backwards looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 (edited) 8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said: Don't have my own internet access and don't have a smart phone. Then you have my sympathy. Edited January 13, 2017 by balo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grouse Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 This is not the appropriate thread for the technicalities BUT DAM v FM is again about revenue I am happy to pay a premium for high quality FM so I can listen to the Home Service and Third Network I'm sure many value quantity over quality. I don't. DAB in UK is poor. Doesn't need to be like that. I could drone on about sampling rates,bandwidth, and headroom.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prbkk Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 I thought FM is the big new thing. I can't get it at all on my Bakelite collection and had to buy a transistor to listen to some programs. Now that will be useless in a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prbkk Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 20 hours ago, balo said: Whale meat is delicious , you should try it. And we only kill whales that are not in danger of getting erased from the planet. Barbarians at the gate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddavidovsky Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 On 13/01/2017 at 1:41 AM, Yahooka said: Stop your non-sense.The Norwegian whale hunt is fully sustainable !! One could argue that killing a certain number of people is sustainable too, if not beneficial. But maybe you were joking. In any case, it's a much more interesting topic than FM radio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 8 hours ago, ddavidovsky said: One could argue that killing a certain number of people is sustainable too, if not beneficial. Sure lets continue to compare whales with humans just to create a Hollywood image of a perfect world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted January 14, 2017 Share Posted January 14, 2017 On 1/12/2017 at 5:01 PM, GinBoy2 said: I'm actually surprised anyone still listens to 'radio' of any kind anymore. With internet radio offering thousands of choices, and with 4G networks being pretty ubiquitous, it almost seems a technology, even a digital one, rooted in the last century The other side of the argument it that most traditional radio stations are local and provide community news and information that countrywide internet stations do not provide. Drive in the US farm belt and you'll not only hear news and local weather but also crop prices and irrigation schedules. In any big city, traffic reports and local business news. With the rapid demise of so many small area newspapers, local community news and information is getting scarcer and people in outlying areas, even more isolated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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