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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Transition to DAB radio faces more protests

Norway’s Progress Party wants to block the pending shutdown of Norway’s FM radio network, which is due to begin early next year. The Center Party also has proposed at least delaying it, until the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) system that’s meant to replace FM has better coverage.

The issue is up for debate in Parliament next week. “We believe that the Center Party isn’t going far enough by only wanting to delay the shutdown of FM radio,” Ib Thomsen, the Progress Party’s spokesperson for media policy. “We propose stopping it entirely.”

Thomsen warned of “many unknown consequences” following the disappearance of FM radio, which will occur first in Nordland County from January 11. “What we do know, is that many millions of radios will suddenly become useless. That will generate large costs for many Norwegians who will have to buy new radios, and that’s also bad environmental policy, to throw away fully functioning radios.”

NRK has been preparing for the transition to DAB radio for years and has no desire to postpone it. Since NRK is state-owned, it’s up to state politicians who already have sanctioned the project. NRK has stated that it would be too costly and difficult to maintain both DAB and FM radio in the country.

newsinenglish.no staff

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