Norway’s Minister of Culture announced that Norway will become the first country to turn off FM Radio to complete their transition over to digital radio in the year 2017. FM (Frequency Modulation) Radio was patented back in 1933 and it has been a very popular and successful audio medium for almost a century.
The shift to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) will allow listeners access to more diverse radio channels than what they had through FM Radio. DAB already has 22 national channels as opposed to just five on FM Radio. A survey conducted by TNS Gallup also shows that 56% of Norwegians already use digital radio daily.
Although Norway will become the first country to “switch-off” FM radio, other European and South East Asian countries are also planning to shift over from FM radio to DAB. Studies show that over 90% of Americans rely on AM/FM radio and tune in at least once a week to their favorite radio channel and that number is likely to be more in countries that are less digitally inclined. While there maybe purist who would still prefer FM radio over any digital alternatives, eventually, sooner or later, countries are bound to follow Norway’s way and make the switch to the digital medium.