Norway becomes first country to switch off FM radio

As Norway completed its transition to digital radio on Wednesday it became the first country in the world to shut down national broadcasts of its FM radio network. The transition to digital radio from FM began on January 11.

Most of Norway's northern regions and the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic switched to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) in the late morning, said Digitalradio Norge (DRN) which groups Norway's public and commercial radio.

The transition was initiated with an aim to facilitate better sound quality, a greater number of channels and more functions at a cost that was estimated to be roughly eight times lower than FM radio.

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The transition concerns only national radio channels. Most local stations continue to broadcast in FM.

The move has been met with some criticism with many pointing toward the insufficiency in DAB coverage across the country.

Radio users have also complained about the cost of having to buy new receivers or adapters, usually priced around 100 to 200 euros ($117 to $235).

Reportedly, only 49 percent are able to listen to DAB in their cars. Another report stated a drop in the number of Norwegians radio listeners by 10 percent in one year.

In a statement carried by AFP, Ole Jorgen Torvmark, Head of DRN, talked about the change that the locals in Norway will have to embrace. "After each shutdown (in a region), we noticed that the audience first dropped but then rose again," he added.

Countries like Switzerland, Britain and Denmark are due to follow suit in the coming years.

(With inputs from AFP)