Norway is the first country to kill its FM radio network

[brooklynite]

CNN:

Norway is set to be the first country in the world to phase out FM radio.

FM stations will begin to go silent in parts of the country next week and the shutdown process will be complete by the end of 2017, according to the government.

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 main reason that Norway is the first is because of the Norwegian landscape, which has deep fjords, high mountains and scattered communities," the government said in a statement. "This makes it particularly expensive to operate the Norwegian FM networks compared with other countries."

Norway does not have AM stations either.

[LisaM]

1. Hmmm. We spend time on an island that is basically part of a submerged mountain range

The landscape is like Norway in parts, people comment on it sometimes (San Juan Islands). We can't pick up digital signals at all on TV. Even with an antenna, the rocks blocked almost all the signals. The analog signals used to come in. Even with an antenna, all we got were a few shopping channels, nothing with local news or alerts.

I don't know how TV and radio signals compare, but having it be all digital essentially required TV watchers to have satellite or cable. I also don't know who owns the airways in Norway. I just know that in a similar landscape, digital TV signals don't work. I don't understand this decision.

I don't like this.

[HassleCat]

2. If you live in a valley, ravine, etc. The old signal was better.

The old VHF signal would bend a little bit over the hills and ridges, but the new signal is UHF and you need a clear line of sight because it will not bend very much to follow the terrain.

[LisaM]

3. So I'm not following how this is going to be better in Norway, which is rife with valleys

and rockface. I was firmly against changing the signals here, BTW.

[HassleCat]

5. Question of extremes.

Norway terrain is so rugged that no signal of any kind, except HF in some conditions, will get into the fjords and such. Since they will have to set up repeaters and translators, it's cheaper and easier with UHF digital.

[Blue_Tires]

4. Isn't digital radio compressed?

Because at least inside my car, there is a very noticeable degrade in sound quality between Sirius and FM stereo