A Norway will now become the first country in the world to progressively switch to radio frequency modulation -FM by a new digital standard, which will enrich content and create new broadcasters.
According to its promoters, the DAB digital audio transmission system will allow to increase the broadcasters and enrich content at a cost eight times lower than that of FM, a system launched in the United States of America in 1945.
The project brought demands such as the equivalence of coverage of the public broadcaster in the digital format and the expansion of commercial networks. The Norwegian Parliament gave the green light to the change, based on the best sound quality provided by digital radio, as well as the largest number of behaved stations.
The DAB system (Digital Audio Broadcasting) allows better coverage of the whole territory, re-listening to a program and more easily disseminating a warning message in the event of a disaster or in emergency situations, the Norwegian authorities say.
Critics argue that many people do not have devices that allow them to listen to digital radio and that one of the consequences will be that they are unable to receive emergency alerts. Many Norwegians believe, however, that the change is premature and according to a study published in December, 66% of Norwegians are against the total disappearance of FM radio transmission, only 17% are favorable.
Ole Jørgen Torvmark, director of Digital Radio Norge, explains that The big difference and the main reason for this great technological change is that we want to offer a better radio offer to the entire population.
