Norway has become the first country to switch to digital-only broadcasting for its national radio stations.
The switchover began in January, with the final FM transmissions in Troms, Finnmark and Svalbard turned off today. The country now has 31 digital national radio stations, compared to the five which were on FM.
Although 86% of listeners are using digital platforms, 14% are still analogue only. Almost nine in ten have a DAB radio at home. Nearly half of cars are now equipped for digital radio, with half no longer able to receive national stations. Norwegians have acquired 620,000 DAB digital radios in the last two and a half months.
“The majority of listeners was digital ahead of todays shut down. After each regional switch off, we have seen that listening has fallen, for so to increase again,” said Ole Jørgen Torvmark, CEO Digitalradio Norway.
The majority of digital radio stations in Norway use DAB+ instead of DAB. Radio Norge and P4 use the original DAB format. In the UK only four national services currently use DAB+.
Local radio continues to broadcast on FM until 2022. A group of radio stations in Oslo have continued to broadcast on FM beyond the deadline to switch to digital.
The Government in the UK has not yet set a date for a digital radio switchover. When 50% of radio listening is digital a decision will be made on whether to set a timetable for a switchover.
While some countries are looking at an eventual switchover to digital-only broadcasting, others like Austria have yet to officially launch digital radio. In Ireland no commercial radio stations, such as national Today FM and 98FM in Dublin, are broadcast on DAB.