Norway - Current situation - History
10.10.2014
The government has set a switch-off date for FM broadcasting in January 2017. After 2017, small local stations may continue to broadcast on FM. The criteria for exactly which stations will have this opportunity will be specified by 2015. The report leaves it to the broadcasters to choose between DAB or DAB+ transmissions.
By 2017, all DAB broadcasting in Norway will most probably be in DAB+ format.
09.05.2014
The government has set a switch-off date for FM broadcasting in January 2017. Some conditions have to be met for an FM shutdown to take place, other conditions will merely affect the timing of a shutdown.
1. Coverage (absolute condition for FM shutdown): Before 2015, the public broadcaster NRK must achieve coverage of 99.5%, the commercial broadcasters on the national network #1 are required to reach 90% of the population
2. Value added for the listeners (absolute condition for FM shutdown). There must be a value added for the listeners in going from FM to DAB, both in terms of available content and in terms of user experience.
3. Digital listening (condition to be met in order to shut down FM in 2017. Failure to reach it can postpone the shutdown until 2019). Before 2015 50% of the radio listeners must daily use a digital radio platform (currently this is 45%). This does not specify market share of listening, contrary to the UK requirement, only reach. “Digital platform” also includes listening via internet and via the digital tv-network. This condition is set in order to measure the listeners' independence of the analogue FM-platform.
4. In-car solution (condition to be met in order to shut down FM in 2017. Failure to reach it can postpone the shutdown until 2019). Before 2015, there must be reasonably priced, well-functioning in-car adaptors on the market. In half of all Norwegian municipalities there must be an offer of in-car DAB-adaptor installation.
After 2017, small local stations may continue to broadcast on FM. The criteria for exactly which stations will have this opportunity will be specified by 2015. The report leaves it to the broadcasters to choose between DAB or DAB+ transmissions. By 2017, all DAB broadcasting in Norway will most probably be in DAB+ format.
14.04.2014
The government has set a switch-off date for FM broadcasting in January 2017. Some conditions have to be met for an FM shutdown to take place, other conditions will merely affect the timing of a shutdown.
1. Coverage (absolute condition for FM shutdown): Before 2015, the public broadcaster NRK must achieve coverage of 99.5%, the commercial broadcasters on the national network #1 are required to reach 90% of the population
2. Value added for the listeners (absolute condition for FM shutdown). There must be a value added for the listeners in going from FM to DAB, both in terms of available content and in terms of user experience.
3. Digital listening (condition to be met in order to shut down FM in 2017. Failiure to reach it can postpone the shutdown until 2019). Before 2015 50% of the radio listeners must daily use a digital radio platform (currently this is 45%). This does not specify market share of listening, contrary to the UK requirement, only reach. “Digital platform” also includes listening via internet and via the digital tv-network. This condition is set in order to measure the listeners' independence of the analogue FM-platform.
4. In-car solution (condition to be met in order to shut down FM in 2017. Failiure to reach it can postpone the shutdown until 2019). Before 2015, there must be reasonably priced, well-functioning in-car adaptors on the market. In half of all Norwegian municipalities there must be an offer of in-car DAB-adaptor installation.
After 2017, small local stations may continue to broadcast on FM. The criteria for exactly which stations will have this opportunity will be specified by 2015. The report leaves it to the broadcasters to choose between DAB or DAB+ transmissions. By 2017, all DAB broadcasting in Norway wil most probably be in DAB+ format.