[Boatanchors] Norway ending FM, Switzerland not far behind

[Bry Carling]

Very interesting story... Norway is one of the most advanced and successful socialist countries in the world.  It is interesting to talk with people who live there about the life they enjoy.  I expect they are banking on everyone using the internet for their radio access. I will not be surprised to see RF Broadcasting disappear globally in my lifetime. Yes, due to the energy usage and costs.


________________________________
From: Boatanchors <boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Howard L Ritter Jr <hlritter at twc.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2017 10:58 AM
To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net; collins_radios at yahoogroups.com; National Radio Equipment; Premium-Rx at mailman.qth.net; Carl P. Ritter; George Ritter
Subject: [Boatanchors] Norway ending FM, Switzerland not far behind

Interesting story this morning: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.60caedb2e75c&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1 <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.60caedb2e75c&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1>
[https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2017-01-05/Reuters/2017-01-05T155659Z_1054969463_RC167D298250_RTRMADP_3_NORWAY-RADIO.jpg]<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.60caedb2e75c&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1>

Norway will become the first country in the world to switch off FM radio<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.60caedb2e75c&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1>
www.washingtonpost.com
After more than 60 years, Norway will go fully digital.

[https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2017-01-05/Reuters/2017-01-05T155659Z_1054969463_RC167D298250_RTRMADP_3_NORWAY-RADIO.jpg]<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.60caedb2e75c&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1>

Norway will become the first country in the world to switch off FM radio<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.60caedb2e75c&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1>
www.washingtonpost.com
After more than 60 years, Norway will go fully digital.




I'd never heard anything about this. Seems Draconian, but perhaps Norway's broadcast system is owned by the government? And the quoted relative cost of FM v. digital AM? Where does a cost reduction of nearly 90% come from? Fewer transmitters? How long would it take to amortize the capital expenditure of installing all that new equipment, audio processing to transmitters to antennas? How do they fold in the cost to the population of a new receiver to replace every one now in use? My eyebrows are still up.

If I hadn't seen this in the Washington Post I'd be checking with Snopes or The Onion...

I'm guessing that even Norwegian bureaucratic estimates and promises will turn out to be not nearly as rosy as painted.

-howard n7exn
______________________________________________________________
Boatanchors mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net

List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **


This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html