Norway to End FM Radio Broadcasts

 

On January 11, Norway became the first country to begin turning off signals from its FM radio network.

The Norwegian stations will instead use only digital audio broadcasting, called DAB¹.

FM, or frequency modulation², radio stations have been in operation since the 1950s. Both FM and digital radio have been used in Norway since 1995.

The move to complete digital broadcasting will take about one year, beginning in the northern part of the Scandinavian country. Eventually, every area will have only digital radio, making millions of FM radios useless.

Critics

Some Norwegians are not happy about the move to all-DAB radio. One newspaper survey suggested that two-thirds of the population oppose plans to close down the FM network.

Up to 2 million car owners will need to buy special equipment to hear DAB programs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Car radios require an adaptor that costs between $116 and $232.

Advocates

Mari Hagerup is a spokesperson for Digital Radio Norway. She notes that Norway has a small population. She says the people are spread out over a large area, raising the operating costs of FM radio stations. In addition, she says, broadcasting in both FM and DAB is costly³.

She says that DAB radio is the most common household radio in Norway. Eight of every ten Norwegian homes currently⁴ has a DAB radio. DAB also has more room to grow, she explains. There were only five national FM channels, with no room for additional channels.

Other European countries are closely watching Norway’s move to turn off FM radio signals. Switzerland plans to carry out the same changes in 2020.

An easy transition⁵ to digital radio could influence countries such as Britain and Denmark to change to digital-only broadcasting.

Words in This Story

frequency modulation (FM) – n. a system for sending radio signals in which the number of radio waves is changed in order to send information in the form of sound

digital – adj. using or represented by computer technology

transition – n. a change from one state or condition to another

channel – n. a television or radio station

1 dab   

v.轻触，轻拍，轻涂；n.(颜料等的)轻涂

参考例句：

• She returned wearing a dab of rouge on each cheekbone.她回来时，两边面颊上涂有一点淡淡的胭脂。
• She gave me a dab of potatoes with my supper.她给我晚饭时，还给了一点土豆。

2 modulation   

n.调制

参考例句：

• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。
• Frequency modulation does not allow static to creep in. 频率调制不允许静电干扰混入。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

5 transition   

n.转变，变迁，过渡

参考例句：

• Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood.青春期是童年与成年之间的过渡时期。
• They all support a peaceful transition.他们全部都支持和平过渡。