No country wants to discuss with Norway about alternative use of FM
The Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) has been given the cold shoulder when trying to discuss alternative use of the FM band with colleagues in other countries. At the conference Frequency Forum in Oslo on September 20 a message killed the hope that the band will be used for other community or commercial purposes if Norway completely switches to DAB 2022.
Internet developments and added listening values omitted by EBU study
The EBU has presented a study using a model country based on the statistics available from the five principal countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK). FM emerged as the most expensive distribution platform. Digital transition to DAB would lower the budget required for distribution, permitting greater investment in content production and employment according to the report. However, an analysis show that there are a lot add before drawing such conclusions. Crucial technical variables and added values with Internet distribution is not considered in this study.
Enforced technology change is being questioned by citizens. Can listeners trust the public broadcaster?
The opposition to replace FM for the national networks with digital DAB+ technology was apparent already a few years before the final decision of the Storting 2016. As the FM shutdown is currently in progress an analysis indicates that public radio NRK has reached a precarious position.
Appearing at international conferences publi broadcaster NRK and its lobbying arm Digitalradio Norge AS is trying to hide the negative facts of the Norwegian DAB fiasco.
NRK switches to DAB with 14% lower listening rates than last year. Local FM radio the winner.
In total NRK week 33 had a daily gain of 43.0%. This is a 14 % decrease compared with the same week in 2016, when NRK had a total of 49.0% of PPM measurements. Looking at the individual channels, the NRK P1 has gone from 33.4% in week 33 last year to 27.6 this year. The numbers are alarming for NRK P3, ranging from a support of 12.0% to only 7.8%
LG is enabling the FM radio chip built in to its future smartphones.
Smartphones are pretty impressive little devices, but there is one feature that has evaded several of them over the years — FM radio. Of course, that is not because of a lack of hardware — in fact, all smartphones actually have FM radios built right into them, but not too many manufacturers actually enable them. LG is changing that, through a partnership with NextRadio. Meanwhile the world's only smartphone with DAB+ is not the success hoped for.
Massive Indian radio deployment with additional six high power DRM-enabled transmitters.
Nautel Limited has shipped six additional high-power DRM-enabled Medium Wave transmitters for deployment at All India Radio, the largest digital broadcasting system in the world. Four 100 kW NX100 and two 200 kW NX200 transmitters were shipped to India in July 2017 for installation in six cities.
AM the most resilient system to severe weather patterns.
Fijians in all islands can now tune in to the recently installed and clearer AM (Medium wave) broadcast on two main radio stations. Through this upgrade Fiji had now achieved a 100 per cent coverage for all outer islands. The new transmission $15 million facility is managed by Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and funded by the government of Japan will air programmes on both Radio Fiji One and Gold stations.
A DAB lobby is accused of setting the political agenda and providing all the facts
As NRK switches off their FM transmitters by the regions, citizens resistance to DAB +
switchover has increased. An increasing number of people question the ten year decision-making process that led the politicians to the internationally unique decision to close the FM network. The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has now received a request for review of the parliament (Stortinget) decision on the FM closure.
Retainment of FM signals end of DAB hopes
All present 103 licenses to broadcast commercial FM radio expires on 31 July 2018. It is now possible to apply for new licenses at the Swedish media authority for an upcoming 8 years license period (1 August 2018–31 July 2026). Three national broadcasting licenses and 35 regional/local licenses in 21 regional broadcasting areas are announced.
Increased space for radio and television in mobile networks in Norway.
According to statistics from Ookla, Norway has now the world's fastest mobile network. After hard competition between operators Norway has gone from 11th place to first place in one year. The average data rate on mobile has increased by 69% and now stands at 52.6 megabits per second. - Telenor, Telia and Ice.net have recently invested billions in the development of their 4G/LTE networks reaching all Norwegians. Moreover, the geographical coverage is better than for terrestrial radio as DAB+.
A digital terrestrial radio project became a seven year fiasco.
Public broadcaster RTHK will formally pull the plug on final digital radio services on September 3. Its analogue FM radio service will remain. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a press release However, the retreat of the three commercial DAB operators in a short period of time due to difficulties in their operation and the lack of a critical mass of audience demonstrated the exhaustion of interest in the services.
Analogue radio is still the backbone for terrestrial broadcasting.
Three new AM radio stations are due to launch in Copenhagen on medium wave within the next couple of months. No on air date has been decided yet. The stations NB24, World Music Radio and Radio 208 will be broadcasting on 846 kHz (300 W), 927 kHz (300 W) and 1440 kHz (power not yet confirmed). Two of the stations will be music based and the third station will be all talk according to Stig Hartvig Nielsen. - - The digital radio switch to DAB+ will make a lot of incompatible DAB receivers obolete. Some listeners might shift to their old receivers with AM and FM rather than upgrade to DAB+
