Parliament Drama: FM Radio Closure in Norway Might Be Postponed

Centre Party worry for insufficient DAB readiness. Would allocate NOK 40 million to postpone an unpopular switch-off. Supported by one of the government parties.

In its alternative budget for 2017 the opposition Centre Party allocate NOK 40 million to cover the cost of postponing the closure of the FM Radio. - We must postpone the switch-off which will start in northernmost Norway January 11, and then be rolling all over the country during 2017, says Janne Sjelmo Nordås member and Vice Chairman of the party's parliamentary group Senter to the daily Dagbladet. The proposal is linked with an prior motion to postpone the closure. The Culture Committee will decide  November 24, following debate and decision in Stortinget - the parliament - on December 6. The Minister of Culture and the conservative party Høyre risk losing, but can be rescued by the largest party.

Germany Rejects Proposal for Mandatory DAB in Radio Receivers

Setback for the DAB lobby. System has to rely on possible market demands

Also for the future in Germany it will be possible to buy an FM radio receiver that is not also equipped for digital terrestrial broadcasting (DAB). The Economy Ministry has now rejected a proposal from the Culture Committee of the Federation Council that the Telecommunications Act should be amended that from 2019, all receivers sold should also be able to receive standardized digital signals. 

FM Chip Activation in U.S. Smartphones Increasing

Demands for emergency alert broadcast capacity major driving force. iPhone market share down

New data from the second quarter of this year shows that a record number of smartphones with their FM reception capability enabled were sold in the U.S. during the period. Since 2012, the broadcasting industry R&D unit PILOT has tracked the sales and FM capabilities of top-selling smartphones in the U.S. This usually equates to around 20-25 smartphone models, representing the lion’s share of U.S. sales during any quarterly period. 

EBU Outlines 5G EU Policy for Public Service Media

5G Can Enhance Public Service Media’s Contribution To The Digital Society
The European Broadcasting Union has published a document outlining an EU policy and development which can support public service media’s role and contribution to the digital society. Requirements identified by the EBU cannot only be met by technical solutions. A European 5G Policy should reflect a holistic approach says the EBU.

DAB Transition Losers in Norway: Public Radio and Commercial Networks

199 local and community radio stations remaining on FM the winners 2017.

There are currently about 3 million DAB receivers in Norwegian households. Meanwhile, still there are about 10 million FM receivers most of which probably not will be scrapped. This points to changing listening situations. How much and how long? An analysis recently presented to the Norwegian media bureaus reveals brutal facts showing that NRK - the public service radio - in 2017 while keeping its dominant position on the radio market will lose 500,000 daily listeners in the transition to DAB. Also P4 Radio Norge become losers.

Community Radio Fast Growth in the United States

Number of low-power FM radio stations doubled since 2014

More than 750 new low-power FM (LPFM) community radio stations have been licensed to join the FM airwaves since 2014, according to the FCC. This has nearly doubled the total number to more than 1,500 LPFM stations across the U.S. and its territories. Thousands of applications poured in to the FCC 2013 following the passage of new legislation signed in 2011 that opened up opportunities for LPFM stations to operate in larger markets and urban areas.