Today the last FM transmitters are turned off, or?
At 11:11:11 the transmitters of NRK, P4 and Radio Norge will be turned off. With this, the digital radio change for the national radio channels and commercial radio stations in the major cities has been completed.
A number of local radio stations around the country have extended their license on FM until 31.12.2021. Your old FM radio will still be alive, but you might find your favorite station on DAB and the Internet in the future.
Radio in transition
Norwegian radio is in a transition to a fully digital distribution. Today’s radio offer is far greater than with FM, and you will now find 24 national channels on the DAB network.
These channels are Nationwide:
NRK P1, NRK P1+, NRK P2, NRK P3, NRK mP3, NRK P13, NRK Alltid Nyheter, NRK Sport, NRK Klassisk, NRK Jazz, NRK Super, NRK Folkemusikk, NRK Sámi Radio, NRK Vær, NRK Trafikk, P3, P5 Hits, P6 Rock, P7 Klem, P8 Pop, P9 Retro, P10 Country, NRJ, Radio Norge, Radio Rock, Radio Soft, Kiss, Radio Norsk Pop, Vinyl and Radio Topp 40.
Local channels in Oslo og Akershus: PeSju, Panjab Radio, Silkeveien Radio, Radio Metro Oslo, Radio Metro Romerike, Radio 247, Radio Rock Klassiker, ScanSat, Radio Rox, The Beat, Ordentlig Radio, Radio Visjon, Voxlo Radio and Radio Nova.
Local channels in Østfold: Radio Metro Østfold, Radio Skjeberg, Radio 247, Radio Øst and The Beat.
Local channels in Rogaland: Jærradioen, ScanSat, Siddis Radio, Radio Haugaland and Radio 102.
Local channels in Trondheim: Radio Trondheim, Radio 247, Radio Revolt and P5 Hits Trondheim.
Local channels in Bergen: Kristenradio Vest, Radio 247, Radio Visjon, PeSju and P5 Hits Bergen.
Local channels in Hedmark: Radio Metro Mjøsbyene, The Beat, Radio Exact, Solørradioen+, Elverumsradioen and Solørradioen.
So what do we do With Our old FM radios now?
If you want to extend the life of your old FM radio, you can connect a DAB + adapter. There are adapters for home radios and car radios. Even antiquarian radios can be connected to an adapter.
If you do not want to upgrade, but instead want to buy a new radio it is important that you recycle your old one. You can do this in stores that sell electrical products or to municipal recycling stations.
Until 31.12.2021, these radio stations have an FM license:
Troms and Finnmark: Energy Tromsø, Guovdageainnu Lagasradio, Radio Alta, Radio Bardu, Radio Bardufoss, Radio Domen, Radio DSF, Radio Harstad, Radio Mehamn, Radio Midt-Troms, Radio Måsøy, Radio Nord, Radio Nordkapp, Radio Porsanger and Radio Tromsø.
Nordland: Beiarradioen, Byradioen Bodø, Narvik Studentradio, Nesna Radio, Nærkanalen, Radio 3 Bodø, Radio Bø, Radio Bø (Lødingen), Radio Fønix, Radio Helgeland, Radio Korgen, Radio Melbu, Radio Nord-Salten, Radio Rana, Radio Røst, Radio Salten, Radio Sør-Helgeland, Radio Værøy and Radio Øksnes.
Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal: Bygderadio Vest, Metro Trøndelag, Nea Radio, Norea Radio Trondheim, Norrøna Radio Søre Sunnmøre, P5 Fosen, Radio + Innherred, Radio E6, Radio New Life, Radio New Live, Radio Revolt, Radio Sunnmøre, Radio Trøndelag, Radio Volda, Radio Ytringen, Radio Ålesund, RadioNordvest and Stage Radio.
Telemark, Buskerud, Hedmark and Oppland: Beat GL, Drangedal Nærradio, ElverumsRadioen, Hallo Kragerø, Hjalarhornet Radio, Hope Channel Tyrifjord radio, Mediagruppen Grenland, Mjøsradioen, Ottadalsradioen, Radio 7, Radio Drammen, Radio Exact Hamar, Radio Filadelfia, Drammen, Radio Grenland, Radio Hallingdal, Radio Hurum, Radio Kongsvinger, Radio Kragerø, Radio Metro Drammen, Radio Metro Elverum, Radio Metro Kongsberg, Radio Metro Mjøsbyene, Radio Metro Ringerike, Radio Midt-Telemark, Radio Midt-Østerdal, Radio Modum, Radio Nero, Radio NERO, Radio Nero Mjøsbyene, Radio Notodden, Radio Randsfjord, Radio Riks Grenland, Radio Rjukan, Radio Sentrum, Radio Solør/Våler Nærradio, Radio Toten, Radio Vest-Telemark, Riks Nett Radio Midt-Buskerud, RiksNettRadio Hole-Ringerike, SolørRadioen, TrysilRadioen, Valdres Radio and ØsterdalsRadioen.
Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Rogaland and the Agder counties: Bykle Radio, Gimlekollen Radio, Håpets Røst, Jesus FM, Jæren Misjonsradio, JærRadioen, Kanal 7 Bergen, Kristen Nærradio Haugaland, Kystradioen, Kystradioen (Bergen), Misjonsradioen (Grimstad), Misjonsradioen (Aust-Agder), Nordfjord Nærradio, NRJ Kristiansand, Radio 102, Radio Askøy, Radio Atlantic, Radio Bølgen, Radio Evangeliets Røst, Radio Evje, Radio Fitjar, Radio Filadelfia Kristiansand, Radio Folgefonn, Radio Grimstad, Radio Internasjonal, Radio Kos, Radio Kvinesdal, Radio L Lillesand Nærradio, Radio Loland (Søgne, Sogndalen), Radio Loland (Vennesla, Iveland), Radio Luster, Radio Lyngdal, Radio Metro Haugesund, Radio Naustloftet, Radio Nordsjø, Radio Sør, Radio PR, Radio Salem, Radio Sotra, Radio Stryn, Radio Sunnhordland, Radio Sør Kristiansand, Radio Sør Lillesand, Radio Sør Lindesnes, Radio Sørvest, Radio Tamil Bergen, RadiOs, Studentradioen i Bergen and TVH Radio.
Østfold, Vestfold, Oslo and Akershus: Acem Radio, Dansebandradioen (Hurdal, Eidsvoll), Dansebandradioen (Lørenskog, Skedsmo), Hallo Ski, Kanal 7 Oslo, Kontakt Radio, Misjonsradioen (Sandefjord), Muslim Radio, New Norwegian Music, Norea Radio Oslo, NKK Radio, P5 Hits Fredrikstad, P5 Hits Halden, P5 Hits Moss, P5 Hits Sarpsborg, Pak Radio, Radio Metro Follo (Frogn, Ås, Vestby), Radio Metro Østfold, Radio Horten, Radio Inter FM, Radio Islam Ahmadiyya, Radio Latin-Amerika, Radio Maran Ata, Radio Metro Indre Østfold, Radio Nero (Hurdal Eidsvoll), Radio Nero (Lørenskog, Skedsmo), Radio Nova, Radio Riks, Radio Riks Horten, Radio Riks Tønsberg, Radio Sandefjord, Radio Sentrum (Larvik), Radio Skjeberg, Radio Tamil Murasam, Radio Tønsberg, Radio Visjon, Radio Øst, RadiOrakel, Vekkelsesradio’n and Voice of Norway.
Prepared for emergenices with the new radio network
According to Digitalradio Norge, the DAB network has high emergency benefits compared to the FM network. The risk of an outcome of an transmitteris greatly reduced since the DAB network is fed directly to each transmitter. If the outcome of a single transmitter should occur, this will not propagate in the chain of smaller transmitters, as in the FM network.
DAB technology in tunnels also contributes to increased security as DAB provides emergency notification over all channels and not just NRK P1, as the situation is in today’s FM network. All tunnels with FM transmitters have been replaced with DAB.
National Emergency Agreement
The Ministry of Justice and Emergency Affairs has entered into an agreement with NRK, Norkring and Norsk Lokalradioforbund, to convey messages from government forces in local and regional crises and disasters. The agreement is technologically neutral and will therefore also include broadcasts on digital radio
Listener Development: NRK has lost every fifth listener
According to Dagbladet, NRK has lost 21 percent of their daily listeners. In Nordland, Møre og Romsdal and Trøndelag every fourth listener has disappeared in the last year.
Figures that Bergens Tidende has extracted shows that every third listener to the NRK P1 in Hordaland is gone.
In September, the 25 new DAB channels each had about 1.4 million listeners, with a 29 percent market share.
Radio Metro refuses to follow the shutdown schedule and continues its broadcasts in Eastern Norway
Radio Metro has not switched off its FM broadcasts in Eastern Norway. According to Medier 24, Radio Manager Svein Larsen will not follow the shutdown schedule for the nationwide broadcasters before the case is finalized in ESA. He believes Radio Metro is a victim of unfair discrimination.
The nationwide broadcasters turned off their FM broadcasts, the requirement was that local radio stations in the big cities should turn off their FM transmissions at the same time, so nobody would get any benefits and “hijack” listeners in the transition to DAB.
Larsen believes it is wrong that he has to turn off his transmitters because the competitors want him to do so.
Norsk Lokalradioforbund, where Larsen is also chairman of the board, has complained of the forced closure of FM for ESA. ESA is the EFTA Surveillance Authority and is superior to the Norwegian authorities. According to Medier 24 quoting a press release, Mr. Larsen points out that it is problematic that the closing date came before ESA has finished processing the case.
Radio Metro held an extended license valid to December 8, 2017. With no valid license Radio Metro now is a pirate broadcaster on FM.
National Communications Authority (NKOM) announced yesterday compulsion and closing of FM transmitters in Oslo. The transmitters are broadcasting Radio Metro and Radio Rox. The companies have not ended their broadcasts over the FM network in line with shutdown plan.
