Video may have killed the radio star, but in Norway it’s digital that’s killing FM radio.
In two years’ time, the Scandinavian nation is slated to become the first in the world to phase out radio entirely.
That doesn’t mean that Norwegians will be left with radio silence; they’ll merely have to tune in digitally.
According to officials in Oslo, many in this nation of 5 million have already made the move.
On FM, Norwegians can only find five stations. On the Digital Audio Broadcasting network, there are four times that number.
Half the country already listens that way, said Culture Minister Thorhild Widvey.
“Listeners will have access to more diverse and pluralistic radio-content, and enjoy better sound quality and new functionality,” Widvey said in a news release.
Officials say the move will spur innovation because the cost of digital transmission will save some $25 million.
But the country’s radio waves won’t cut out all once, a blog post on Radio.no explained.
Radio will be phased out region by region, starting in January 2017 and concluding in December.