Posted on 04/20/2015 9:54:18 AM PDT by Auslander154
First it was Net Neutrality; will the demise of FM radio come next ?
Norway will be switching off FM radio as of 2017 as part of its transition to digital airwaves, DAB. Norway will save $25 million without the FM spectrum making it possible to add 20 or more "national" stations to its digital offerings.
Other Scandinavian countries as well as the UK are planning to abandon FM by 2022.
For the consumer it means having to buy a new DAB radio which will no doubt soon be given free by Dear Leader along with your phone, toaster and rice cooker.
Before this piece starts sounding too conspiratorial, what Norway is doing is just shutting down its government FM stations which they say allows it to expand its government programming on digital radio.
I'm sure the FCC is listening.
That would be good...............
Hey you all have to change the freon in your a/c’s. And they are changing it all again, a third time. Roller coaster.
“Okay, so we all bought new TV’s to get the new broadcast HD signals.”
Not me. :-)
Know What? I don’t miss it at all.
“And will these free radios come with microphones and transmitters installed?”
No, just tinfoil hats.
It is interesting, if I am correct, that Talk Radio is just not a phenomenon over in Europe. Does anyone know if there is a Rush Limborino or Rush Limburger, or Rush Limbieaux type over there ?
I guess this is the beginning of the eventual phase out of am/fm radios in cars. see:
http://spectator.org/articles/62450/end-amfm-radio
I prefer free am/fm than computer radio fees
Inevitable, I suppose. All part of the “march of progress”.
I remember when FM radio was on the ascendency — audiophiles preferred the much higher fidelity of FM over AM broadcasts.
FWIW (and I know it’s not much), I hosted an FM show on my university station, and that eventually led to a stint working as a deejay for a few years. (Less “creative” freedom; but being paid more than made up for that.)
Anyhow, the new technologies are better in many ways. With broadcast radio (AM or FM) there were limits to the number of stations — each became a “natural monopoly”. With a monopoly, you had stifling regulations, and very limited choices of content. Who knows, digital broadcasting might even usher in a new Golden Age of conservative talk radio.
If it is anything like HD TV signal propagation on the low VHF channels (2-6), it will be a train wreck.
Free.
That’s why they want to kill it.
Make you pay for it AND get the commercials to boot!..............
Some points to ponder from some of the comments on The Hollywood Reporter:
The demise of AM/FM radio will result in a lack of public service in real-time ( traffic reports, sports, weather, etc.)
Another said to keep your old AM/FM radios because the day will come when you need “pirate” stations to combat censored information and propaganda.
DAB radios are limited in range whereas with FM you can pick up stations 50 miles away and more.
And this comment was interesting:
“Digital sound is compromised and only contains an approximation of the original sound. My Fisher 800 produces better sound from the local FM station than any CD you play through it. GOVERNMENT MANDATES QUANTITY, NOT QUALITY.
I had for awhile at least, an HD Radio. The digital signal sounded far FAR better than the FM. And on AM it was an even bigger difference, crystal clear.
Where do you get tinfoil at? The last time I saw tinfoil was about thirty years ago.
To each their own I guess.
Must account for the reason for the return of vinyl records and tube amplifiers for the true audiophiles out there.
Oh, you mean real TIN foil to protect you from meteors and alien invasions.
Guess if you got to have some, you Better Call Saul.
If you haven’t seen the show, you won’t get it.
Or you can buy some Oakley Tinfoil carbon sunglasses for $300
“Another said to keep your old AM/FM radios because the day will come when you need “pirate” stations to combat censored information and propaganda.”
Interesting comment. In a TEOTWAWKI situation, broadcast analogue radio would probably be a lot easier communications technology to piece together, than either the Internet or digital anything.
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