[cma-l] Fwd: Press Release - No FM Switchoff - FM retained for local radio

[Steve Buckley]

It seems our Norewegian counterparts are none too happy about proposed FM
switch off...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Norsk Lokalradioforbund <post at lokalradio.no>
Date: Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 1:04 PM
Subject: Press Release - No FM Switchoff - FM retained for local radio
To: svein at lokalradio.no


*Press release for immediate release*






*Oslo, Norway April 22nd, 2015*







*No FM Switch-Off in Norway*

*FM retained for local radio outside four metropolitan areas.  Only
community stations will continue in metropolitan areas. DAB radio is far
away from a success in the Nordic countries.*


 Norwegian Minister of Culture has announced that as the terms now have
been met i.e. 50 % are "listening digitally" there will be a proposal an FM
switch-off 2017. ("Digital listening" includes radio via DVB-T and
Internet). However, a few days ago the Government Statistical Bureau
reported that listening to DAB radio is 19 % on a daily basis.



This proposal is up for decision in Stortinget (the parliament) later this
spring. Still there is a majority for the proposal but opposition is
growing. The government coalition partner the Progress Party has been
against switching off FM since the first proposal for DAB came up in
Stortinget 2011 and now the Green Party is against the switch off.



200 local commercial radio and community radio stations outside the four
largest cities can continue on FM. This sector is also being unregulated.
The stations are all five year prolonged licenses at no fee. Licensing is a
simple registration with the media authority. Requirements on local news
and local content will be removed as well as limits on income.

This successful step towards introduction of the DAB system in Norway has
been made because of lobbying by the DAB promoting company Digitalradio
Norge AS and not by consumer demands on a free market. The plans have been
meet by forceful opposition by the local radio sector as this transition
plan is regarded as an obstacle to small-scale radio business 2017 leaving
all FM investments consider lost.

This is a sensitive issue as most profiting on the transition are the two
foreign-owned radio companies - MTG and SBS - while local radio is
Norwegian owned and operated. 23 local stations on FM in Oslo, Bergen,
Trondheim and Stavanger with suburbs areas will be forced to broadcast only
on DAB+ from 2017.

Neighboring countries as Finland has opted out of DAB already 2009 and in
Sweden a proposed DAB transition has been widely criticized by the opinion
and in a consultation by qualified institutions. A National Audit report
April 14 recommend Sweden to retain FM. In Denmark the government has put a
proposed FM switch-off on hold.  FM radio will be the dominant system for
terrestrial broadcasting for decades to come in the Nordic countries and
probably in most countries Europe.



The decision by the government for a fast track to a transition ignores the
fact that millions of foreign motorists visiting Norway annually as tourist
or in professional business. This means that most visitors will not be able
to listen to national channels as the public radio for emergency alerts,
traffic information etc. as well as local channels in Oslo and three other
cities.

FM and online listening will be global standards for radio for decades to
come. This will be mainly on mobile devices as smartphones in all countries.

*We don't envisage that the 20 year old DAB system will be a technology
implemented for such devices, says Svein Larsen President of Norwegian
Local Radio Association.*


 *For more information:*


 Contact Mr. Svein Larsen at +47 930 43 400 or svein at lokalradio.no
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