Norway is switching off its FM radio in 2017
(Image credit: CC by: Nærings- og fiskeridepartementet)

It was the British band the Buggles that famously predicted that video would kill the radio star, but in Norway, the coup de grâce was delivered by digital audio broadcasting (DAB). While technically still radio, DAB (and its newer cousin, DAB+) requires different receivers — and as of Jan. 11, 2017, it's all Norwegian radio listeners will have access to. On that date, the government announced last week, the country's five FM stations will be shut off.

Norway will be the first nation to scrap analog radio completely, though Europe has been trending that direction for more than a decade. "Listeners will have access to more diverse and pluralistic radio content, and enjoy better sound quality and new functionality," said Culture Minister Thorhild Widvey in a statement. "Digitization will also greatly improve the emergency preparedness system, facilitate increased competition, and offer new opportunities for innovation and development."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.