OSLO�According to theNorwegian Local Radio Association(Norse Lokalradio Forbund) only 23 local radio stations, in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger, along withmajor national broadcasters, will make the transition from analog to digital radio broadcasting in 2017.� 200 local commercial and community radio stations outside the country�s four largest cities will continue broadcasting via analog means.
�
NLF also highlights a recent report from the Government Statistical Bureau that says only 19% of listening is on broadcast DAB+, below the 50% threshold set as a prerequisite for the change, according to Paul Riismandel, writing inradiosurvivor.com.
�
The FM to DAB+ transition still requires the approval of Parliament, where it has majority support.� However, the Green Party, as well as the Progress Party (which is part of the governing coalition) are opposed, based on claims by such groups as NLF, that say digital radio�s adoption is being spurred by DigitalRadio Norge AS, and not by actual consumer demand.
�
�That should sound familiar to HD Radio critics in the US,� says Riismandel.�
NLF also engaged TNS/ Gallup to conduct theirown surveyon how radio users in Norway feel about the impending FM station shut-downs.� The survey included over 1,000 respondents in a nationally representative sample.� A sample of the results follows:
������� 61% believe that it is wrong to force some local radio stations to shut down their FM transmitters
������� 26% believe that it is okay that FMs should shut down
������� 13% do not know
������� a majority of the population feels 2017 is too early for the FM shutdown
������� 37% of respondents believe that shutdown should occur in 2019
������� 27% believe 2017 is the right time for extinguishing the FM band
������� 23% believe that the shutdown should not happen at all
������� 40% think it’s okay that you�ll need to replace FM radios at home and in the car
������� 24% do not think it�s OK
������� 33% are completely indifferent to the whole debate
