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They say that "conditions are right":
http://www.radioworld.com/article/norway-conditions-right-to-end-fm-broadcasts/274642
http://www.radioworld.com/article/norway-conditions-right-to-end-fm-broadcasts/274642
99.5 percent population coverage is very high in a sparsely populated country like Norway!!
More accurately, Norway is a highly urbanized country. Most of the population is concentrated in several large metro areas.
BMR said:That's actually a very good point, Landtuna.
Could the US be following their lead?
Radio in Norway is all government owned. Not so here. Very different situation. This is something the Norwegians have been working on for 20 years. Neither the FCC nor Congress have even begun considering it here.
It's significant to note that this is a country of just over 5 million people... a bit bigger than the Phoenix, AZ, metro. A whole different set of logistics and much more of a "nanny state" environment as well.
And, interestingly, one of the most researched "happy" countries in the world.
Norway probably has the highest standard of living in the world right now. Well run country.
They have several popular commercial radio stations, some of which have FM frequencies in every major city, so although the government there controls the FM channels (like the FCC and it's Canadian counterpart control frequency allocations here), there is privately owned and operated radio there.
The last I read, the Norwegian government may still allow for private, commercial FM radio and local radio on FM after the switchover.