One of the least attractive features of the anti-Democratic Neo Liberal Elites is their arrogant “I know better than you” attitude, and willingness to impose their dictatorial whims on a populace despite widespread opposition.
So it is in Norway where they are shutting down analog FM Broadcasting using equipment and licenses that are cheap making the marketplace easy to enter, and replacing them with digital equivalents which-
- Are only marginally superior in quality
- Automatically make obsolete all the old equipment including the recievers used by regular listeners forcing them to buy more expensive replacements
- Are easier to control by the Central Government
- And they will auction off the excess Bandwidth to Commercial Enterprises at a discount as a hefty dose of Corporate Welfare
So it’s win-win except for the 99% who lose.
Funny how that works.
Norway first to start switching off FM radio
Reuters
Thursday 5 January 2017 11.25 EST
Norway will next week become the first nation to start switching off its FM radio network, in a risky and unpopular leap to digital technology that will be closely watched by other countries considering whether to follow suit.
Critics say the government is rushing the move and fear many people may miss emergency alerts that until now have been broadcast via FM radio. Of particular concern are the 2m cars on Norway’s roads that are not equipped with digital audio broadcasting (DAB) receivers, they say.
Sixty-six per cent of Norwegians oppose switching off FM, 17% are in favour and the rest are undecided, according to an opinion poll published by the daily Dagbladet last month.
Nevertheless, parliament has given the final go-ahead for the move, swayed by the fact that digital networks can carry more channels.
Switzerland plans a similar move from 2020, and Britain and Denmark are among those also considering such a switch. A smooth transition to DAB, which is already beamed across Norway, could encourage these countries to move ahead.
…
Torvmark said cars were the biggest challenge: a good digital adaptor for an FM car radio cost 1,500 Norwegian kroner (£140), he said.Ib Thomsen, an MP from the Progress party, a partner in Norway’s Conservative-led government, was scathing about the move. “We are simply not ready for this yet,” he told Reuters.
“There are 2m cars on Norwegian roads that don’t have DAB receivers, and millions of radios in Norwegian homes will stop working when the FM net is switched off. So there is definitely a safety concern.”
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Vent Hole