Report: Sweden Plans To Shutdown FM Radio

The Swedish government has announced plans for the digitisation of the country's terrestrial radio networks, with the ultimate aim of shutting down FM transmissions by 2022, according to a story at PSN Europe.

Public broadcaster Swedish Radio (SR) will move to DAB+, financing the transition with a loan from the National Debt Office.

Sweden was in the vanguard of digital radio when, at the same time as the UK, it adopted DAB during 1995. While Britain pushed on with the implementation of the technology and broadcasters established digital-only stations, Sweden slowed its development of DAB networks, to the point where only 35 percent of the country was covered by SR's digital broadcasts.

With SR's present license expiring on 31 December this year, the proposal is that it will expand its digital coverage to 95 percent over the course of the next licensing period, from 2014 to 2020. Pilot DAB+ transmissions began in 2009; the following year the then new Radio and TV Act allowed commercial radio broadcasters to apply for digital licenses. After this DAB+ coverage rose to 22 percent of the population with 16 services from public service, commercial and local community radio stations.

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Deb Slater and Larry Gifford dive into a handful of hot topics in this episode recorded on 06/27/2013. The Government has announced it is shutting down the FM DIAL...in Sweden - and elsewhere. They SKYPE with radio futurologist, Media UK Managing Director and swell guy James Cridland who is in London to find out what the heck is going on the other side of the pond and should the US expect this anytime soon?

James explains DAB+, why it's good and bad, and talks about the differences between radio in U.S. and U.K. He also fills us in on his third annual radio ideas conference "Next Radio" at http://nextrad.io/ PLUS –

When is breaking news NOT breaking news? A look at a big filibuster in Texas that the U.S. news media ignored, but blew up twitter. #standwithwendy Old TV anchormen (Tom Brokaw and Scott Pelley) are cranky, the recipe for a good Paula Deen parody, and Big Jack Armstrong loved radio all his life and now, when he needs it most, Boise's radio community is loving him back.