FM radio coming to an end in Norway

[sprite75]

FM radio is winding down in Norway;

Norway's Minister of Culture announced this week that a national FM-radio switch off will commence in 2017, allowing the country to complete its transition over to digital radio. It's the end of an era.

As Radio.no notes, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) will provide Norwegian listeners more diverse radio channel content than ever before. Indeed, DAB already hosts 22 national channels in Norway, as opposed to FM radio's five, and a TNS Gallup survey shows that 56% of Norwegian listeners use digital radio every day. While Norway is the first country in the world to set a date for an FM switch-off, other countries in Europe and Southeast Asia are also in the process of transitioning to DAB.

According to Thor Gjermund Eriksen, head of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation:

"This is an important day for everyone who loves radio. The minister's decision allows us to concentrate our resources even more upon what is most important, namely to create high quality and diverse radio-content to our listeners."

[Allhallowsday]

[Jack]

I'm so up-to-date on the latest tech that I don't even know if you can pick up digital broadcasts on a regular radio or if you have to buy a new one.

[Alex]

Unfortunately (to the best of my knowledge anyway), it requires a whole new radio.

[Newt]

Unfortunately (to the best of my knowledge anyway), it requires a whole new radio.

Makes sense.  And also a subscription to a service? 

[Bushma]

Unfortunately (to the best of my knowledge anyway), it requires a whole new radio.

I used to have a digital radio in my car.  Yes you do need a digital radio, you can't use your standard FM radio.

Makes sense.  And also a subscription to a service? 

No, no subscription. You pick up digital radio just like digital TV.  You just need the right receiver.

If I remember right the car radio was about $150 but that was about 3 years ago.

[voltron]

So, like, would you hear Kampfar on a modern rock station there? 
In my area FM radio was the last place to find great music. I mentioned this before but there used to be this insanely awesome show called Brave New Waves (from Montreal I believe) on my FM dial. Came on at midnight and didn't atop until 4AM. Discovered SOOOOO much interesting, diverse and original music there. On any given night you could hear indie rock (when "indie" used to mean something), noise, ambient, dub, post-rock, punk, shoegaze, even the odd metal track here and there. So sad it's no more.