Section 1 of 5
The Switchovers
Country-by-country FM shutdowns and DAB+ migrations, each pinned to the political decision that made it happen.
The piece this section is about
2017
One Region at a Time: How Norway Turned Off FM in 2017
The world's first national FM switch-off was not a single event. It was eleven separate cutovers, one geography at a time, completed across an entire calendar year.
The angle is operational: how a single master-control room at Marienlyst managed a sequenced shutdown across the country's geography.
Photo: Skylar Kang / PexelsThe rest of The Switchovers
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2024The Switchovers
Switzerland Closes the Loop
Describes Switzerland's completion of its DAB+ migration in 2024, including the OFCOM decision timeline and the distinction between national and regional FM retention.
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The Switchovers
The Date That Keeps Moving: Britain's DAB Migration
Traces the sequence of deferred UK FM switch-off dates, from the original coverage-and-listening threshold set by the Digital Economy Act onward, citing each DCMS consultation and Ofcom measurement in turn.
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2020The Switchovers
Germany's Quiet Mandate: DAB+ in Every New Car
Explains the German Telekommunikationsgesetz provision requiring DAB+ reception in all new car radios sold from 21 December 2020, citing the BNetzA implementation notice.
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The Switchovers
Denmark and the Rest of the Nordic Timetable
Surveys the DAB+ migration status of Denmark, Sweden, and Finland alongside Norway's completed shutdown, citing each country's official position as of the most recently published regulatory statement.
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The Switchovers
Where FM Is Not Going Away
Documents the countries — including the United States, France, and several in southern and eastern Europe — that have explicitly ruled against or indefinitely deferred FM shutdowns, citing each country's relevant regulatory or legislative record.
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The Switchovers
HD Radio's Adoption Curve and the Absent Switch-Off Date
Describes the iBiquity-licensed HD Radio rollout in the United States — receiver penetration figures, the in-band on-channel technical model, and the FCC's position on any eventual FM shutdown — drawing on FCC filings and the National Association of Broadcasters' published data.
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The Switchovers · no date
The Date That Keeps Moving: Britain's DAB Migration
Coverage thresholds, deferred deadlines, and a switchover mechanism that made the market the gatekeeper
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