No Static at All

This may seem like a random topic for Coach Jeff’s Blog but we’re always willing to explore new vistas. At any rate, today’s topic is radio.

I was struck over the weekend by the news that Norway is phasing out FM radio in its country by 2017.

How can such a thing happen? Well, apparently the Scandinavian nation is funding a national digital radio service that will be fully operational in two years. The Norwegians say it will bring better quality and provide more bandwidth for even more stations.

I can’t even imagine.

I mean, isn’t FM the end all, be all? (No static at all).

I remember when I discovered FM in that wonderful summer of music that I’ve told you about recently. Then, it wasn’t enough to hear my favorite music on the AM dial but FM brought a depth and richness that wasn’t present in the static-filled din of its older cousin. AM, then, was relegated to use for cross-country roadtrips when clear channel stations brought you a baseball game in the mid-summer darkness.

I could write a separate entry on that pastime. Maybe I will do that someday soon. Or I could devote some entry to old-time radio in general. That might be fun.

Or I could devote one entry to some Norwegian olympic history. Oh, wait, we covered that. Let’s go back to the topic at hand.

As a professional, I have been responsible for buying radio advertising time in two different previous jobs. It’s hard to imagine a different system – or different stations – than the ones we have.

Even as a consumer of satellite in recent years, I can’t really conceive of the type of system Norway is touting - high definition radio. I guess the technology we can touch that had a similar conversation was the recent phase out of analog television signals with the advent of digital.

Still, I’m not sure the average person really noticed when “Wheel of Fortune” came to them via digital tv vs. the old 60-year-old system.

Anyway, it’s hard to imagine that we would ever make a similar change. In the wide open U.S., it seems we have plenty of space for new construction, super highways and plenty of FM radio stations.

But never say never, I guess. Can you remember a time without the internet? (Or imagine a way to access content of your favorite blog without it?).

JG

Originally posted 4/21/2015