Norwegian public broadcaster NRK is discontinuing nine established radio programs,sparking criticism from the nation’s music industry,Kontekst reported March 22,2024.The restructuring impacts a range of popular shows and comes as NRK seeks to redefine its role in a changing media landscape.
The move has drawn strong opposition from 70 music organizations, who signed a protest against the changes, arguing they will negatively affect musical diversity and cultural output. NRK’s music director, Mats Borch Bugge, recently stated to Kontekst that maintaining the status quo would render the broadcaster “backward.” The programs being eliminated have not been publicly named, but the decision signals a important shift in NRK’s radio strategy and has ignited a debate about the future of public service media in Norway. Statistics from a recent NRK poll show 351 respondents miss a particular radio program, while 121 miss another, 61 a third, and 31 a fourth.
