Kringkastingsselskapet

Kringkastingsselskapet A/S

Company type	Private
Industry	Radio broadcasting
Founded	1925
Defunct	1933
Fate	Merged into Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK)
Headquarters	Oslo , Norway
Area served	Norway

Kringkastingsselskapet A/S () holds the distinction of being Norway's inaugural radio broadcasting enterprise, functioning out of Oslo from 1925 until its integration into the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) in 1933.

History

The initiative to develop radio broadcasting in Norway was first undertaken by the Norwegian Telegraphy Administration in 1922, which advocated for state ownership over transmission facilities. In 1923, Norway removed the prohibition on receiving foreign radio broadcasts without a permit and introduced licensing requirements for transmission activities. That same year, multiple companies collaborated to obtain broadcasting rights, funding their operations through a combination of advertising income and radio license fees. To prevent ownership conflicts similar to those experienced in the United States, the administration restricted station ownership by manufacturers of radio receivers.

In 1924, Kringkastingsselskapet was granted the initial broadcasting license, supported by a shareholder base exceeding 2,000 individuals and entities including the Marconi Company, Telefunken, and Western Electric. The company set up a transmitter in Oslo capable of reaching a radius of 150 kilometers, which was operated by the Telegraphy Administration. Throughout the 1920s, five more transmitters were installed across Eastern Norway—in Rjukan (1925), Notodden and Porsgrunn (1926), as well as Hamar and Fredrikstad (1927). Under the 1926 Geneva Plan, Norway received an allocation of three AM frequencies. Additional stations commenced operations in Bergen (1925), Tromsø (1926), and Ålesund (1927).

Starting in 1928, Kringkastingsselskapet broadened its coverage nationwide. A controversy erupted in 1929 involving a poorly performing transmitter at Lambertseter alongside allegations of management profiteering. The transmitter's shortcomings were attributed to inadequate specifications by the Telegraphy Administration; Telefunken assumed expenses related to converting transmissions from medium wave to shortwave frequencies. Subsequent transmitters were inaugurated in Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Trondheim (1930), followed by Bodø (1931), Narvik (1934), and Vigra (1935).

This scandal triggered discussions on organizational reform. Minister Lars Oftedal proposed that transmission duties remain with the Telegraphy Administration while programming be managed by a private entity owned by Oslo-based newspapers. In contrast, Minister Sigvald Hasund argued for government oversight to avoid sensationalist influence from the press. The Kolstad Cabinet sided with Hasund’s perspective in 1932, recommending that content responsibility rest with the government. After parliamentary consent, Mowinckel's Third Cabinet assigned fiscal accountability directly to the broadcaster. Consequently, NRK was established in 1933 as a state-owned national broadcasting corporation.

References

Bibliography

• Andersen, Richard; Bernstein, Dagfinn. Kringkastingens tekniske historie. Norsk rikskringkasting, Oslo, 1999. ISBN 82-7118-260-9. (Norwegian)
• Rinde, Harald. Norsk telekommunikasjonshistorie: Et telesystem tar form 1855–1920. Gyldendal, Oslo, 2005. ISBN 82-05-334439. (Norwegian)