Regional radio stations will broadcast until the end of 2026
To be able to receive DAB+, a compatible receiver or an adapter is required, recalls the SSR. New vehicles put into circulation have been equipped with them for several years. FM installations in motorway tunnels will also be deactivated by the end of the year, in favour of digital reception. Last October, the Federal Council decided to grant FM a final reprieve until the end of 2026 by extending by two years the FM radiocommunication concessions expiring in 2024. Radio stations can also decide to interrupt analogue broadcasting earlier.
The industry had initially planned to switch off FM by the end of 2024 at the latest. This latest extension offers the possibility of successfully completing the process of migrating from FM to digital radio using individual solutions, with the necessary flexibility. “In the context of current economies, we fully understand the decision of the SSR, which is playing a pioneering role here,” Philippe Zahno, President of the Association of French-speaking Regional Radio Stations (RRR), told Keystone-ATS. “At present, we are planning to switch off FM broadcasting in November 2026,” he said.
According to him, regional radio stations in French-speaking Switzerland cannot afford to lose market share and advertising revenue, which is linked to the number of listeners. They want to use the additional time to reduce the number of listeners who listen exclusively to FM and who follow French radio stations. The Swiss Association of Private Radio Stations (ASRP), which represents private radio stations in German and Ticino, also welcomed the “important and courageous” decision by the SSR. “This will advance the digital transformation of radio in Switzerland,” said its president Nicola Bomio.
