This is more of a confirmation than a surprise. The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SSR), hence RTS, has announced that it will stop broadcasting in analogue on the FM band by the end of 2024. This decision marks an important step in the transition to 100% digital, mainly via DAB+ and the internet. It was about time.
Although initiated more than ten years ago, this transition is not going smoothly due to a lack of vision at European level. Many cars in Switzerland are not yet equipped to receive DAB+, which painfully replaced DAB, which poses a major problem for drivers who listen to the radio while traveling.
An inevitable digital transition
Digital radio theoretically offers superior sound quality and a greater diversity of programmes. In Switzerland, after numerous information campaigns, the use of digital radio has already reached 81% in spring 2023, while FM listening has dropped to 19%, according to this press release.
Despite these apparently encouraging figures, the complete transition to DAB+ requires technical adaptations, particularly for older vehicles. Around half of the cars registered in Switzerland are not equipped with DAB+ receivers, which could prompt their owners to consider possible retrofitting solutions.
Solutions for motorists
Moreover, several types of technological crutches are available on the market. DAB+ adapters can be installed in vehicles, providing a transitional solution to continue receiving radio programs after FM has been switched off on the SSR side.
This migration, which has been planned for years, is justified above all economically. While the DAB+ network is now fully deployed, radio stations must bear the costs of dual broadcasting in FM and DAB+, which is far from negligible, according to the SSR press release.
XS
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