Switzerland - Current situation - History
21.01.2025
On 31 December 2024, the Swiss public broadcaster, SRG SSR ceased FM broadcasting. In announcing this plan in June 2024, it noted that "Around ten years ago, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), private radio stations and the SRG began working closely together to plan the transition from FM to DAB+. The predictions made at the time - that DAB+ would become the new radio standard - have been borne out: the proportion of people who listen to radio exclusively via FM has now stagnated at less than 10%. From 2020, the industry will no longer be obliged to broadcast radio programmes using this technology, and maintaining three parallel broadcasting technologies is costly. The SRG Board of Directors has therefore decided to stop broadcasting SRG radio programmes via the now obsolete FM antennas on 31 December 2024."
For private radio stations, depending on the radio station, individual FM transmitters in a broadcasting area will be switched off in stages from 1 January 2025 (fade-out process) or in their entirety at the end of 2026. The Association of Swiss Private Radios (VSP) has more details on its website. It is understood that as of January 2025, three local stations have switched FM off completely: Radio Stadtfilter, Radio 3fach, and Radio GOAT. Most stations in German-speaking areas have turned off some FM transmitters, especially smaller ones, while they plan to keep one or two high-power transmitters on until 2026, to keep urban areas covered. In French-speaking areas, most radio stations plan to continue until the end of 2026.
Digital radio use in Switzerland has grown steadily since 2015: radio use via IP has increased from 26% in 2015 to 39% in 2023, while use via DAB+ has almost doubled in this period (2015: 23%, 2023: 41%). In German-speaking Switzerland, DAB+ is the most frequently used reception channel at 43%, while IP is ahead in French-speaking Switzerland at 41%. Half of radio listeners, or 45% of the population, only use digital reception channels, compared to 10% of the population who only listen to radio via FM. Around 31% use both. The proportion of people who do not use radio at all is 12%. This means that digital radio use has stabilised at a high level. As new cars are equipped with DAB+ as standard, in-car use will also become increasingly digital.
Read the Ofcom Switzerland press release
Swiss DAB+ Broadcast Networks Factsheet
A new factsheet on DAB+ digital radio in Switzerland has been produced for automotive manufacturers as the country prepares for FM switch-off.
The factsheet from WorldDAB - the global industry forum for digital radio - was produced as part of the work of its Automotive Working Group, in partnership with DIGIMIG, the Swiss body for DAB digital radio, and RadioDNS which promotes hybrid radio.
Last extension of FM licenses by two years
Radio programmes can be broadcast on FM until the end of 2026. At its meeting on 25 October 2023, the Federal Council extended the FM licences due to expire in 2024 for another two years. This will give broadcasters more flexibility to successfully migrate from analogue to digital radio.
By revising the Ordinance on the Use of the Radio Frequency Spectrum (RFSO), the Federal Council has made it possible for existing FM radio licences to remain valid beyond their current expiry date until the end of 2026. Radio broadcasters can also choose to discontinue analogue broadcasting before then; they have not been required to broadcast on FM since 2020. Radio broadcasters had originally planned to discontinue FM broadcasting by the end of 2024 at the latest. This last extension to the end of 2026 gives them the opportunity to find individual solutions to successfully complete their migration from FM to digital radio.
07.01.2025
On 31 December 2024, the Swiss public broadcaster, SRG SSR ceased FM broadcasting. In announcing this plan in June 2024, it noted that "Around ten years ago, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), private radio stations and the SRG began working closely together to plan the transition from FM to DAB+. The predictions made at the time - that DAB+ would become the new radio standard - have been borne out: the proportion of people who listen to radio exclusively via FM has now stagnated at less than 10%. From 2020, the industry will no longer be obliged to broadcast radio programmes using this technology, and maintaining three parallel broadcasting technologies is costly. The SRG Board of Directors has therefore decided to stop broadcasting SRG radio programmes via the now obsolete FM antennas on 31 December 2024."
For private radio stations, depending on the radio station, individual FM transmitters in a broadcasting area will be switched off in stages from 1 January 2025 (fade-out process) or in their entirety at the end of 2026. The Association of Swiss Private Radios (VSP) has more details on its website.
Digital radio use in Switzerland has grown steadily since 2015: radio use via IP has increased from 26% in 2015 to 39% in 2023, while use via DAB+ has almost doubled in this period (2015: 23%, 2023: 41%). In German-speaking Switzerland, DAB+ is the most frequently used reception channel at 43%, while IP is ahead in French-speaking Switzerland at 41%. Half of radio listeners, or 45% of the population, only use digital reception channels, compared to 10% of the population who only listen to radio via FM. Around 31% use both. The proportion of people who do not use radio at all is 12%. This means that digital radio use has stabilised at a high level. As new cars are equipped with DAB+ as standard, in-car use will also become increasingly digital.
Read the Ofcom Switzerland press release
Swiss DAB+ Broadcast Networks Factsheet
A new factsheet on DAB+ digital radio in Switzerland has been produced for automotive manufacturers as the country prepares for FM switch-off.
The factsheet from WorldDAB - the global industry forum for digital radio - was produced as part of the work of its Automotive Working Group, in partnership with DIGIMIG, the Swiss body for DAB digital radio, and RadioDNS which promotes hybrid radio.
Last extension of FM licenses by two years
Radio programmes can be broadcast on FM until the end of 2026. At its meeting on 25 October 2023, the Federal Council extended the FM licences due to expire in 2024 for another two years. This will give broadcasters more flexibility to successfully migrate from analogue to digital radio.
By revising the Ordinance on the Use of the Radio Frequency Spectrum (RFSO), the Federal Council has made it possible for existing FM radio licences to remain valid beyond their current expiry date until the end of 2026. Radio broadcasters can also choose to discontinue analogue broadcasting before then; they have not been required to broadcast on FM since 2020. Radio broadcasters had originally planned to discontinue FM broadcasting by the end of 2024 at the latest. This last extension to the end of 2026 gives them the opportunity to find individual solutions to successfully complete their migration from FM to digital radio.
27.06.2024
On 27 June 2024, the Swiss public broadcaster, SRG SSR announced it would cease FM broadcasting by the end of the year. It noted that "Around ten years ago, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), private radio stations and the SRG began working closely together to plan the transition from FM to DAB+. The predictions made at the time - that DAB+ would become the new radio standard - have been borne out: the proportion of people who listen to radio exclusively via FM has now stagnated at less than 10%. From 2020, the industry will no longer be obliged to broadcast radio programmes using this technology, and maintaining three parallel broadcasting technologies is costly. The SRG Board of Directors has therefore decided to stop broadcasting SRG radio programmes via the now obsolete FM antennas on 31 December 2024."
Digital radio use in Switzerland has grown steadily since 2015: radio use via IP has increased from 26% in 2015 to 39% in 2023, while use via DAB+ has almost doubled in this period (2015: 23%, 2023: 41%). In German-speaking Switzerland, DAB+ is the most frequently used reception channel at 43%, while IP is ahead in French-speaking Switzerland at 41%. Half of radio listeners, or 45% of the population, only use digital reception channels, compared to 10% of the population who only listen to radio via FM. Around 31% use both. The proportion of people who do not use radio at all is 12%. This means that digital radio use has stabilised at a high level. As new cars are equipped with DAB+ as standard, in-car use will also become increasingly digital.
Read the Ofcom Switzerland press release
Swiss DAB+ Broadcast Networks Factsheet
A new factsheet on DAB+ digital radio in Switzerland has been produced for automotive manufacturers as the country prepares for FM switch-off.
The factsheet from WorldDAB - the global industry forum for digital radio - was produced as part of the work of its Automotive Working Group, in partnership with DIGIMIG, the Swiss body for DAB digital radio, and RadioDNS which promotes hybrid radio.
Last extension of FM licenses by two years
Radio programmes can be broadcast on FM until the end of 2026. At its meeting on 25 October 2023, the Federal Council extended the FM licences due to expire in 2024 for another two years. This will give broadcasters more flexibility to successfully migrate from analogue to digital radio.
By revising the Ordinance on the Use of the Radio Frequency Spectrum (RFSO), the Federal Council has made it possible for existing FM radio licences to remain valid beyond their current expiry date until the end of 2026. Radio broadcasters can also choose to discontinue analogue broadcasting before then; they have not been required to broadcast on FM since 2020. Radio broadcasters had originally planned to discontinue FM broadcasting by the end of 2024 at the latest. This last extension to the end of 2026 gives them the opportunity to find individual solutions to successfully complete their migration from FM to digital radio.