Switzerland's FM Radio Future Hangs in Balance as Council of States Decides in December

Private radios now oppose FM shutdown they initially supported. Council's decision in December will shape Switzerland's radio landscape.

, and Administrator

2025 October 19 . 6:03 PM

1 min read

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Switzerland's FM Radio Future Hangs in Balance as Council of States Decides in December

Switzerland's FM radio future hangs in the balance as the Council of States prepares to decide in December whether to extend FM broadcasting until 2027. A large frequency auction, including former SRG frequencies, could follow if FM is prolonged. This has sparked debate among broadcasters, with private radios now opposing an FM shutdown they initially supported.

Initially, large private radios backed the FM shutdown, but they now argue against it, fearing potential listener losses. Only around 7% of Swiss people listen to radio exclusively on FM, yet private broadcasters gained new listeners from SRG after the FM shutdown and want to maintain their analog channels. They generally favour continuing analog FM broadcasting beyond 2026.

SRG, the public broadcaster, considers returning to analog radio if politics decide to continue FM. In that case, both public and private broadcasters can apply for licenses for analog (FM) and digital frequencies in a re-auction starting January 1, 2027. However, private broadcasters' arguments for maintaining FM are questionable, as listeners also switched to DAB+ after SRG's FM shutdown.

The Council of States' December decision will shape Switzerland's radio landscape. If FM is extended, a large frequency auction could follow, potentially benefiting both public and private broadcasters. However, with only a small percentage of listeners relying solely on FM, the future of analog radio remains uncertain.