Seven companies have submitted a total of 10 applications for Sweden’s three national FM networks for commercial radio ahead of the next license period, which begins in August 2026. The biggest surprise is newspaper publisher Aftonbladet’s plan to launch a national commercial news station.
In 2018, Bauer Media (Mix Megapol), NRJ Group and Viaplay Group (Rix FM) bid a combined €84 million to secure their national FM licenses through 2026. For the next eight-year period, auctions have been replaced by a “beauty contest” process that considers ownership, current radio and audio activities and format diversity. A new annual fee based on 3% of the radio industry’s total income has also been introduced, reducing costs for radio companies to a fraction of what they were under the previous setup.
NRJ and Viaplay have applied to renew their main stations, NRJ and Rix FM, while Bauer Media has submitted applications for all three licenses, including one for Mix Megapol. Christer Modig, SVP Radio at Viaplay Group, sees a new license as vital for the digitalization of radio. ” To succeed in this transition, we need to include our current audience, and Rix FM has a strong position with listeners. If radio is to remain relevant, we need to invest in expanding digital radio and use the FM stations as an engine to lead to listeners to a broader digital offering. If digitalization doesn’t happen, it could mean the end of commercial radio,” said Modig.
Bauer Media declined to comment during the application process.
NRJ Sweden CEO Richard Mazeret said he is confident of securing a renewal. “With 32 years in Sweden, NRJ’s commitment to radio is stronger than ever. We have applied for a national FM license to continue delivering radio entertainment to our loyal listener base, which has grown in recent years. We want to build on three decades of trust and continue developing content that appeals to young adults across Sweden. We feel confident about both the process and our application,” Mazeret said.
We believe we have something to offer listeners
Lotta Folcker, CEO of news publisher Aftonbladet
Proposed commercial news radio
Sweden’s largest newspaper, Aftonbladet, owned by Norway-based Schibsted, wants to launch the country’s first national commercial news radio service. The proposed station would focus on news, entertainment and sports, while also carrying music and podcasts.
Stefan Andersson, who served as chief of staff at Bauer Media until 2021, has supported Aftonbladet in developing the business plan over the past six months. Schibsted is already active in the Nordic audio market through premium podcast platform Podme and podcasts produced by its newspapers, and recently acquired Sweden’s leading commercial TV channel, TV4.
“We believe we have something to offer listeners. We saw a market gap. Commercial radio has sounded largely the same since the 1990s. It is time for Sweden to get a national commercial current affairs channel. For us, it also fits with our focus on audio storytelling through podcasts. We want to take that further, and radio could accelerate that work,” said Lotta Folcker, CEO and publisher at Aftonbladet.
Mad Men Media operates the regional oldies station Retro FM in southern Sweden and Finland’s newest national station, Pop FM. The company is also part-owner of FM frequencies in Stockholm and Gothenburg used by Bauer Media’s Rockklassiker. After failing to secure a national FM network in Denmark, Mad Men Media is now making its second attempt to go national on FM in Sweden. The company has applied for two licenses, including one for Retro FM.
“During the current licensing period, we have built Retro FM into the largest commercial radio station in the Skåne region and launched a new national radio station in Finland. Overall, we have shown that we can establish, operate and develop commercial radio in competition with much larger players. For us, a Swedish national venture is a natural next step,” said Robert Persson, CEO and part-owner of Mad Men Media.
We believe that being able to combine national with local strengthens our position
Annie Lidesjö, COO of NTM
Don’t knock dansband
Mad Men Media’s regional rival DB Media broadcasts Guldkanalen in Skåne and Dansbandskanalen nationally on DAB+. Dansbandskanalen plays dansband music, a Scandinavian blend of rock ’n’ roll, country and schlager. DB Media also owns a Stockholm FM frequency used by Viaplay Group’s Lugna Favoriter. The company is now seeking to bring Dansbandskanalen onto FM nationwide.
“Pop formats currently hold all three licenses. To increase commercial radio listening, more variety is needed. We also believe we have a very strong target group that can attract greater interest from advertisers. Dansbandskanalen has been around for more than 25 years and now has an audience at an all-time high. We believe that the interest is enormous and that our format and type of programming would be appreciated by a large part of the population,” said Daniel Bengtzzon, CEO and owner of DB Media.
“Before the pandemic, nearly 3.5 million visits were made each year to Sweden’s dansband venues. That compares with 2.5 million visits to the national football league. We believe interest is enormous and that our format and programming would be appreciated by a large part of the population,” Bengtzzon said.
Newspaper publisher NTM, headquartered in Norrköping, is also taking part in the process. COO Annie Lidesjö described the move as part of a broader investment in audio. During the current licensing period, NTM holds two FM frequencies in Stockholm and Uppsala, which are used by Viaplay Group’s rock station, Bandit Rock.
“NTM already has radio activities and wants to continue developing that part of the company with the new opportunities created by the upcoming radio licenses. We also have extensive audio production and strong editorial audio storytelling. Investing in radio is a way to broaden our operations and reach new target groups. We believe that being able to combine national with local strengthens our position, and we see great opportunities in offering a unique combination of local reporting, community information, culture and music through our local presence and extensive audio expertise,” said Lidesjö.
The Media Authority is expected to decide on the three national licenses before March 6, the deadline for applications for regional and DAB+ licenses.
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