SRG SSR, Switzerland’s public service broadcaster, will restart analog FM broadcasts from mid-November, nearly two years after it shut down its transmitters. The first sites are expected to restore FM coverage to about 80% of the population, alongside DAB+ digital radio and online listening.
SRG says the return responds to a wish among part of the public to keep listening on FM and gives those listeners more time to move to digital reception. Its announcement does not quantify the size of that audience. The broadcaster frames FM as a bridge to digital listening, saying nearly nine in 10 minutes of radio listening already take place via DAB+ and the internet.
The broadcaster has received a new concession from OFCOM, the Federal Office of Communications, to use its former FM frequencies. The first phase will make SRG services available again across Switzerland’s language regions, including cultural stations from SRF, RTS and RSI, as well as regional news bulletins in German-speaking Switzerland. SRG estimates the added cost at about 6.5 million Swiss francs per year; full FM coverage previously cost about 15 million francs annually. It will assess actual use and operational and financial conditions before deciding whether to expand coverage.
In 2014, SRG and private broadcasters agreed to end FM transmissions by the end of 2024 under the regulatory framework then in place. Parliament approved an extension of FM broadcasting in late 2025, prompting OFCOM to reopen the frequency process. SRG says it regards Parliament’s decision as a public-service mandate.
SRG Director General Susanne Wille described Parliament’s decision as a mandate. “Our listeners are at the center of our concerns. We acted quickly and will once again broadcast our programs on FM across all language regions, alongside digital channels. What matters is that our content reaches people and reliably,” she said.
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