The radio industry in Switzerland has announced its plans to fully transition to DAB+ by 2023. Public broadcasters will turn off analog FM transmissions in mid-2022, with private stations following by Jan. 2023.
These dates are ahead of the original switchover goal of end-2024, when FM radio licenses expire.
Digital radio is already a significant piece of broadcasting in Switzerland. A 2020 survey showed that only 13% of the population listened to FM radio, according to the Federal Office of Communications (Ofcom). Digital listening increased by 22% between 2015 and 2020.
The Swiss government, public and private broadcasters and WorldDAB have worked in consort to educate and prepare all listeners for the FM switch off. WorldDAB introduced Dabsy to Switzerland, the mascot of a DAB+ marketing campaign. Reaching out on multiple platforms, Dabsy will reinforce the benefits of digital radio and encourage listeners to acquire DAB+ radios in preparation for the change.
Switzerland has been closely following Norway’s digital transition. The country switched to all-digital in 2017, but allowed some local stations to remain on FM for another five years. Unlike Norway, Switzerland plans to make a complete cut.