SRG plans to end the use of ultra-short wave (FM) for its radio stations (SRF1, SRF2, SRF3, etc.) on December 31, 2024.
Officially, it sounds like this:
"The public media company SRG, which includes SRF, has decided to turn its back on FM (ultra-short wave) technology and switch off all FM antennas by the end of 2024. SRG justifies the move by stating that fewer and fewer FM receivers are still in use in Switzerland and that the maintenance of FM antennas is expensive and disproportionate. SRG will continue to broadcast its radio programs via DAB+ and the Internet."
The use of SRG radio stations in Switzerland is less than 10%, too little to maintain the expensive infrastructure. However, the 10% are obviously people who still use FM exclusively, while the proportion of those who occasionally listen to FM radio is significantly higher at around a third.
Of course, most modern cars are now equipped with DAB+ receivers and the internet is probably everywhere in the office (or at home). However, in older cars or in remote areas, FM is still widely used today. This will come to an end from 1.1.2025.
And FM will no longer be broadcast in tunnels either, and according to Astra, the important safety messages will then only be available via DAB+. Nevertheless, some private broadcasters still want to support FM for a little longer. So it doesn't have to remain completely silent in the car if no DAB+ receiver is available.
For classic car drivers, there are various options for using the existing FM receiver for DAB+, so there is no need to replace the old radio with a modern device.
Further information is also available on the SRG website.
