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It’s «Goodbye FM» in December: what you need to know

Florian Bodoky
7.10.2024
Translation: Elicia Payne

At the end of December, FM radio in Switzerland will be switched off for good. From then on, DAB+ and internet radio will take over. Read on to find out why this is happening and what that means for you.

FM shutdown: yes, no, maybe so....

Back in 2014, Swiss radio broadcasters agreed to stop supporting FM technology by the end of 2024. In 2020, it was discovered that three quarters of radio use is already digital – i.e. via internet radio or DAB+. They then considered whether it would be possible to switch off FM gradually from 2022 onwards. However, this idea wasn’t implemented because the radio associations in French-speaking Switzerland in particular opposed to it.

Why so soon?

How to make the switch

If you still have an FM radio in your living room, it’s time you looked around for an upgrade.

The situation is somewhat different for car radios or old stereo systems. A simple solution comes in the form of a DAB+ adapter. You power it up via the 12-volt cigarette lighter in your car. Then you can either connect it to the AUX input of your car radio using a 3.5 millimetre jack cable, or connect it via Bluetooth if your car radio already supports this. Incidentally, you can use the same adapters for your old stereo system with FM receiver.

By the way, if you want to know more about FM, DAB+ or internet radio (IP) technology, this could be interesting for you:

My colleague David explains the technology behind it and takes you on an excursion into the history of radio.

Header image: Shutterstock

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I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue. 


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