FM Switch-off in Switzerland: What Applies Now, What SRG Did and What Is Still Open

Newcomers to Switzerland tend to hear two things that sound contradictory: FM radio is gone, and FM is staying. Both are partly true, and which one applies depends on the date and the broadcaster. So a dated record follows.

Where things stand on 7 October 2026

FM exists in Switzerland and will continue, with licences running to 2034. The SRG stations are not on it at present. SRG, which runs SRF, RTS and RSI, switched off its FM transmitters on 31 December 2024. Since 1 January 2025 those programmes come over DAB+ and the internet.

The switch-off was never total, and a Swiss-wide end is no longer planned. Private radios kept FM, and the plan to end FM across Switzerland at the end of 2026 was dropped by Parliament in December 2025.

What SRG switched off

swissinfo reported on 1 January 2025 that SRG had switched off about 850 FM transmitters at midnight, while DAB+ needs about 260 antennas. SRF 1, SRF 2 Kultur and SRF 3 are on DAB+ or the internet. The French-language RTS stations (La Première, Espace 2, Couleur 3 and Option Musique) and the three RSI stations (Rete Uno, Rete Due and Rete Tre) went the same way.

The effect on listeners was blunt. A kitchen radio without DAB+ fell silent on those stations. swissinfo reported in December 2025 that SRG had lost half a million listeners after the full switch to DAB+. If your radio went quiet on SRF, the checklist for a radio that finds no stations is the place to start.

What Parliament decided

On 9 December 2025 the Council of States approved the motion to continue FM, and the Parliament news page of that day records it. RTS reported the vote as 21 to 18 with five abstentions. The federal councillor responsible, Albert Rösti, had opposed the move, according to RTS, pointing to the money already invested in DAB+.

FM stays a voluntary service, and new licences run from 2027 to 2034.

Why SRG left

SRG named cost as the reason. SRF said that staying on FM would have meant about CHF 15 million in extra costs per year. RSI added that fewer than 10 percent of listeners used FM only, and swissinfo cited federal data of about 10 percent at the end of 2024. Digital listening dominated: swissinfo gave DAB+ a 41 percent share of listening in 2023 and internet radio 39 percent. The saving proved smaller than hoped: RTS reported in December 2025 that its director put the cost of a return to FM at about CHF 15 million a year, and that RTS had lost about 130,000 listeners between the first halves of 2024 and 2025.

Private radios and the new licences

BAKOM, the Federal Office of Communications in Biel, published 20 FM frequency packages across 13 regions on 28 May 2026. Applications closed on 31 July. The federal administration reported on 21 August that 19 valid applications had come in for the 20 packages, with no competing bids, so no auctions were needed. One condition stands out: a radio that wants FM frequencies must be receivable on DAB+ in its area.

SRG and the 25 radios with a service mandate follow a separate procedure.

Will SRG return to FM?

SRG announced after the vote that it wanted to return. swissinfo reported on 12 December 2025 that the broadcaster planned to resume FM. BAKOM issued SRG an FM licence on 18 September 2026, valid to 31 December 2034.

What is not confirmed is the date and the lineup. Press reports from August 2026, including bluewin and 20 minutes, mentioned autumn 2026 and technical tests that began on 20 July. No primary statement from SRG or SRF after 18 September gives a start date. Until a start date is published, the change log below stays as it is.

What to do now

For SRG stations, DAB+ is the safe choice today. A DAB+ radio also contains an FM tuner, per dabplus.ch, so it covers both if SRG does return. If you have yet to buy, the DAB+ radio guide lists what to check. For the car, see DAB+ in the car. To see what is available at your address, use the coverage and reception page.