Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following news item via SwissInfo.ch:
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation pulls plug on FM radio (SwissInfo.ch)
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) switched off outdated analogue FM transmitters at 11:59pm on New Year’s Eve.
Connections to around 850 ultra-shortwave transmitters throughout Switzerland have come to an end.
Anyone wishing to continue listening to the radio stations SRF1, SRF2 Kultur und SRF3 in the new year, for example, will have to switch to the digital radio technology DAB+ or Internet radio. All other SBC programmes were previously only available via the Internet or DAB+.
SBC, SWI swissinfo.ch’s parent company, now only needs around 260 antennas for DAB+ broadcasting.
Around two dozen private radio stations in Switzerland will continue to broadcast via FM and will not discontinue the service until the end of 2026 at the latest. [Continue reading…]
The USA is not a free market in broadcasting.
The telcos through the Government forced the transition from the terrible NTSC to ATSC digital TV so they could get the 700 – 800 MHz band. The population was forced to buy new TVs or a set top box. No one wants to go back to NTSC now!
The telcos also prevented the FM receiver chip in mobile phones from working in the USA where phones elsewhere can receive the broadcast FM signal not using the listeners’ data allowance. Apple owning itunes and iphones prevented FM reception for their own commercial reasons.
Now there is pressure to make compulsory the 110 year old Amplitude Modulated transmission standard be installed in vehicles. AM has no high frequency audio, its noisy, distorted and has no stereo. It cannot transmit digital signals such as images and text. Even FM stereo is 64 years old.
Contrast this with Europe which made the reception of the latest digital terrestrial compulsory which has reduced the costs to broadcasters and increases program choice where all programs can be stereo with images and test. The European broadcasters also transmit detailed traffic conditions which modify the navigation system routing. These systems are around 20 years old.
Broadcast can only get technical improvements when a large proportion of the audience have capable receiving equipment. The manufacturers don’t wish to make improved receivers unless there are programs to listen to. ie. the chicken or the egg!
Lastly the telcos are releasing a new generation of phone standards every 16 years and switch off their equipment when they have sold enough new phones, forcing the rest of the users to buy a new phone or do without.
In the early 2000s Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and other countries converted from analog TV to digital TV. This required either the purchase of a new TV or a set top box. The telcos were pushing this conversion because their ultimate aim was the 700 – 800 MHz band. This was possible because every analog TV transmitter had to have an empty adjacent channel on either side of their transmissions to prevent interference. Digital TV did not have this problem. The benefit for the consumers was wide screen high definition images free of ghosted images and in NTSC countries (North America) the correct hue. In addition in DVB-T and DVB-T2 countries, more programs available.
The winging about throwing out old TVs was virtually non existent.
Back in 2017 Norway switched off FM for their government and commercial broadcasters only leaving low powered community broadcasters on FM.
The reason they did this was that the network of government and commercial FM transmitters had reached their economic use by date. The cost of broadcasting is now 1/8th compared to FM. DAB+ increased the number of programs available. Some have proved very popular.
On one transmitter per coverage area NRK transmit 15 programs and on a commercial transmitter 10 programs. To transmit 25 programs on FM they would have needed 25 transmitters on each transmitter site!
Current audience ratings https://www.nielsen.com/news-center/2024/pr-new-nielsen-research-shows-norwegian-radio-remains-a-strong-force/
Since December 2020 all new cars in the European Union must be capable of digital terrestrial radio.
The power of DAB+ transmission is not limited by any existing radio broadcasts making automotive reception reliable.
HD Radio is not installed in every new vehicle in North America despite being standardised 24 years ago.
Swiss broadcaster SRG has 17 programs on their DAB+ transmitters. Remember that Switzerland has German, French and Italian as dominant languages.
Once all listeners have DAB+ receivers, there will be no demand for FM broadcasts. DAB+ works well where there are multiple reflected signals. FM becomes distorted and the stereo separation is reduced. Switzerland is a mountainous country with many tunnels many of which have leaky cables radiating DAB+ programs. If there is a blockage in the tunnel, these leaky cables will transmit instructions to drivers.
Since there’s no other use for 88-108 MHz band than FM broadcasting, there should not be fixed date set for the forced shutdown. By imposing it, the Swiss regulator has acted contrary to the free market competition rules and against the interests of the public. They aligned themselves with the DAB lobbyists who want to establish a monopoly for their own broadcasting standard. But the real action of an actual regulator should be to protect the citizens from the influence of corporate lobbying and do everything possible to foster competition. It should be a decision made individually by each of the stations after own assessment. If someone wants to broadcast in analog, why should the state refrain from issuing a license and collecting the necessary fees? Who benefits from that?