Federal Council: No additional FM frequencies
The Federal Council does not intend to allocate any additional FM frequencies. Instead, it is focusing on digitization.
The price for additional FM frequencies would be too high for all parties involved, according to a report by the SDA, which it approved on Wednesday. The scarce FM frequencies are used for the analogue broadcasting of licensed radio stations. With the adoption of a postulate by Filippo Leutenegger (FDP/ZH), the National Council instructed the Federal Council to review the current capacities and clarify whether further broadcasting chains could receive frequencies.
The Federal Council has now stated that it intends to stick to its current strategy. Accordingly, digitalization is to be driven forward. In particular, new private providers should only be permitted on digital platforms in each language region.
The Federal Council writes in the report that digital radio stations can already be received practically throughout Switzerland. With 15 percent digital households, Switzerland is one of the leading countries in Europe. The basis for a gradual switchover has been laid. For this reason, the Federal Council does not want to make any far-reaching technical changes or open up new FM coverage areas. Minor adjustments to coverage areas and the filling of gaps in reception should continue to be possible if necessary.
Distribution of FM frequencies
The Federal Council rejects the accusation by private radio stations that the distribution of FM frequencies is unfairly in favor of the SRG. An analysis of the actual situation refutes this. In the densely populated Central Plateau, where FM frequencies are actually in demand, the distribution of frequencies is almost balanced. In some areas, it is even in favor of local radio stations. And in the Alpine region, where the SRG requires significantly more frequencies to broadcast its three to five stations than the local radio stations, most of which operate solely in their coverage area, there is largely no shortage of frequencies, the Federal Council argues.
The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) had already set up a group of experts in 2001 to review the use of frequencies. This group came to the conclusion that rescheduling the FM frequencies would result in network restructuring at a cost of CHF 50 to 120 million for private broadcasters.
