Is FM Radio Being Switched Off? Where It Ended, and Where It Didn't

Published 17 October 2026

Not in most of the world — but in a few countries, some or all of the big stations have left FM for DAB+ and the internet, and others keep setting dates and moving them. This guide sets out what has actually happened, as of October 2026, and what to do if a station you listen to leaves FM. The short answer to the second question is the same everywhere: the station almost always keeps its internet stream, and you can listen to it in any browser with no download and no account.

Norway: the first, in 2017

Norway was the first country to switch off FM for its national stations. NRK, P4 and Radio Norge left FM region by region through 2017, starting in Nordland in January and finishing in December, and moved to DAB+. Many local stations stayed on FM. The national stations still stream online — NRK P3 and P4 Norge are in the directory; Norwegian radio online lists more.

Switzerland: the public broadcaster left, the rest stayed

The Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR switched off its FM transmitters on 31 December 2024, so SRF, RTS and RSI are heard on DAB+ and online, not on FM. Private stations were due to follow at the end of 2026, but in late 2025 both chambers of the Swiss parliament voted to drop the full switch-off — the Council of States narrowly, on 9 December 2025 — and the regulator has set out how FM licences will be awarded from 2027. SRG cannot simply return to FM; its licences were given up. SRF 1, SRF 3, RTS Couleur 3 and RSI Rete Uno all stream; Swiss radio online has the rest.

The UK: no switch-off before 2030

A government review in 2021 concluded there should be no switch-off of FM before 2030 at the earliest, and a further review of radio's future is under way. Meanwhile some local commercial stations have handed back individual FM licences and carry on on DAB and online. UK radio online covers the stations.

Germany: state by state

Germany has no national date. Broadcasting is a matter for the states, and plans differ: Schleswig-Holstein has set out a timetable to move away from FM in the early 2030s, while others have dropped or paused theirs. Some broadcasters are taking individual programmes off FM on their own. German radio online lists the stations, all of which stream.

The United States, Canada and Australia

No switch-off is planned. In the US, HD Radio adds digital channels on top of FM and AM signals rather than replacing them; Australia runs DAB+ in its cities alongside FM and AM.

If a station you listen to leaves FM

1. Search for it on 72FM. Stations that leave FM almost always keep streaming online, and the stream works in any browser, on a phone, a laptop or a smart TV.
2. Try DAB+ if you want a radio in the kitchen or the car and live where it is broadcast.
3. Use an internet radio or a smart speaker at home — see radio on a smart speaker and Wi-Fi internet radios.

Internet radio vs DAB and internet radio vs FM compare the options in more detail.