In a press release dated Thursday 27th June 2024, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) confirmed that it would switch off all of the FM transmitters at the end of the year.
In a statement, SBC said..."Those who listen to the radio now largely do so via digital audio broadcasting (DAB+) or the internet, the SBC said on Thursday. Fewer and fewer very high frequency (VHF-FM) receivers are still in use in Switzerland, it said. Remaining, pure FM usage is stagnating at less than 10%."
A previous survey in 2020 had put the number of people listening on FM at 13%.
SBC continues... "In addition, maintenance of FM transmitters and investment in their renewal is expensive and disproportionate, the SBC said. In light of the organisationβs tough financial situation due to declining advertising revenues and inflation, further investment in outdated broadcasting technology is no longer justifiable. DAB+ and the internet offer better quality and a larger programme selection, are more energy and cost efficient, and can provide additional information in text and images."
FM was originally expected to be switched off throughout Switzerland by the end of 2024. The government extended FM licences for the radio industry for the last time in October 2023 to the end of 2026, after which radio stations in Switzerland will no longer be able to broadcast via FM, only digitally. The Swiss regulator OFCOM announced at the time that the final extension would give the radio industry the flexibility to complete the transition process from analogue to digital radio.
On the 27th of May 2024, a little bit of radio history was made with the very first reception of a trans-Atlantic FM radio station in mainland Europe. The map above shows the radio stations that FMDXer Mauricio MolanoΒ in CΓ‘ceres in the west of Spain managedΒ to log includingΒ CHCM-FM in Marystown, Newfoundland on 88.3 MHz.
Log...
UTC QRG ITU Station, locationDetails, remarksDistance kmkW ERP
12:06 90.20 AZRR80 RΓ‘dio, Pico da Barrosa (smg) 1674kms 0.5kw
12:50 88.30 AZRRΓ‘dio Clube de Lajes do Pico, Pico do Geraldo 1896kms 0.05kw
14:25 88.30 CANCHCM-FM, Marystown (NL)Openline with Paddy Daly. Special log: double hop. First Canadian station received from Spain! 3985kmsΒ 27kw
As can be seen from the log, CHCM-FM was heard at 14:25 UTC and it's likely that the propagation mode was double hop Sporadic-E.
Mauricio writes... "I have managed to fulfil another of my DX challenges!: to catch an FM station fromΒ the other side of the pond!. It was this afternoon, during the opening of Es, which had started aroundΒ 1200Z and brought me several stations from the Azores Islands with good signals. A couple of hours later, our colleague Larry Horlick (Coley's Point, NL) began picking up Spanish and Portuguese stations.Β
In the first minutes of the opening was when I caught the CHCM-FM (Marystown) signal on 88.3 withΒ
VOCM programming. On 88.5 I have another signal but very weak. I assume it is CBN-1-FM CBC-R1Β
Saint John's, but it will be difficult for me to identify it 100%. Both frequencies are very difficult in myΒ
listening place (Aldea del Cano, CΓ‘ceres) due to the presence of semi-local stations on 88.2, 88.4Β
and 88.6 MHz. This year the DX season has started late here, but it has started very, very well!."
Mauricio also notes that he has two receiver/antenna systems. The first one is a three element Yagi points to the Canary Islands (south-west) attached to a RSPDuo receiver. The second one is a 4-element Yagi pointing to Newfoundland and attached to a Perseus with the FM+ converter.
In this case,Β the station from Canada was actually heard on the antenna pointing to the Canary Islands!
Just to clarify, this isn't the first trans-Atlantic FM stations have been heard in Europe but all of the previous reception reports were to the UK and Ireland. This is the first time of a trans-Atlantic reception report on the Iberian Peninsula and mainland Europe.Β
Larry Horlick, VO1FOG in Newfoundland... Larry is a long time FMDXer and he caught an impressive haul of FM radio stations from Portugal and Spain in the same opening. Larry has the advantage of a quieter FM band on his side of the Atlantic.
One of the major advantages of modern SDR receivers is that an opening can now be recorded and then be later reviewed afterwards to see what was heard.Β
Larry's log is shown below and it's worth remembering that these are FM radio stations from the other side of the North Atlantic.
The frequencies range from 87.6 MHz to 102.4 MHz and the distances range from 3632 kms to 4136 kms.
Larry says his catch of the day was SER, Estepa, Spain on 98.3 MHz which has an ERP of just 250-watts.
In conclusion... While there have been trans-Atlantic openings on the FM band before, it is still a remarkable occurrence and worth noting. Every year, we see multi-hop Sporadic-E across the North Atlantic on the 28 MHz and 50 MHz bands and while it's of interest to those involved, it's really nothing out of the ordinary.
Band 2 signals (88-108 MHz) are different though and it's always interesting to see FM radio stations from either side of the North Atlantic reach the other side. The question always remains as to how high does an opening reach? Can it get up into the aircraft band at 118 to 135 MHz? What about 144 MHz? Spain to Newfoundland on the 2m band? Is it possible? Is anyone trying?
Links...
1) See my 88-108 MHz my 88-108 MHz page for more examples of trans-Atlantic openings
On the 19th of May 2024, FMDXer Paul Logan in the north-west of Ireland reported reception of a radio station in Greenland on 91.0 MHz.
Logbook 2024-05-19Β UTC QRG ITU Station, location Details Distance km kW ERPPol 2044 91.00 GRL Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa, Niaqernaartik/KTYC (Kap Tycho Brahe) 2095 0.1 v
The radio is located on the east coast of Greenland, has an effective radiated power of just 100-watts and runs vertical polarisation. Paul logged it at 20:44 UTC.
A 52-second audio file from the reception can be heard HERE
The distance to Paul's location in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh is 2095kms and the propagation mode was Sporadic-E (Sp-E). While the distance is well within the maximum for a single hop of Sporadic-E, it's always interesting when a FM station in Greenland is heard in Europe.
Greenland is technically part of North America and hints hopefully at maybe some very rare trans-Atlantic signals on the FM band in the weeks ahead.
Now that we're well into the Summer Sporadic-E season, there have been plenty of reports of openings on the FM band going from 88 to 108 MHz. Most reports seem to be single hop Sporadic-E for now but this one caught my attention.
On the 14th of May 2024, Larry Horlicks (VO1FOG) recorded an opening from the Azore Islands to Newfoundland. As can be seen from the image above, the distances were in the region of 1894 to 2259 kms.
While the propagation mode was still one-hop Sporadic-E, any openings on the FM band across the North Atlantic are always of special interest. As we move into June and July, there should hopefully be some double hop Sporadic-E openings and reports of radio stations on the 88-108 MHz band being heard across the Atlantic.
Some examples of previous trans-Atlantic openings can be seen on my 88-108 MHz page.
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