OFCOM invites tenders for information campaign on DAB+

The Federal Office is thus supporting the radio industry, which is increasingly broadcasting its programs digitally via DAB+ networks and plans to switch off its FM transmitters in a few years.

Switzerland is on track to become the world's second country after Norway to discontinue analog broadcasting of radio programs in the coming years: Around 3.5 million DAB+ devices were in operation in Swiss households and vehicles at the end of 2017, 600,000 devices more than a year earlier. More than one million cars are now capable of receiving DAB+, 85 percent of all new vehicles are equipped with DAB+ radios as standard, and digital use of radio programs (via DAB+, TV networks and the internet) rose from 54 to 61 percent in 2017. To make DAB+ even better known and promote listening to digital radio, OFCOM is launching a second information campaign. The aim is to further increase the number of DAB+-capable radio receivers in households and vehicles. The campaign will run from 2019 to 2022 and was launched today on the procurement platform Simap.ch put out to tender. The contract is scheduled to be awarded in fall 2018. The total budget of 5.5 million Swiss francs will be financed from the reception fee and the new radio and television fee to be levied from 2019.

After the start of the actual FM switch-off phase, the campaign will focus on informing and advising the audience and other stakeholders involved. In addition, the contractor is expected to establish a competence center for DAB+. The campaign is based on Article 58 of the Radio and Television Act (RTVA). This provides that OFCOM may cooperate with external companies to inform the public about new technologies in the field of electronic media. The first information campaign under the leitmotif "Radio moves" will be carried out by the Republica agency from 2017 to 2018, with a budget of four million Swiss francs. The campaign is helping to ensure that 80 percent of Swiss people are now aware of DAB as a distribution channel for radio.

Coordinated action of the radio industry

The information campaign is being carried out in close cooperation with the radio industry, which is also supporting it in its own programs and with free advertising customers. The radio industry plans to abandon analog radio broadcasting via FM in a coordinated manner in the coming years and to use DAB+ as the main broadcasting technology instead. DAB+ allows stable, clear reception in high quality. In addition, broadcasters can supplement their radio programs with additional information (e.g., texts and graphics). The frequencies are also used more efficiently and allow more programs to be broadcast in larger broadcast areas. Between 2013 and 2014, representatives of the SRG, associations of private and non-commercial radio stations, and OFCOM had developed a joint strategy with regard to the migration from FM to DAB+ by 2024 at the latest. The working group handed over the corresponding final report AG DigiMig to the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) in December 2014. The working group will determine the definitive FM switch-off date by the beginning of 2019 at the latest and then announce it.