Swiss Miss? FM Radio Fadeout on Schedule For 2023

COLMAR, FRANCE — If there ever was a fairy tale town in Europe, the city of Colmar in France’s Alsace region may be the best example. Its old town, replete with a “little Venice” canal and numerous architectural treasures, is home to some 69,000 residents.

Here, FM radio reception is very good, with no less than 19 stations beaming from Mulhouse, a 40 minute drive to the south.

Travel another 10 minutes and you’ll reach Basel, Switzerland, a city of more than 171,000. Five Swiss FM stations can be heard, in addition to FMs tied to the large SWR regional broadcaster over the Rhine in Germany.

While that may seem small in number, the total number of FMs expected to be on the air in Basel in less than three years is zero.

Welcome to the next nation to not only say goodbye to AM, but also to FM.