Flemish government makes plans to phase out FM radio

All Flemish radio stations will have made the switch from analogue broadcast to digital audio broadcast (DAB+) by 2022, according to a concept note presented by media and culture minister Sven Gatz, and approved by the government of Flanders.

Public sector radio stations are due to renew licences in 2018. The three private broadcasters – Nostalgie, Joe FM and Q Music – will have their licences renewed next year for four years to help cover the transition, providing they invest in DAB+, Gatz said. In the meantime, talks will have to take place with digital manufacturers and the car-radio industry.

The switch will happen in stages, said Gatz, and in some quarters has already started; public broadcaster VRT already has test DAB+ broadcasts. No switch-off date for FM has yet been set, but Gatz is known to be aiming for 2022. The final date will depend on how quickly DAB+ gains ground.

Local radio stations will remain on FM, but for the next round of frequency auctions, they will be offered frequency bundles, allowing them to broaden their reach and serve a larger public. The disappearance of the major radio stations from FM will also leave more room for other users, including emergency services, taxis and private security firms.

The main broadcasters welcomed the note. A spokesperson for VRT said the organisation was “more or less ready for the switch, but only when the whole market switches”. Medialaan, which owns Joe FM and Q-Music, said it was “pleased” that the government was going full-out for digital. “The choice of a future-oriented radio policy guarantees the Flemish listener a better quality of radio with more possibilities,” spokesperson Sara Van Cauteren said.