Switzerland - Current situation - History
19.01.2008
Two new DAB only channels were introduced on the 3rd of November 2007:
- a 24-hour-news channel by the Schweizer Radio DRS (the German-speaking fraction of the Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse), which is broadcast on DAB in the German-speaking part of Switzerland
- an English radio called World Radio Switzerland, which is broadcast on DAB in the French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland and is produced by SRG and the BBC.
The first channel to be launched exclusively on DAB digital radio, an italian classical channel called Radio Svizzera Classica, had been announced in May.
29.12.2007
A major network ‘overhaul’ was done in the French speaking part of Switzerland at the end of February 2007, which increased coverage of the French speaking population from 60% to 75% with a further increase to 85%. Coverage will further be improved and should reach 100% in Italian-speaking Switzerland and about 90% in German speaking Switzerland. The first channel to be launched exclusively on DAB digital radio was announced in May and two more DAB-only programmes will be launched later in 2007. Commercial radio and media companies in Switzerland are expected to launch their first ensemble in 2008. The number of retailers selling receivers has increased as have the number of receivers in the market. Recent polls also suggest that there is a rapid increase in listeners rising from 3% - 11% in one year with awareness of DAB now almost 80 % of the population.