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The Daily Insight

Will FM radio be phased out?

Author

Rachel Newton

Updated on June 07, 2026

Radio stations will be allowed to continue broadcasting via analogue for another decade, the government has said, after several FM and AM commercial radio licences were set to expire from early 2022.

Similarly, it is asked, is FM radio still available?

There are now over 40 BBC and over 250 commercial FM sound broadcasting stations in the United Kingdom.

Furthermore, is analogue radio ending? Analogue radio from a multimedia socket is to be switched off completely in 2019. The switch-off will take place gradually and has already been completed in some areas. The capacities previously used for analogue radio are to be used for a faster Internet connection.

Furthermore, is radio on the decline?

According to Edison Research, AM/FM radio listenership was down 5 percent from 2017 to 2019, when it came to audio sources used most often in the car — while usage of SiriusXM, online platforms like streaming, and podcasts had all increased.

How can I improve FM radio reception?

FM radio signals travel in a wave about 6 feet wide. Extending the antenna rod or wire out fully will give better results. If that rod or wire is at least 3 feet long, all the better! Contrary to popular belief, placing your radio's rod-type antenna vertically usually does NOT improve FM reception.

Related Question Answers

Are DAB Radios better than FM?

DAB radio has the potential to provide listeners with better sound quality than FM radio but in reality the bit rate (the amount of data sent per second; the higher the bit rate the higher the sound quality) of stations is minimised to allow more stations to be broadcast at once.

Is FM radio digital or analog?

Just like television, radio is going digital. Within the next few years, AM and FM radio stations across the country will begin broadcasting a digital signal alongside their current analog signals on the same frequency.

Does digital radio need Internet?

Digital radio versus internet radio

Digital radio is broadcast from a transmission site and does not need an internet connection. Digital radio is free. You simply need to check that digital radio services are available in your area and then buy a digital radio (also called a DAB+ receiver).

How did FM radio start?

FM broadcasting in the United States began in the 1930s at engineer and inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong's experimental station, W2XMN. The use of FM radio has been associated with higher sound quality in music radio.

How is digital radio transmitted?

Digital radio works by turning sound into digital signals for transmission and then decoding them at the other end using digital radio receivers; the result is close-to-CD-quality sound output. The downside is that you either get signal or you don't.

What does DAB FM radio mean?

Digital audio broadcasting

Can digital radio pick up international stations?

In the UK it's not possible to receive DAB or DAB+ radio stations from other countries. The digital radio stations which are available around the country all come from UK transmitters.

Why does DAB radio cut out?

If the sound begins to burble or cut out altogether or you have lost a radio station it is probably due to one of the following: the signal has weakened due to a network fault or there's a problem with your equipment or installation.

Is AM Radio dying?

AM is dying for a lack of listeners. Only 10 to 20 % of all radio listeners listen to it, and that depends upon the locale. It may be less that 10 % in some places. If stations can't get listeners, they cannot get the advertising that keeps them alive.

What age group listens to the radio most?

People aged 15-24 years are more likely to listen during drive time, while people aged 25-39 years and 40-54 years are more likely to listen during breakfast and people aged 55 years and over are more likely to listen in the mid-morning.

Who has the largest radio audience?

Sirius XM Radio has a base of 34.3 million subscribers as of 2020. American Top 40 attracts over 20 million listeners per week.

Popular radio shows in the United States.

Program The Sean Hannity Show
Format Conservative talk
Network Premiere
Broadcast Time PM Drive
Weekly listeners (in millions) 15

Do Millennials listen to the radio?

In fact, Millennials are the generation that listen to AM/FM radio the most. According to Nielsen, nine out of 10 Millennials tune in to radio every week. Radio is and continues to be the centerpiece of audio in America and is essential to any marketing plan to reach Millennials.

Why do radio stations play bad music?

Certain stations have certain demographics to play for, so they'll play the popular music within that demographic. People love to be reminded of popular music they enjoyed. You're listening to the wrong stations.

What percent of radio listening is in the car?

67%: AM/FM's share of audio listening in-car. — Edison Research, “Share of Ear,” Q4 2017, Q1-Q3 2018. Persons 18+, in-car. 84%: The percentage of Americans who still listen to AM/FM in their primary car –– NPR/Edison 2018 Study.

Are radio stations profitable?

Terrestrial radio stations do not charge their listeners for the product they create and distribute. Instead, they make a profit from the ads they sell, the special events they hold, the syndication of their most popular shows and in some cases the special services they can provide to other radio stations.

Who listens to local radio?

According to official figures published by RAJAR5, over 31 million adults listen to local radio each week - 59% of the population.

When did radio plays popularity decline?

By the 1940s, it was a leading international popular entertainment. With the advent of television in the 1950s radio drama began losing its audience. However, it remains popular in much of the world.

When did DAB radio start in cars?

The DAB standard was initiated as a European research project in the 1980s. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) launched the first DAB channel in the world on 1 June 1995 (NRK Klassisk), and the BBC and Swedish Radio (SR) launched their first DAB digital radio broadcasts on 27 September 1995.

How do I fix poor FM radio reception?

Try outdoor antennas.
  1. Make sure it is outdoors, roof mounted, or in the attic.
  2. Most roof antennas will give you radio reception similar to a car radio, or often better.
  3. Try repurposing a TV antenna you already have; use an FM splitter to use it on your radio.
  4. Consider an omnidirectional radio antenna.

What is the best FM radio antenna?

Our Top 15 Best Indoor FM Antennas Reviews
  1. Menkey FM Dipole Antenna.
  2. Ancable Telescopic 75-Ohm Indoor FM Antenna.
  3. RTL-SDR Blog V3 Dipole Antenna Kit.
  4. TERK Omni-Directional FM Antenna for Indoor Use.
  5. TERK Amplified AM/FM Indoor Antenna.
  6. Ancable FM Antenna.
  7. Bingfu Magnetic Base FM Antenna.

Does aluminum foil improve radio reception?

Member. Generally, it won't help anything and may actually hurt your reception. It does depend on a couple things though, mainly the antenna itself and the frequency you are trying to recieve. Putting foil on the end of the antenna will in effect make the antenna longer.

Do FM antenna boosters work?

The simple answer is that an antenna booster will improve your reception if it's due to a weak signal. Although you can't “boost” the signal that the radio station puts out, you can increase the gain after your antenna has already picked it up, and depending on your specific situation, that may just do the trick.

Does putting aluminum foil on antenna help?

Wrap your TV antenna in tin foil. Wrapping aluminum foil around your antenna will basically increase the surface area and conductivity of the antenna to boost the signal that your TV receives from it.