MDR switches off 15 FM frequencies – digital radio is now mandatory!

MDR switches off 15 FM frequencies – digital radio is now mandatory!

From today, June 24, 2025, radio enjoyment will continue digitally in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) has begun switching off its FM frequencies. The digital age has finally arrived with the switch to DAB+ (channel 6B). Let’s take a look at what this means for listeners!

A total of 15 MDR transmitters will be switched off. Although the affected frequencies are no longer available for FM reception, alternative frequencies are still available in many regions. This ensures that car radios switch to these new frequencies automatically in most cases. However, you have to be aware that weak reception devices such as kitchen radios or clock radios could have difficulty receiving.

Practical tips for making the switch

For anyone struggling with reception issues, there are a few options. There is the option of adding a ballast to some devices, although retrofitting many older models is not possible. But the MDR advises switching to digital radio if your current devices no longer work smoothly. After all, the future of radio is digital, and more and more listeners are recognizing the benefits!

• Abgestellte Frequenzen:
• MDR Aktuell: Eilenburg (92,4 MHz), Köthen (106,4 MHz), Stadtroda (91,3 MHz)
• MDR Kultur: Markneukirchen (106,4 MHz), Suhl (89,8 MHz), Torgau (93,0 MHz)
• MDR Jump: Bautzen (98,8 MHz), Magdeburg Stadt (103,0 MHz), Suhl (91,1 MHz)
• MDR Sachsen: Markneukirchen (104,8 MHz), Torgau (88,9 MHz)
• MDR Sachsen-Anhalt: Berga (91,1 MHz), Kapaunberg (96,1 MHz)
• MDR Thüringen: Erfurt (94,4 MHz), Suhl (93,7 MHz)

But what does this change mean for listeners? In fact, the DAB+ network is on the rise in Germany - around 90% of the population can now receive it at home. However, only 25% of households have a suitable device, which of course remains exciting from a market perspective. Reports from Deutschlandfunk show that range anxiety is high in the event of a sudden FM shutdown.

A look into the future

The KEF - the commission for determining the financial needs of broadcasters - has increased the pressure because it no longer wants to provide funds for FM broadcasting. Experts agree that there will be no uniform shutdown date; rather, the shutdown will occur gradually. So we have to expect a lot in the coming years: in the worst case, the final shutdown of all FM frequencies could only become a reality after 2029.

And don't forget: From December, all new cars must be equipped with DAB+ technology. This could certainly increase listener numbers and encourage a conscious switch to digital radio! The MDR is happy to take this step in order to meet the demand for savings and to counteract the costs of parallel operation of VHF and DAB+, as MDR reports.

Radio is changing, and with it the habits of listeners - so we are listening to the radio of the future!