FM broadcasting will run at least until 2025 in Saxonia-Anhalt (Germany)

By Michael Nicolai (Radio Corax) –  The Media Committee in the German Federal State Parliament of Saxonia-Anhalt has decided to change the media law in order to retain FM broadcasting at least until 2025.

“Today’s decision ensures that the FM radio in the end of this year will not end up as electronic scrap and that radio will continue to be a popular media, says the vice chairman of the CDU parliamentary group Markus Kurze. If most households use analogue radio then this way of broadcasting must be retained”, he says.

Mark Westhusen, managing director of Radio Corax (one of two community radios in Saxonia-Anhalt), says,” in principle we appreciate the decision of the parliament of Saxonia-Anhalt, but missed the point when they again set a deadline for the disconnection of FM. We are accessible for the digital transmission. But as long as digital transmission is not successful and accepted as FM, the program of community radio has to be transmitted both ways. Furthermore we are convinced that FM has to be preserved for community radio. The prospectively available frequencies should then be given to community radio.”

(Photo: Mark Westhusen, managing director of Radio Corax).