Are We Going to Switch Off FM in Brazil?

We are going through a phase of multiple “deaths” in radio. I am not being repetitive about AM. Analog AM in Brazil is already a zombie, with no capacity for self sustainability. What we are witnessing now is an accelerated phase of decline affecting specific broadcasters. When I refer to “death”, I mean that many FM stations once regarded as traditional and until not long ago considered unbeatable are now being put up for sale. This is symptomatic of a market that has come under intense pressure.

In some cases, it is possible to observe a consolidation process in which a wealthy buyer suddenly appears, often someone who had never previously been involved with radio, and ends up acquiring several stations at once within the same region. These movements do not always seem to follow a clear economic rationale. The impression is that owning FM stations has increasingly become a trophy or an instrument for accessing a large audience, sometimes giving the impression that generating financial returns is not even the primary objective.

In Brazil, this reality has been reinforced by the fact that FM audio remains analog. As a result, it increasingly sounds outdated when compared to the digital listening experience offered by the virtually infinite dial made available by the Internet. Streaming has redefined expectations of audio quality, accessibility, and choice, exposing the technical limitations of traditional broadcasting.

I do not believe there will be a single dominant format to which all other transmissions will be switched off. It is far more likely that any transmission medium capable of proving its efficiency will remain relevant. However, if AM and FM fail to offer digital solutions that are truly portable, easy to consume, and capable of delivering excellent audio quality, they will inevitably lose preference among listeners.

In Brazil, AM is practically a dead band, merely waiting for those who still occupy it to switch off the lights and leave the room. There is a morbid sense that the regulatory authority is simply waiting for the last broadcasters to say goodbye and clear the space. From my perspective, this represents a perfect opportunity. A vacuum that could be filled exclusively by digital AM stations, with no shadow of analog AM, free from sonic chaos, hiss, and interference.

Many of the remaining defenders of analog AM are driven purely by nostalgia and waste time on naive “save AM” campaigns. Outside this small circle, no one truly wants to preserve a band that, in its analog form, cannot even overcome interference from household lighting. These same voices would never be willing to financially support AM stations struggling with high electricity costs. Instead of lamenting the decline, they should be mobilizing to demand the digitalization of the band. The conditions could not be more favorable. The band is largely empty, there is virtually zero room for hybrid transmissions, and the environment is ideal for exclusively digital broadcasting.

If Brazil does not move decisively toward the digitalization of radio broadcasting, streaming will continue to advance rapidly. In that scenario, only very well structured stations will remain on the dial, often absorbing others that have become weakened and lost their ability to survive independently. And it is no coincidence that the stations which do survive and continue to perform well will be precisely those with a very strong presence in streaming.