In recent months, the debate on the future of terrestrial broadcasting (whether television or radio) has shifted from theoretical considerations by experts directly to discussions between regulators and individual media houses. Today's text therefore follows on from last week's article, which dealt with the unprecedented challenges facing public service media in Europe.
This transformation is closely linked to the technological infrastructure that has formed the backbone of information and culture for decades – digital terrestrial television (DTT) or analogue FM distribution. Whereas the antenna was once a symbol of stability and universal accessibility, in 2026 it has become the subject of complex strategic manoeuvring over frequency bands and economic efficiency. Pressure to free up spectrum for next-generation mobile networks and the meteoric rise of IP platforms are presenting European regulators with a fundamental dilemma.
Terrestrial TV continues in the UK. But what about FM broadcasting?
As part of its cost-cutting strategy, the British BBC is facing the need to radically transform its operating costs, which is leading to pressure to move more quickly to digital platforms. In 2026, Director-General Tim Davie emphasises that the organisation must move towards a "digital-first" model in order to compete with global technology giants. This process involves painful cuts in traditional linear services and job reductions, with the freed-up resources to be reinvested in content for the iPlayer platform and the development of data analytics, which is key to survival in the modern media environment.
While the end of terrestrial reception is still only being debated in the television sector, there has been a major strategic shift in the area of VHF (FM) radio broadcasting. After a thorough review, the British government has decided that analogue radio will remain in place until at least 2032. This decision is based on the fact that FM broadcasting is still used by approximately one-third of listeners and, for many, especially older citizens or drivers of older cars, it is a critically important and reliable source of information. In practice, the abandonment of analogue radio could happen faster than terrestrial broadcasting, which has already been digitised.
Germany and the future of FM broadcasting
In Germany, the debate about the possible end of analogue radio broadcasting on VHF (FM) waves reignited in 2026. While some federal states and media regulators are pushing for a fixed switch-off date to speed up the transition to the more modern DAB digital standard , the German government is cautious about this step. The main argument for retaining analogue broadcasting remains the fact that millions of older receivers and car radios still rely on FM waves, and premature termination of broadcasting could lead to a significant reduction in the availability of information for part of the population.
The situation is also complicated by the lack of unity among radio stations themselves. While public broadcasters see DAB as a way to save money and make technological progress, many private regional stations fear losing listeners and incurring high costs for technological upgrades. The discussion is therefore not only focused on technical parameters, but above all on the social and economic impacts that the forced switch-off of analogue signals would have at a time when the media market is under strong pressure from internet competition.
The end of terrestrial TV in France within ten years?
Another crack in the future of traditional antenna reception was caused in February 2026 by Canal Group CEO Maxime Saada, who made an uncompromising prediction for French terrestrial TV during a Senate hearing. According to him, this platform is on the verge of inevitable extinction and will become history within ten years. Saada sees this development as a natural consequence of the "platformisation" of the media, with television stations effectively turning into digital applications.
This radical stance is closely linked to the current conflicts between broadcasters and regulators, which are only accelerating the shift away from traditional forms of distribution. Saada sees the decision by French regulator Arcom not to renew licences for some key channels in terrestrial networks as a catalyst for the end of an era. Canal+, which is also active in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, had previously announced the withdrawal of its pay-TV channels from terrestrial broadcasting, clearly declaring that it sees the future exclusively in the internet environment.
Commercial TV in Slovakia has left terrestrial TV
The Slovak television market serves as a prime example of how quickly free terrestrial broadcasting can erode when key commercial players prioritise distribution revenues over universal accessibility. The process of weakening the DTT platform was started years ago by the Markíza group, which left free-to-air broadcasting. This move sparked a wave of discontent among viewers accustomed to free reception, but at the same time it showed a new way to monetise content.
Since 2026, the Joj group has definitively joined this trend, and its departure from free terrestrial broadcasting to a pay-TV model has dealt another significant blow to Slovak terrestrial television. Whereas previously an antenna was synonymous with free access to the most-watched stations, today's Slovak viewers must rely primarily on the public broadcaster STVR and a few smaller channels for free DTT offerings. This development is effectively pushing viewers towards IPTV and satellite services. Although this brings operators more stable revenues, it also widens the information gap for low-income segments of the population.
Czechia plans to release new frequencies
The Czech Telecommunications Office (ČTÚ) symbolises the role of a stabiliser, which in 2026 will focus on the evolutionary development of the existing platform instead of radical cuts. The key document remains the Radio Spectrum Management Strategy, which guarantees the preservation of the UHF band for television broadcasting even after 2030, sending a clear signal from Czechia about its support for free reception, on which more than half of households still rely. The Office is finalising processes for the development of networks 25 and 26, which are intended, among other things, to strengthen regional broadcasting.
Despite this stability, however, the CTU is closely monitoring the changing dynamics of the market, where IPTV and cable distribution are beginning to prevail over traditional antennae. The regulator thus finds itself in a similar situation to its European partners, albeit with a different time frame: it must balance the protection of viewers for whom terrestrial broadcasting is a social necessity with the growing demands of mobile operators for the release of additional frequencies. The Czech approach therefore does not (yet) consist of planning a "big switch-off", but of searching for a hybrid model.
Source: mediaguru.cz