Regional radio reorganized: these are the changes starting September 1, 2025

Starting September 1, 2025, the regional radio landscape in the Netherlands will change. Due to the auction of non-national commercial FM and DAB+ frequencies, radio stations and their broadcast areas have been reorganized.

The number of FM lots has been halved from 54 to 27, now better aligned with the digital DAB+ layout. This leads to more efficient and broader coverage. Ten parties have received new licenses, valid until 2035. Among them are both familiar and new names, such as GLXY Radio (hip hop, Randstad), Simone FM (now in six provinces), Grand Prix Radio (South Holland), and Sunrise FM.

A key change is that national radio brands are no longer allowed to use regional FM frequencies. As a result, stations like Radio 10 Brabant and Qmusic Limburg will disappear from the airwaves in those regions.

These changes create new advertising opportunities and broader digital coverage via DAB+.