The date of termination of commercial AM broadcasts in Japan
Proposed silent period December 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026.
CRT Tochigi Hoso: December 1, 2025.
– CRT will also terminate other two relays on December 1, 2025. It means a withdrawal from AM.
IBS Lucky FM, Ibaraki: December 1, 2025.
RNB Nankai Hoso: power reduction from December 1, 2025. From February 10, 2026 off.
– The rest of two relays also terminate transmission from December 1, 2025. RNB also will withdraw from AM.
JRT Shikoku Hoso: power reduction from January 26, 2026. From March 23, 2026 off.
– Three relays of JRT will terminate its transmission from December 8, 2025.
RAB Aomori Hoso: February 1, 2026.
– All five relays will terminate transmissions from February 8, 2026.
YBS Yamanashi Hoso: March 1, 2026.
– YBS also terminates othe two relays and withdraws from AM de facto from March 1, 2026. YBS already refuses all reception reports today and returns them without opening the envelope.
FBS Radio Fukushima: March 16, 2026.
– Two relays of FBC continues till September 30, 2026. After that AM will be terminated.
AM Broadcast extended till September 30, 2026:
IBC Iwate Hoso
BSN Niigata Hoso
MRO Hokuriku Hoso
KRY Yamaguchi Hoso
RKB Mainichi Hoso
KBC Kyushu Asahi Hoso
NBC Nagasaki Hoso
RKK Kumamoto Hoso
MBC Minami-Nihon Hoso
Source: Hitoshi Sugio, Japan; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications:
https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_seisaku/ictseisaku/housou_suishin/am_station.html
Private AM radio broadcasters are considering switching to FM or discontinuing their AM stations due to reasons such as the difficulty of bearing the costs of maintaining AM radio broadcasts.
The suspension of AM radio broadcasting is made at the business discretion of private AM radio broadcasters in order to examine the impact of suspending an AM station, which has a heavy operating burden, for a certain period of time and switching to an FM station, which has a lighter burden, when considering switching to FM or discontinuing an AM station.
Not all AM radio broadcasts will be suspended. Thirteen broadcasters and 34 AM stations have suspended AM radio broadcasts since February 1, 2024. The suspension period has been extended from the originally scheduled January 31, 2025, to September 30, 2026, in order to consider coverage by internet streaming services.
Additionally, between December 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026, AM radio broadcasters that have been subject to the second round of special measures (applicable from September 1, 2025, to October 31, 2026) will be gradually suspended. For a list of private AM radio broadcasters that plan to suspend broadcasts, please click here.
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