Static Ahead: Eazy FM and HITZ Thailand Go Dark in 2025

The static that will replace Tero Radio’s four familiar stations on New Year’s Eve tells more than a nostalgic story—it spells out the new economics of Thai media. A once–dominant broadcaster is bowing out, squeezed by shrinking ad budgets, mobile-first listeners and an algorithm-led marketplace that values clicks over FM frequencies.

Quick pulses to keep in mind

• Tero Radio’s 35-year run ends in December; brands such as Eazy FM 102.5 and HITZ Thailand go dark.

• Radio’s ad revenue now claims barely 3 % of Thailand’s entire media pie, according to Media Intelligence Group.

• Digital channels, already larger than TV in some forecasts, will clear ฿59 B next year—26 × the money left for FM.

• Surviving stations are racing to integrate podcasts, DAB+ trials and programmatic audio so that advertisers can still find them.

Farewell to a Familiar Frequency

Bangkok drivers who start the morning with an English-language weather update on Eazy FM 102.5 or an upswept K-pop block on Tofu Pop Radio will need new presets soon. Parent company Tero Radio Co. Ltd. confirmed that all four brands will go off air at year-end, citing "irreversible audience migration" to streaming services. The company’s brief statement was heavy on gratitude—“loyal listeners worldwide,” “incredible staff”—and light on financial detail, but veteran insiders say cumulative losses since the pandemic topped ฿400 M.

Why the Dial Is Quieting: Money, Screens and Algorithms

Several forces converged:

Media spend under pressure – MI Group calculates that corporate Thailand slashed advertising outlays 15 % this year amid lukewarm GDP growth and policy uncertainty. When CFOs reach for scissors, "radio is the first line item," notes agency strategist Nalinee Jongrak.

Digital’s gravity well – Audio audiences are not disappearing; they are discovering Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts and a dozen Thai-language aggregators. Advertisers now track targetable impressions rather than city-wide reach, and digital audio delivers that.

Fragmented measurement – Unlike television’s people meters or Facebook’s dashboards, Thailand’s radio ratings rely on intermittent surveys. "If I cannot prove ROI in near real time, I will not pay for it," says an FMCG media buyer.

The consequence is stark: MI Group sees radio’s pool dropping to ฿2.29 B next year, down 62 % from its 2013 peak.

What It Means for Listeners and DJs

For audiences, the immediate impact is cultural rather than technical; music that shifted dayparts, DJ banter that signaled lunchtime, and traffic updates in bilingual formats will now be found in on-demand playlists or social-media snippets. Behind the microphone, roughly 120 staff—from veteran hosts like Paul Jackson to rookie producers—are navigating severance talks. Some are already teasing independent podcasts; others are fielding offers from streaming platforms hungry for local voices.

The Bigger Picture: Thai Ad Baht Trails the Earbuds

Look beyond radio and the pattern widens:

| Medium | 2025 spend (฿ B) | 2026 forecast (฿ B) || --- | --- | --- || TV | 31.137 | 28.958 || Radio | 2.388 | 2.292 || Print (all) | 0.671 | 0.366 || Digital | 56.279 | 59.092 || Out-of-home | 15.722 | 17.137 |

Even cinema ads, revived by blockbuster releases, will edge up, yet the overarching trend is clear: every traditional channel is losing share, while screens—large or handheld—pull in ever-larger chunks of the corporate baht.

How the Surviving Stations Are Fighting Back

Some FM operators argue that radio is not dying, it is unbundling. Their playbook now includes:

• DAB+ trials championed by กสทช.; digital broadcasts allow multiple sub-channels on existing spectrum and crisper sound inside high-rise condos.

• Streaming simulcasts with ad-insertion tech so brands can geofence spots to, say, Chiang Mai listeners only.

• Branded podcasts—MCOT’s "คิดให้ดัง" series secured a ThaiBev sponsorship that rivals prime-time radio rates.

• AI-generated jingles for SMEs that cannot afford studio sessions; agencies claim upticks in recall scores when slogans are personalized.

What Brands Should Watch

Marketers hunting for ears rather than eyeballs still have options:

Programmatic audio on platforms like Spotify Ad Studio now supports Thai language keyword targeting.

Influencer-voiced reads—leveraging DJs who cross-publish on TikTok—blend the intimacy of radio with social virality.

Hybrid packages that bundle 30-second FM spots with interactive CTV overlays, letting viewers scan a QR code while hearing the same jingle.

The Road Ahead

Tero’s departure feels symbolic, but most analysts stop short of predicting an industry extinction. Instead, they foresee a smaller, tech-integrated radio sector. Stations willing to treat FM as just one node in a multi-platform audio network may yet thrive—especially in provincial markets where mobile data costs still matter.

For Bangkok commuters, though, the day-one change will be unmistakable: rotate the dial, and where a familiar voice used to greet you, silence—or someone else’s stream—will play.