Why Won’t Alexa Play My Local Radio Station?

Asking “why won’t Alexa play my local radio station”? We’ve got all the answers for you!

When Alexa refuses to play either a random or particular local radio station, it could mean multiple things.

In this guide, we’ll do our best to address all of the possible causes of this problem, as well as their appropriate solutions!

Here’s why this problem is happening:

If your Alexa won’t play any local radio stations, it could be due to not enabling the radio skill or an outdated version of Alexa.

The problem could also be location-related, a problem with the Amazon Alexa mobile app, or simply a WiFi problem with your speaker.

Keep reading to learn more about the problem with your Alexa and how to fix it easily!

Why Won’t Alexa Play My Local Radio Stations – Easy Fix!

In this guide below, you’ll review all of the causes preventing your Alexa from playing radio stations in-depth and also learn how to properly address them.

The solutions that’ll come along have been taken from users that have been having the same radio problem with their Alexa.

Let’s jump into the guide and figure out how to fix this problem!

Solution #1 Turn on Alexa’s Radio Skill

If this is your first time getting Alexa to broadcast a local radio station, then you must enable the Radio Skill that’ll allow your Echo Dot to play a variety of radios.

All you have to do is launch the Amazon Alexa app and head to the ‘Skills’ tab, where you must select which radio to enable.

Follow these instructions to turn on Alexa’s radio skill:

Start up the Amazon Alexa app on your device.
Head to “Skills and Games” by pressing on the lines in the upper left corner.
From there, navigate to “Skills and Games” > “Categories”.
Head to “Feature Categories” and scroll sideways.
Gain access to the “Music and Audio” option.
At the top bar, type “Radio”.
Choose radio from the list of available options that’ll appear.

You’ll be able to choose from many radios such as myTuner Radio, Simple Radio, Radio Anchor, My Radio, and Radio Paradise all of which contain many international stations.

Tip: You could check a detailed list of the stations that the radios include, in the following tab.

Solution #2 Play Only Location-Compatible Radios

The radio station that you were thinking was local, is probably not available in your region, if it refuses to be played.

It’s best to search online for the radio station you wish to play and view in which regions it is allowed and could be streamed through WiFi-connected devices.

In that set of thoughts, your next task is to view where the radio station is available!

Use a browser on your mobile device, to view the supported regions of the radio station

You could check your Echo Dot’s location setting in the “Location” tab, accessed through the mobile Amazon app. From there, you could even adjust the physical location of your Alexa.

Alert: Changing your Echo Dot’s location could stop Amazon updates and cause other issues!

Solution #3 Reconnect Alexa To The WiFi

One of the reasons that your Alexa is unable to play a local radio station is due to a faulty or unstable WiFi connection.

The best way to address this problem is to get the speaker reconnected from the router and then connect it again.

Here’s how to reconnect Alexa from your WiFi:

Launch the Amazon Alexa app.
Navigate to the “More” tab.
Press on “Devices” to view your linked Amazon devices.
Locate the problematic speaker that won’t stream radio stations.
Press on the speaker and head to the “WiFi” section.
Choose “Change WiFi” and then “Disconnect from this WiFi Network”.
Reconnect your Alexa to the WiFi again.

If your Echo Dot is still having WiFi issues, it could be due to the network itself.

Below, we’ve listed some easy ways to troubleshoot the functionality of your WiFi and make it more reliable!

How to Reduce WiFi Congestion?

Power Cycle your Router by unplugging it from the power
Disconnect devices from the WiFi that you rarely use
Move your Router’s Transmitting Antennas
Disable any VPN on your WiFi network
Switch to another WiFi or cellular internet

Note: Once you’ve applied all of the steps above, get your Alexa connected to the WiFi again.

Solution #4 Hard Reset your Alexa

Another easy way to target issues with your Echo Dot/Alexa is to perform a Hard Reset on the device.

By hard resetting the speaker, you’ll achieve a power discharge, which could help with both software and hardware issues that have developed with the device.

Here’s how to Hard Reset your Alexa in easy steps:

Shut down your Alexa by holding the Power Button on the top of the device.
Once the speaker has shut down, unplug the Power Cable of the device.
Wait for 5 minutes while the speaker is discharging.
Re-attach the power adapter of Alexa back into the power source.
Wait for your Alexa to turn on by itself after plugging it in.

When you re-attach Alexa’s power cable, the LED underneath the speaker should turn light blue, meaning that the unit is starting up.

Alert: Not keeping Alexa disconnected for at least 5 minutes will prevent it from discharging!

Solution #5 Factory Reset your Echo Dot

Perhaps, a Factory Reset on your Alexa will help address issues with playing local radio stations.

If the problem is related due to a faulty settings configuration of the speaker, it’s best to flush the software of the device back to factory defaults and then attempt to play radios.

Resetting your speaker will clear all related reminders, schedules, and settings!

Here’s how to factory reset your Echo Dot Alexa speaker in easy steps:

Launch the Amazon mobile app.
Navigate to “Devices”.
Press “Echo & Alexa” at the top.
Select the speaker you wish to perform a reset on.
Scroll down to the next tab.
Select “Factory Reset” at the bottom of the page.
Tap on “Confirm” for the reset to start.

Once the reset has been started, stop interacting with the speaker and let it undergo the process.

Alert: Tapping a button on the speaker could cause it to drop the reset.

Alexa Won’t Play Certain Radio Stations – Answered & Fixed!

If you’re having issues with playing certain radio stations on your Alexa, we’ve also got you covered.

Whilst playing random local radio stations is easy, things are a little different when trying to play a particular audio broadcast on your Alexa.

Here’s what to do when you’re unable to play a radio station you wish on your Alexa!

Method #1 Add the Radio to the “Default Music” List

Adding the desired radio station to your Alexa’s “Default Music” list will allow for easy access!

Follow these steps to include the desired radio station in the following list:

In the Alexa app, tap the “More” button.
Press Settings in the next tab.
After that, choose “Music & Podcasts”.
Select the “Default Services” icon.
Choose “Change”.
Scroll down and select which radio station to add to the list.

Note: Once the service is added, telling Alexa to “play something” will start the radio.

Method #2 Correct your Voice Command

When telling your Alexa to play a specific radio, your voice command must also be specific!

Simply telling Alexa to “play some music” or “play a radio” is not enough to give Alexa an idea of what broadcast you particularly want.

For Alexa to play a specific radio, say “Alexa, ask Radioplayer to play (Radio name)”

The receiver inside of your Alexa that works with radio stations is named “Radioplayer” and you must

tell Alexa to “ask it” for the particular broadcast. If the radio station is available, the radio player should grant your Alexa access to start the audio broadcast.

Note: Also make sure you’re pronouncing the voice command loud and clear to your Alexa.

Method #3 Wait for the Radio to Become Available

Sometimes playing a particular radio may not be possible, due to maintenance or an outage.

This often happens when the wireless broadcast of the radio has been interrupted due to difficult weather or there is ongoing maintenance of the equipment at the headquarters.

Either way, you could check online if the radio is available at the current time.

Waiting for an hour or so usually gets the problem resolved, since if the particular radio has been interrupted due to maintenance, it’ll be brought back online soon.

Note: On the official website of the radio, maintenance is given as alerts and is scheduled.

Quick Recap:

Thus, the answer to “why won’t Alexa play my local radio station” is an issue with the Amazon Alexa app, improper skill management, or a WiFi connectivity problem.

The issue could also be related to temporal radio outages or improper voice commands.

Kevin Wood

Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.