Digital radio advocate WorldDAB will be at the IBC show with their pitch for including radio receivers in all new cars. They’ll be discussing the matter at an event, “Broadcast Radio’s Moment: Resilient, Relevant, Irreplaceable,” on Sept. 13, 14:30–16:00 in Room E102.
The group will be joined by Broadcast Networks Europe, a group of NGOs, including WorldDAB, involved in broadcast policies across almost 20 countries in Europe.
According to a release from WorldDAB, “While the current rules have been largely effective in ensuring digital terrestrial radio capability in new vehicles, recent market developments indicate that the framework needs to be strengthened. WorldDAB and BNE believe the act [the as-of-yet unapproved Digital Networks Act] provides an important opportunity to future-proof this by safeguarding the continued presence of broadcast radio receivers in all new vehicles placed on the EU market.”
The announcement added, “The policy case is strongly supported by consumer behavior. International research presented by WorldDAB in June, based on 8,000 recent car buyers across Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., found that 83% listen to radio in the car and 50% use it more than any other audio source, compared with 20% who primarily use streaming services. Some 62% regard radio as a ‘must-have’ vehicle feature and 85% say they would miss it if it were unavailable.”
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