RIGA, Latvia — Protecting radio’s place in the car, the use of AI in audio production and the future of both commercial and public broadcasting were among the subjects covered at Radiodays Europe 2026, held March 22–24 in Riga, Latvia.
In a keynote address, Clive Dickens, managing partner at The Meliora Company, identified several major industry challenges but said the most important solution is collaboration, including on shared technologies and platforms. He also urged all radio companies to adopt AI, noting that consumers are already ahead, with 50% of adults using it weekly.
EBU Head of Radio Edita Kudlacova and AER President Stefan Möller stressed the importance of radio reception in vehicles, proposing the EU follow up its legislation on DAB+ in cars with a similar rule for FM.
At a session on public service radio, Sveriges Radio CEO Cilla Benkö cited financial pressures on public service budgets across Europe.
“I think most people in public service are used to squeezing their budgets. This has been part of my life in public broadcasting for 40 years — we never have enough funding. But we just learned what we’ll get for the next eight years, which is a thing that commercial media can never know in advance. Money is tight and it will get even tighter in the future,” Benkö said.
Despite challenges including funding pressures, the growth of big tech and difficulty attracting younger listeners, session participants agreed on radio’s core strengths: Its intimacy, authenticity and trustworthiness.
Growth strategies
On the commercial side, Bauer Media Audio UK Managing Director Simon Myciunka said the business model is holding up. “Commercial radio has had a value exchange for many years, with listeners getting free content but with advertising. It’s not going anywhere quickly. But you can get lazy with advertising, making it repetitive and excessive. We need to have better creative content and do additive partnerships,” Myciunka said.
Commercial radio in Latvia holds an 8% share of advertising — nearly double the 5% European average — and accounts for 75% of total radio listening in the country. Radio has also retained a stronger share of the 15–24 age group than in neighboring countries. Representatives from Latvia’s commercial radio sector attributed this to the country’s small size, solid distribution, high credibility and radio’s pivotal role during the liberation period of 1987–1991.
Roberts Levics, former head of digital at EHR until December 2025 and now CEO of Latvia-based SpotWise, described how the EHR radio group evolved from an FM broadcaster into a multimedia enterprise. By expanding into online radio, podcasts, events, social media and out-of-home advertising, the company more than doubled its total reach from 500,000 to 1.2 million Latvians. A profitable new income stream has been producing online radio stations for advertisers.
WorldDAB President Jacqueline Bierhorst presented the latest DAB+ rollout developments, arguing that digital broadcast has become strategically indispensable as countries modernize radio infrastructure. David Fernandez Quijada from South 180 previewed a DAB+ Public Policy Toolbox he produced for WorldDAB, set for publication in May.
Digital gatekeepers
Rune Hafskjær, digital manager at Norway’s P4-gruppen, part of Viaplay Group, criticized certain radio aggregators including TuneIn — which P4-gruppen cut ties with two years ago — pointing to an imbalance of power with companies that control content delivery to smart speakers and other digital devices.
“With all these digital devices we get gatekeepers with their own agendas. They can determine which stations are included and they also sell advertising. We still have the costs while they make the money. The agreements are unbalanced and we don’t get much data out of them,” Hafskjær said.
Steve Jones, CEO of Canada’s Stingray radio group, which acquired TuneIn in December 2024, offered a response later in the day, acknowledging the criticisms but pledging to work with the industry to address them.
“There’s been a lack of dialogue but we’re ready to talk. We want to make it a better platform for radio and I hope that we as a small radio company owning TuneIn can function a bit like Switzerland and build bridges. We want to be part of the success of every radio station,” Jones said.
Next year’s Radiodays Europe will be held March 14–16, 2027, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, hosted by local stations Das Inselradio and Sunshine Radio.
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