As European broadcasters join the US in making sure radio remains front and center in automobiles, the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland have joined the European Broadcasting Union in pushing for a deal with automakers known as “The Playbook.”
While US broadcasters specifically focus on maintaining AM radio, the IBI’s concern is that traditional car radios might be replaced by direct online access systems in new vehicles – yet both cases hinge on radio’s importance in an emergency. IBI CEO Michael Kelly told Irish news outlet The Journal, “The radio is a source of news, entertainment, companionship, but also we’ve seen how important it is during emergencies when people tune in to their local station to find out power outages, where are trees down during a storm.”
“We believe the way forward is that radio is retained as an easy-to-access service in every single car. There’s no technical fix needed, car radio technology is a cheap and accessible technology that has been tried and tested for so long now.”
Waterford Local Radio CEO Michael Byrne said, “Our argument for radio in Ireland is that it’s free, always has been free and should always be free. To get radio in your car you shouldn’t have to subscribe to a Spotify-like service.” Like in the US, radio continues to be the most utilized audio medium in vehicles across Europe.
Created by Tomas Granryd from Sweden’s Sveriges Radio, “The Playbook” is the EBU’s three-pronged plan for ensuring that traditional and digital radio remains prominent and accessible in vehicle dashboards, enhancing the user experience of radio apps, and integrating voice commands for radio in cars.
Prominent broadcasters like the BBC and Radio France have endorsed this initiative, with the EBU actively pursuing discussions with major automotive manufacturers, including BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes as well as streaming platforms like Google and Apple.
