In the week leading up to NAB Show 2026, Radio Ink is bringing back our special series of pre-conference conversations with some of radio’s biggest innovators.
Today, we talk with Quu CEO Steve Newberry, whose company has spent years mapping the intersection of radio, the car, and advertising, and will arrive in Las Vegas with a new In-Vehicle Visuals Report and a vision of his own about where radio’s future has to go.
Radio Ink: Quu sits at a very specific intersection of radio, technology, the car, and advertising. When you’re at an event like NAB or Cocktails and Conversation, how has the conversation changed from “what is Quu?” to “how do we link everything at this intersection for the good of all parties?”
Newberry: There is a much greater understanding of the opportunities for radio’s visual displays than there was just a couple of years ago, so our conversations have definitely moved from “what’s Quu” to “what are Quu’s plans for this?”, or “how can we monetize this display idea?”. Awareness was the number one challenge initially, but now we really concentrate on leading different groups together to solve issues.
Radio Ink: With major automakers toying with the idea of eliminating radio in cars, what conversations do you think need to be happening at NAB Show and beyond?
Newberry: I’ve said it for years, and I’ll continue saying it. Free, over-the-air radio is a foundational part of America’s communities and is vital to public safety. The idea of it being discontinued in vehicles is not wanted by consumers and would not be well received. That said, it is not a birthright, and radio has to continue to demonstrate value and not rest on, “what we did”! Let’s find solutions good for everyone – especially the consumer/listener.
Radio Ink: NAB 2026’s BEIT Conference has sessions specifically focused on connected car platforms and digital audio workflows. What are you most hoping to see on that floor, and what are you most worried you’ll see?
Newberry: Radio won the battle for the ear, but we now live in a society that is visually addicted. Enhancing great audio with a “visual echo” on the screen is critical to our consumer experience. I hope the session addresses it as a fundamental part of our future, not a nice option.
Radio Ink: Your third annual In-Vehicle Visuals Report, auditing the top 100 best-selling vehicles in the US, is fresh out of the gate. Are you expecting any of these takeaways to lead into larger conversations in Vegas?
Newberry: I believe the percentage of vehicles with MULTIPLE screens showing radio’s information will be quite surprising, and will support my answer to the previous question. Radio’s visual opportunity/necessity is here.
Quu’s 2026 In-Vehicle Visuals Report webinar with Steve, Jacobs Media’s Fred and Paul Jacobs, Xperi’s Joe D’Angelo, and Mike McVay is today, April 15, at 3p ET. Registration is open here.
This year’s Cocktails and Conversation reception during NAB Show is sponsored by Beasley Media Group, Benztown, Quu, Skyview Networks, ENCO Systems, Xperi, vCreative, Radio Ink, and RBR+TVBR.
