NAB isn’t just fighting to keep AM tuners in US cars anymore, it’s fighting to keep radio visible on the dashboard around the world. The organization has joined Radio Ready, a global coalition focused on software and discoverability for over-the-air radio.
The entry marks the first time a US-based industry organization has joined the campaign, bringing American leadership into a global effort that already includes major broadcasters across Europe, Africa, and Australia. Radio Ready is co-chaired by Bauer Media Group and Swedish Radio/EBU.
Radio Ink has been tracking this effort since its earliest form.
In February 2024, Sveriges Radio’s Tomas Granryd unveiled “The Playbook,” a three-pronged EBU plan built around the same goals Radio Ready pursues today: keeping radio prominent and accessible, making radio apps easy to find, and ensuring voice assistants reliably surface stations. More broadcasters, including the BBC and Radio France, signed on that July.
Bauer Media Group and the EBU formally relaunched the effort as Radio Ready in June 2025 at WorldDAB Automotive in Madrid. Commercial Radio Australia joined shortly after, and South Africa signed on this past May.
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said, “Radio has long been an essential part of the driving experience, delivering trusted local news, lifesaving emergency information and the entertainment Americans rely on every day. As dashboards evolve, ensuring broadcast radio remains accessible is more important than ever. By joining Radio Ready, NAB looks forward to partnering with broadcasters from across the world to ensure that free, trusted radio remains easy for drivers to find and use in the vehicles of today and tomorrow.”
Bauer Media Audio Senior Vice President of Digital Tobias Nielsen said, “Radio Ready is our industry’s unified response to a defining shift in how audiences access audio. As connected cars become more complex, the challenge is keeping radio visible and discoverable. Welcoming NAB brings the voice of the US broadcast industry into the coalition and significantly strengthens our momentum across the United States. Together, we are reinforcing the global collaboration needed to keep radio front and center in the car.”
European Broadcasting Union Head of Radio Wouter Quartier said, “Radio Ready is about bringing the industry together around a simple and practical goal: radio should remain easy to find and easy to use in the car. To achieve this, we need a strong, clear and common voice that can be used in the dialogue with car manufacturers, platforms and policymakers. NAB joining the initiative is an important step in strengthening that voice globally.”
