WorldDAB calls for the survival of car radio

The Spanish capital has welcomed WorldDAB Automotive 2025, an event that has been brought together under the impulse of RTVE more than 200 broadcast and automotive industry executives from around the world to chart the future of radio.

The opening session featured prominent voices from the European scene, such as Edita Kudláčová, director of EBU radio, who has defended the emotional and functional value of the radio: "The radio has always been our companion in the car. I can't imagine what could fill that void. We must continue to innovate, together, to adapt its distribution to the connected world in which we live." On the other hand, Tobias Nielsen, Senior Vice President of Digital at Bauer Media Group, has insisted on the need to ensure that the radio remains accessible, visible and easy to find in the cars of the future.

The president of WorldDAB, Jacqueline Bierhorst, moderated the session and emphasized that the DAB+ standard represents the key to the digital future of broadcast radio: "It is a model that allows broadcasters to maintain control of their own distribution and balance competition with the technological giants on the dashboard. I am glad that both public and private stations are united in this clear message." For its part, Stefan Moller, president of the Association of European Radios (AERC), has underlined the security dimension of keeping the radio in the car: “We must work together as an industry and collaborate with manufacturers to ensure the presence of the radio.”

In this way, public and private radio broadcasters have launched a joint message: terrestrial sound broadcasting must maintain its prominence in the automotive digital ecosystem. In addition, they have analyzed the future of radio in vehicles, where its visibility and accessibility is seen increasingly threatened.

Spain, at WorldDAB Automotive 2025

Among the Spanish voices that have participated in the event, that of Matias Gonzalez, Secretary General of Telecommunications and Organization of Audiovisual Communication Services, who showed the interest of the Spanish Administration with respect to the digitalization of terrestrial sound broadcasting and has announced that bilateral consultations are already being carried out with different actors in the sector. In that same line, Javier Sanchez, director of the Audiovisual Policy and Public Service Area of RTVE, has expressed the Corporation's full willingness to lead the deployment of digital radio in Spain, a strategic element in the defense of radio, with high coverage and ASA (DAB+ Automatic Security Alert).

Besides, James Pujol, responsible for Strategic Growth Opportunities at Cellnex Telecom, has highlighted the role of terrestrial broadcasting networks and strategic infrastructures for sovereignty and communicative resilience, essential in situations such as floods or the recent blackout.

RNE hosts WorldDAB board meeting

Coinciding with the celebration of Automotive 2025, the WorldDAB board of directors has met at the Casa de la Radio, headquarters of Radio Nacional de España. The choice of Madrid as the venue for the event underlines the relevance of Spain as one of the most important radio markets in Europe. At the moment RTVE, in collaboration with Cellnex Telecom, emits National Radio, Classical Radio, Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 5 on DAB/DAB+ in 15 Spanish cities.

WorldDAB has 109 organizations members who bring together more than 1,500 experts on digital radio 40 countries from all over the world. It is made up of public and commercial broadcasters, regulators, broadcast network operators and manufacturers of receivers, semiconductors, professional equipment and automobiles. WorldDAB member public broadcasters include BBC, Rai, Radio France, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Deutschlandradio, Czech Radio, Radio Romania (ROR), RTV Slovenija, SRG SSR or one's own RTVE, among others.