It’s always fascinating for me to understand the topics you want to talk about. Of course, I have my set of hot topics. But from your comments and questions, particularly as I’ve hit the road this year, this AM radio issue continues to be top-of-mind.
And don’t get me wrong – that’s a good thing. In your comments and even in JacoBLOG’s archived posts, I see the activity. Last March, I wrote a post (repeated in December’s “Best Of”) titled “Is AM Radio Walking The Last Mile?” Nearly one year later, it is still racking up page views. I also spoke at the National Religious Broadcasters’ conference last week in Nashville about the “connected car.” While AM radio’s current fate was one of my presentation topics, a number of conversations at the event kept coming back to this topic.
As I’ve noted during this past year as this issue heated up coming out of CES 2023, I have never seen so many diverse broadcasters representing so many different radio communities come together over an important issue. At an event last spring, co-hosted by NASBA (National Alliance of State Broadcasters Association) and the NAB in Washington, D.C., Paul and I organized a series of sessions and panels on the topic.
One that spoke volumes was called “The View From Affected Broadcasters, and included leaders from religious, farming, Hispanic, and Black broadcasting sharing the same stage, making a convincing case for AM radio to maintain its storied presence in all American cars (electric or internal combustion), sedans or SUVs, luxury or economy cars. We also had Manny Centeno, a key player from FEMA, explain AM radio’s critically important role during emergencies, especially when the cell towers go down.
But automotive experts have frequently pointed out how the OEMs (the original equipment manufacturers – in other words, the automakers), don’t just make vehicles for American consumers. Most are focused on other markets, specifically Europe and Asia where AM radio may not have the relevance it does here.
Last week, an article in Radio Ink suggested the issue may be “not dead yet” in Europe – actually, far from it. The story, “Can This EU ‘Playbook’ Ensure Radio’s Future in US Cars, Too?” asks an important question.
In fact, it indicates the AM activism here in America may be influencing what broadcasters in Europe are thinking – and now doing – when it comes to their interaction with automakers. The Radio Ink article tells the story of how the European Broadcasting Union (operators of Euroradio and Eurovision) tapped Sveriges Radio’s (Sweden) Head of Digital Partnerships, Tomas Granryd (pictured below), to attack the problem. He is doing just that with a new project called The Playbook.
Paul and I have known Tomas for several years. I believe we first met at a Radiodays Europe conference, and Tomas attended one of our three DASH events.
When I read his recent blog post, “Radio Across Europe Joining Forces To Fight For Rightful Place In The Car,” it was gratifying to read this familiar idea behind The Playbook:
“(It) is all about collaboration – all parts of the value chain; the car industry, operating system providers, app stores and the radio industry must work together.”
That’s precisely what DASH was all about, in addition to our CES tours, designed to stimulate conversation and collaboration between radio broadcasters and car makers. I’d like to think Tomas saw some of that potential at DASH a decade or so ago here in Detroit.
The 3-phase Playbook breaks down the relationship between radio and automotive logically.
The first phase sets its sights on traditional broadcast radio, ensuring OTA content remains present and highly visible in European dashboards. In exchange, broadcasters pledge to provide quality, reliable content, as well as accurate metadata.
This last point has become a major initiative of Steve Newberry, first in his executive role at NAB, and now as CEO of Quu. Paul and I were tasked to audit three American radio markets (Grand Rapids, Philadelphia, Charlotte) back in 2017 for NAB, uncovering a “laundry list” of items on radio’s metadata to-do list.
The end product was “Best Practices For Digital Dashboards.” It was updated by NAB in 2021 and again in 2023, and is available to any interested party, whether a member of the association or not. It was co-written by Paul, me, and engineering maven Glynn Walden. I highly recommend any and
every U.S. broadcaster take the time to download, read, and utilize it. Access it here.
The Playbook’s second automotive priority is a focus on Internet content – especially mobile apps. It specifies that EV automakers keep radio apps prominent in their dashboards. And in exchange, radio broadcasters need to focus on developing reliable, attractive, and high-functioning apps.
And phase three of The Playbook revolves around the addition of voice in the dashboard, ensuring the OTA tuner is the destination of voice requests of radio stations rather than sending drivers and passengers to apps like TuneIn. And in exchange, broadcasters agree to use “appropriate metadata to make services and content searchable,” ensuring content starts from the correct source.
It is no accident voice is a key part of The Playbook. Tomas’ previous position at Sveriges was Head of Voice Platforms. He clearly knows the import of this space, not just for content access but for driver safety.
This EBU initiative seems like a moment in time that behooves American broadcasters to reconnect with their European counterparts to explore dashboard synergies. In
addition to some of the ideas in the playbook, here are some thought starters to make sure both parties seize the moment:
- Conversations between the EBU and NAB/NASBA to begin the process, searching for common goals
- Another audit of American radio (perhaps in the same three markets analyzed in 2017) to assess metadata progress across the radio dial
- A meeting/event at CES 2025 in Las Vegas among the above-mentioned parties
- Panels and sessions at Radiodays North America this spring, including Canadian radio in the conversation
- Another DASH Conference to reunite automakers and radio broadcasters, both of whom are dependent on the other for growth, customer service, and profitability
We have an opportunity more than a decade later to play a game of carpe diem at what has obviously become a defining moment for both industries.
Let’s not miss it this time.
Special thanks to a good friend of both automotive and broadcast radio, Roger Lanctot.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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