Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced today that it has joined Radio Ready, a global coalition dedicated to safeguarding radio’s prominence in the connected car dashboard.
NAB’s addition significantly strengthens Radio Ready’s presence across North America and the United States, bringing the leading advocate for America’s broadcast industry into the growing international coalition working to keep radio front and center for drivers.
While radio remains the undisputed top choice for in-car audio, the modern dashboard is changing fast. New technology in vehicles has made finding free, local radio harder than ever.
Radio Ready was launched as a unified global response to this shift. The initiative brings broadcasters together to ensure AM/FM and digital radio remain prominent, accessible and easy to use in connected vehicles, while giving the industry a powerful, collective voice when negotiating with automakers, tech platforms and policymakers.
NAB’s addition marks the first time a U.S.-based industry organization has joined the campaign, bringing American leadership to a global effort that already includes major broadcasters across Europe, Africa and Australia.
“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,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “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.”
"Radio Ready is our industry’s unified response to a defining shift in how audiences access audio,” said Bauer Media Audio Senior Vice President of Digital Tobias Nielson. “As connected cars become more complex, the challenge is keeping radio visible and discoverable. Welcoming NAB brings the voice of the U.S. 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.”
"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,” said European Broadcasting Union Head of Radio Wouter Quartier. “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."
Radio Ready is a global, industry-wide campaign co-chaired by Bauer Media Group and Swedish Radio/EBU. It brings together broadcasters, industry bodies and partners to ensure broadcast radio remains accessible, prominent and discoverable in connected cars, protecting its role as a trusted, free and universal in-car audio service.
The National Association of Broadcasters advocates for policies and technological innovations that empower America’s local television and radio stations to serve every community with trusted journalism, vital emergency information and the sports and entertainment that bring Americans together. Learn more at nab.org.
###