Radio Reality Check: Why the Dashboard Is the New Battleground for Radio

“Radio Reality Check – The Dashboard Is Where Radio Competes,” sponsored by Radioplayer, brought together leading voices from across the radio and automotive industries. The discussion featured Rune Hafskjær(Chief Digital Officer, P4 Group Norway), Sarah Harrison (Senior Distribution Manager, BBC), Yann Legarson (CEO, Radioplayer Worldwide), Laurence Harrison (Chief Partnerships Officer, Radioplayer), and Jean-François Labal (Strategic Partnerships and Business Development, Renault Group), offering a comprehensive perspective on how radio must evolve in the connected car environment.

The central message was clear: radio is no longer competing only on air – it is competing inside the car dashboard.

Europe’s Leading Markets and Broadcasters

Data presented by Yann Legarson highlighted the top-performing radio markets in Europe, with Spain ranked as number one, followed by strong performers such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Norway.

These markets are leaders, demonstrating how radio can successfully adapt to the digital dashboard environment. Their performance reflects stronger integration, better user experience, and clearer visibility within connected vehicles.

Similarly, leading broadcasting groups across Europe were identified, with Portugal taking the top position, followed by Italy, Spain, Norway, and Belgium. These broadcasters represent best practice in delivering radio within modern car systems, showing that radio remains highly competitive when executed correctly.

The Core Challenge: Radio Must Catch Up Technologically

Despite strong leaders, the overall picture across Europe reveals a gap. As highlighted during the session: “The problem is that radio is not working in cars. That’s the reality.”

With radio now integrated across more than 40 vehicle brands, the challenge is no longer access – it is quality of experience. The industry must move faster to match the standards set by digital platforms.

What “Radio Done Right” Requires

According to Laurence Harrison, success in the connected car environment depends on five key principles:

• Radio must be native to the dashboard
• It must be prominent and easy to find
• The user experience must be simple and intuitive
• It must be visually rich
• It must create value for listeners, broadcasters, and carmakers
• As he emphasized: “Radio must look as good as it sounds.”

This reflects a fundamental shift – radio is no longer just an audio channel, but a fully integrated digital productcompeting for attention alongside apps, navigation systems, and streaming platforms.

Radioplayer’s partnerships with 17 car manufacturers further reinforce this direction. As noted: “It’s about building radio – now and into the future.”

Carmakers: Radio as a Strategic Touchpoint

From the automotive perspective, Jean-François Labal highlighted that radio remains a universal and strategic feature for drivers, but its role is evolving. “Radio becomes a new touchpoint,” he explained.

To deliver a strong in-car experience, radio must:

• provide high-quality audio
• remain simple and intuitive
• be instantly accessible (via one click or voice control)
• rely on hybrid delivery (combining broadcast and internet)

Importantly, he noted: “Radio should no longer be isolated.” Instead, it must integrate seamlessly into the broader in-car digital ecosystem.

Broadcasters: Strong Content, Strong Demand

From the BBC perspective, Sarah Harrison emphasized that radio continues to play a vital role in people’s daily lives. As a public service broadcaster, the BBC focuses on community, live content, and relevance.

She highlighted a key insight: one in five people in the UK only listen to radio in the car, reinforcing the importance of the dashboard as a primary listening environment.

“There is massive demand for live radio,” she noted – particulary for news, sports, and real-time experiences.

However, discoverability is critical. Even strong brands must ensure they are easy to find and engaging to use within modern car systems.

The Future: Innovation, Data, and Control

Closing the discussion, Rune Hafskjær provided a forward-looking perspective:
“Radio only works if people can receive it.”

With traditional receivers declining, he warned: “The radio receiver is dying.”

To remain competitive, the industry must focus on:

• innovation
• data
• control over distribution and business models

The Radio Reality Check does not suggest that radio is losing relevance. Instead, it shows that the standards are already being set by the best-performing markets and broadcasters.

The real challenge is for the rest of the industry to follow.

Because in today’s environment, success is no longer about being on air – it is about being visible, accessible, and competitive inside the dashboard.