EBU lobbies EU to mandate terrestrial radio receivers in all new vehicles

Mandating terrestrial hardware ensures that public service media remains a resilient 'lifeline' during network failures and protects broadcasters from the gatekeeping power of automotive software platforms. While 19 European countries have high digital radio adoption, the shift toward software-defined cockpits has led some OEMs to test models without dedicated broadcast tuners. For the streaming industry, this highlights a friction point between ubiquitous IP-delivery and the demand for robust, free-to-air emergency infrastructure. Monitoring the finalized Digital Networks Act text in late 2027 will be critical for determining whether broadcast radio retains its protected status on the dashboard.

The European Commission's proposal for the Digital Networks Act (DNA), introduced in January 2026, seeks to consolidate existing telecom laws, including the 2018 Electronic Communications Code (EECC). Per CMS Law and EU Today in January 2026, the DNA aims to create a more centralized regulatory framework to reduce national fragmentation and encourage long-term investment in advanced fiber and 5G networks. While the current draft focuses heavily on spectrum licensing and copper network phase-outs by 2035, broadcasters are increasingly concerned that the focus on 'digital-first' infrastructure overlooks the resilience of terrestrial radio. In May 2026, a coalition of Belgian broadcast organizations echoed the EBU’s concerns, warning that car manufacturers are already using the EECC’s lack of a hardware mandate to cut costs by substituting terrestrial tuners with IP-based apps. This regulatory push in Europe mirrors intense legislative activity in the United States. According to Radio World and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in May 2026, the 'AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act' has gained significant bipartisan support and was recently bundled into a major five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill called the 'Build America 250 Act.' Much like their European counterparts, U.S. lawmakers and emergency officials, including FEMA, argue that broadcast radio is an essential public safety tool that must remain standard equipment as automakers transition to electric vehicles. Meanwhile, market data from WorldDAB in June 2026 indicates that DAB/DAB+ receiver sales have surpassed 166 million units globally, with the standard fitted in nearly all new European cars. However, industry leaders at the WorldDAB Automotive 2026 summit emphasized that simple, free, and universal access remains at risk as dashboards become increasingly dominated by third-party operating systems and data-dependent services.