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“This is urgent. Some manufacturers have already dropped FM”
By James Careless
The leader of WorldDAB described “another strong year of global growth for DAB+” but she cautioned that FM radio reception is disappearing from some car models and called on European legislators to require new cars to have radio.
“DAB+ powers the business of broadcast, and it delivers real value for listeners at home, at work and on the road,” declared WorldDAB President Jacqueline Bierhorst at the WorldDAB Summit 2025.
The one-day event was held on Thursday at DPG Media in Antwerp, Belgium. WorldDAB is a global advocacy group for the DAB+ digital radio standard.
It said Belgium was chosen to host the annual summit due to the populace’s strong interest in DAB+. For instance 32% of digital listening in Flanders is via DAB+ stations.
In her keynote address, Bierhorst said “It has been another strong year of global growth for DAB+. We’ve seen launches and rollouts across many regions.”
This includes the launch of DAB+ in Estonia, an upcoming rollout in Luxembourg and what she called substantial savings enjoyed by Swiss broadcasters after Switzerland’s shutdown of FM in 2024 in favor of DAB+-only broadcasting.
“By the end of 2026, they will have saved around 30 million Swiss francs,” said Bierhorst. “That’s roughly 32 million Euros that would otherwise have come from program budgets.”
She also provided DAB+ progress reports for Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey.
“In total, around one-third of the world’s countries are now engaged with DAB+ in some form. From early planning to full national rollout, DAB+ has clearly become the reference digital broadcast radio system worldwide.”
During her remarks, Bierhost outlined actions WorldDAB is taking to promote DAB+ globally.
“Our steering board has developed a refreshed strategy for WorldDAB looking ahead to 2028 built around three priorities: strengthening the core, expanding frontiers and securing automotive,” she said.
To support this strategy, WorldDAB is working with consultants South 180 to develop a “public policy toolkit” to help governments and regulators grasp what is required for successful DAB+ implementations.
WorldDAB is also commissioning research to determine what listeners expect from car radio in the car, how they use it, and why easy, direct access to broadcast radio matters to them.
According to Bierhorst, WorldDAB has published an updated second edition of its popular ebook, “Establishing DAB+ Digital Broadcast Radio.” The revised version includes expanded sections on the Automatic Safety Alert technology, hybrid radio features and updated country case studies.
She called ASA a powerful new capability for DAB+.
“ASA allows authorities to send life-saving emergency messages to compatible DAB+ receivers quickly, reliably and even when the radio is asleep. ASA-capable receivers are already on the market and they performed strongly in Germany’s National Running Talk in September.
“By this time next year, we expect the first regular ASA service to be on air in Germany. There’s growing interest in ASA from Austria, Switzerland and Estonia.”
Bierhorst said the progress of DAB+ in Europe was boosted when the European Electronic Communications Code required new car radios in the EU to be capable of receiving digital terrestrial radio, including DAB+.
“But this requirement applies only if a radio is installed in the vehicle,” she noted. This is why future “EU legislation should guarantee that broadcast radio is in all new vehicles, not only preserving what we have today but strengthening the framework. And this is urgent. Some manufacturers have already dropped FM.”
She called 2026 a critical year for broadcast radio in the car.
“Our strategy remains clear: Strengthening the core, expanding frontiers and securing automotive. As we move forward to 2026, our mission is to support our members, partners and stakeholders in established and emerging markets, working side by side with local champions, sharing knowledge, creating alignment and helping markets move forward with confidence.”
James Careless
James Careless is an award-winning freelance journalist with experience in radio/TV broadcasting as well as A/V equipment, system design and integration. He has written for Radio World, TV Tech, Systems Contractor News and AV Technology among others. Broadcast credits include CBC Radio, NPR and NBC News. He co-produces/co-hosts the “CDR Radio podcast” and is a two-time winner of the PBI Media Award for Excellence.
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