NAB's Automotive Initiative committee was formed with the goals of establishing relationships between broadcasters and the automotive industry, publicizing the value to consumers of free over-the-air (OTA) radio, promoting the continued prominent dashboard positioning of AM and FM receivers, and ensuring that OTA radio remains a free service in vehicles without charge to listeners. Working with NAB staff and other NAB committees, the Auto Initiative committee has developed a number of resources for broadcasters which are described below.
This document summarizes the attributes unique to over-the-air (OTA) radio broadcasting that make it a core component of a vehicle’s infotainment system, and offers a set of guiding principles for functionality of hybrid (OTA plus internet connectivity) radio devices.
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Updated in October 2023 and significantly expanded from earlier versions, this is a 46-page document which provides a comprehensive look at the current state of broadcaster use of "metadata” and offers specific ideas to radio station managers and engineers on how to provide a compelling and competitive digital dashboard experience for consumers. Digital dashboard “audits" for a number of markets, including Grand Rapids, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Little Rock are presented as evidence that more broadcasters need to get on board the “metadata bandwagon.”
Download ReportThis is a six-page document that summarizes, for radio station programming and engineering departments, key steps broadcasters can take that when followed, should result in a dashboard appearance that is useful and pleasing to listeners, and will support a more consistent user experience across the radio dial. New for the 2023 update is a glossary of “rich content” features that explains the various metadata elements that radio broadcasters should be aware of and support.
Download SummaryThe intent of a dashboard audit is to determine how radio stations are presented in cars with HD Radio receivers as well as in cars that have analog receivers with Radio Data System (RDS) capability. Because so much broadcast listening takes place in cars, and because automotive is radio’s #1 revenue category, the goal is for every radio station in markets big and small to present well in cars. This web page is designed to provide “how-to” information for radio stations to conduct a dashboard audit, including a consistent scoring system to measure a station’s performance and to provide a benchmark that can help establish whether the goals for improving the dashboard experience are met.
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Radio's Future in the Car: Best Practices for the Digital Dash, a webcast which took place in 2017, is as relevant today as it was back then. The webcast focuses on the digital dash and how radio professionals can optimize the in-car presence of their stations. Fred Jacobs revealed key findings from an NAB study on the topic and discusses actionable strategies for success. Our panel then discussed the actionable steps they have taken to implement these best practices at their stations.
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