An amendment to keep radio in new vehicles

In Italy, broadcast radio could soon enjoy a legal guarantee in new cars. An amendment, numbered 10.013 and relating to article 10-bis of a bill before Parliament, would require every new vehicle placed on the market to be able to receive FM and DAB+ radio signals. It was tabled by the rapporteurs Gianluca Caramanna and Alberto Gusmeroli.

Confindustria Radio Televisioni (CRTV), the association representing Italian radio and TV broadcasters, welcomed the move. It sees it as the concrete outcome of its #RadioInAuto campaign, launched to keep radio in new-generation cars and to protect drivers' free access to radio services.

Radio broadcasting tower on an Italian hillside at sunset, with a road below

The broadcasters' arguments

For Antonio Marano, president of CRTV, the text recognises radio's role as a tool for information, pluralism and public service. The association believes the issue goes beyond the broadcasting sector and concerns the country's general interest. It puts forward several arguments:

  • Accessibility: radio remains an easy medium to use on daily journeys, with wide territorial coverage and continuity of service.
  • Resilience in emergencies: terrestrial broadcasting can keep getting messages through when telecommunication networks and infrastructure are down.
  • Information autonomy: against cyber threats, disinformation and the risks of hybrid warfare, being able to receive radio through in-car systems is presented as a safeguard.

CRTV now hopes Parliament will approve the measure quickly, considering it essential to safeguard pluralism and radio's role as infrastructure of general interest.

Why this debate matters for web radios too

At first glance, an FM and DAB+ reception requirement only affects broadcast stations. Yet the underlying question applies to every audio publisher: who controls access to the listener inside the car? Recent dashboards increasingly look like connected screens whose interface is decided by carmakers and their software partners. The space left for radio, whether it arrives over the air or over the internet, depends on choices largely beyond the stations' control.

For a web radio, several points deserve attention:

  • The car is still a key listening moment: if lawmakers think radio in the car is worth protecting, it is because journeys remain a high point of audio consumption.
  • Streaming is not covered: the amendment only targets FM and DAB+. An online-only station has to rely on built-in apps, smartphone mirroring to the car screen or voice assistants to reach drivers.
  • The resilience argument: when mobile networks fail, internet streams become unreachable. For web radios considering DAB+, this debate strengthens the case for hybrid distribution.

One to watch closely

The Italian initiative is part of a wider movement in which broadcasters are trying to secure their place in ever more connected vehicles. If adopted, the amendment will set a clear rule for cars sold in Italy. For web radio publishers, the message is twofold: work on their availability on connected-car platforms, and keep an eye on DAB+, which could become a guaranteed gateway to listeners behind the wheel.

Source: FM-world