3-22-2015
Auto News reports that, while streaming is getting all the buzz, automakers realize that the strength of broadcast media in-dash remains king. This year, about half of new cars sold in the U.S. will include HD Radio, even while CD players disappear from the dashboard. CEO of iBiquity, Robert Struble, which licenses the HD Radio software notes, “Radio’s great strength has always been in the car. That’s still true, even with more and more options.”
With over 2,000 radio stations broadcasting in HD in the U.S., and another 1,500 digital-only stations, HD is gaining dominance in-dash. The number of cars shipping with HD has increased year-over-year roughly 10 percent from 2013. Still, Struble believes that the days of total dominance for radio may have passed. Struble goes on to say, “The days when analog radio had a monopoly on the car are long gone. In the years ahead, he added, “every car will come loaded with digital radio, satellite radio, and a variety of Internet and streaming services. And every car will have a hard drive. That’s just going to be the competitive landscape.”
