This is one in a series about global trends in radio.
Christophe Poulain is co-president of WorldCast Systems. He joined the company in 1999 and has played a key role in its international expansion, including helping establish and develop the company’s U.S. subsidiary to grow business across the Americas. He now leads the company’s global growth and innovation strategy.
Radio World: WorldCast Systems sells into many countries and markets. When you look at the state of radio around the world, what are the most important macro changes in transmission and technology platforms?
Christophe Poulain: The biggest change is that radio is no longer defined by a single transmission path. Broadcasters are managing a hybrid ecosystem: FM remains essential in many markets, DAB+ is growing in others, streaming is now part of every broadcaster’s strategy, and monitoring/NMS platforms are becoming critical to manage quality, uptime and energy efficiency across complex networks.
We also see strong pressure on operational efficiency. Energy consumption, remote management, predictive maintenance and total cost of ownership are now central topics, not secondary ones. Broadcasters want resilient networks, but they also want smarter, greener and more automated infrastructure.
RW: Is digital radio broadcasting expanding? If so, where?
Poulain: Yes, digital radio is expanding, but not uniformly. DAB+ is strongest in Europe, with mature markets such as the U.K., France, Norway, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, and growing interest in other regions. We also see a rising interest in parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. HD Radio is present in the USA, although no other country across the American continent has implemented this technology nationwide.
The key point is that digital radio succeeds where there is alignment between regulators, broadcasters, receiver availability and a clear consumer benefit. Technology alone is not enough; the ecosystem has to be ready.
For instance, in France we also see radio stations concerned about the cost of both FM and DAB+ services. In a period where we face an economic crisis or at least uncertainty about the future, it might slow down digital radio expansion.
RW: We’ve seen instances where a few countries have moved, or tried to move, away from FM broadcasting. Do you feel this trend will accelerate?
Poulain: It might accelerate in some countries, but not everywhere. Norway showed that a national FM switch-off is possible under the right conditions. Switzerland has shown the complexity of transition: public broadcasters moved away from FM, while private and political considerations have kept FM in the discussion.
In the UK, FM was supposed to be switched off in 2017 — and in 2026 we see new investments in the FM infrastructure.
So I do not believe in a single global scenario. In dense, mature DAB+ markets, FM reduction might happen. But in many regions, FM remains extremely efficient, affordable, universal and trusted. For community radio, emerging markets and emergency communication, FM will remain highly relevant for many years. Let’s not forget that AM is also still available in many countries.
RW: Will broadcasting itself still be relevant in the long term? What makes you think so, in the age of proliferating alternative channels?
Poulain: Absolutely. Broadcasting has unique strengths that IP-only platforms cannot fully replace. It is one-to-many, highly resilient and extremely powerful in emergencies. When millions of people need the same information at the same time, broadcast remains unmatched.
The future is not broadcast versus IP. The future is broadcast plus IP. Radio brands will reach audiences through AM, FM, DAB+, apps, smart speakers, cars and connected dashboards. But the broadcast layer remains a strategic asset because it guarantees reach, reliability and direct access to audiences, even when mobile or internet networks are overloaded.
RW: Can you give an example from among your clients of a company doing notable work?
Poulain: We work with several national broadcasters that are investing heavily in network supervision and service continuity. What stands out is not only the technology, but the mindset: They treat the transmission network as a strategic platform, not as a legacy cost center.
They monitor service quality end-to-end, anticipate failures, optimize maintenance and use data to improve both technical performance and listener experience. That is where the industry is going: smarter infrastructure, more automation and better visibility across the entire broadcast chain.
RW: What should radio know about evolving technologies like ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast?
Poulain: Radio should watch these technologies closely, but with realism. ATSC 3.0 and 5G Broadcast confirm a very important idea: The broadcast model still matters. Even the most advanced IP and mobile ecosystems are looking at multicast and broadcast delivery because one-to-many distribution is efficient.
For radio, the lesson is not necessarily that every broadcaster will adopt these standards tomorrow. The lesson is that convergence is happening. Broadcast networks, telecom networks and IP platforms will increasingly interact. Radio must stay involved in those discussions to protect its spectrum, its role in public information and its ability to reach audiences directly.
RW: What else should we know?
Poulain: Radio remains one of the most resilient and adaptable media in the world. The technology is evolving, but the fundamentals remain strong: local connection, immediacy, trust and universal access.
At WorldCast Systems, our role is to help broadcasters navigate that transition. Whether they operate FM, DAB+, audio distribution, monitoring, telemetry or network management systems, they need solutions that are reliable today and ready for tomorrow. That is where we believe the future of radio will be built: hybrid, efficient, resilient and listener-focused.
Read more on this topic in the free ebook “Global Radio Update.”
