Lest you had any doubt, the “visual experience” that consumers get from radio in their car dashboards is of growing importance.
Now WorldDAB has launched a campaign to encourage broadcasters to use visual assets to keep digital radio prominent there. It’ll certainly be of interest to European broadcasters given the European Electronic Communications Code directive that mandates digital radio in new car radios across Europe starting this December.
[Read: Broadcasters Must Be at the Heart of Radio’s Dashboard Development]
“The campaign underlines the important role visual information now plays in providing a positive digital radio experience for drivers,” the group stated, “and it offers guidance to broadcasters on how to use information they already have in the form of metadata to provide a richer experience for the driver.”
The organization is providing an animated video, an information sheet for managers and other resources.
WorldDAB is an industry forum that promotes DAB digital radio; its dedicated Automotive User Experience (UX) Group is involved in this campaign. It noted that metadata enables visual information, text and graphics including station name and logo, air talent name, song title and album artwork to be displayed.
It said metadata also is taking on increasing importance as hybrid radio — meaning OTA radio plus streamed versions of the same content, working in-sync — becomes more common.
The chairman of the WorldDAB Automotive Working Group is Laurence Harrison; he is quoted in the announcement saying car manufacturers need confidence that broadcasters will provide metadata. “That in turn will ensure that they prioritize the radio user experience in their cars.”
He added that as screens in cars get even better, metadata and visual components become even more important.
