WorldDAB is today launching a campaign with the support of its Automotive User Experience (UX) Group members to encourage broadcasters to use their visual assets to keep digital radio prominent in car dashboards.
The campaign underlines the important role visual information now plays in providing a positive digital radio experience for drivers – 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.
Metadata enables the visual information, text and graphics (e.g. station name and logo, presenter, song title and album artwork) to be displayed on the dashboard while a specific station is playing, as well as the development of a good hybrid radio user experience.
Laurence Harrison, Chairman of the WorldDAB Automotive Working Group, said: “Car manufacturers need the confidence that broadcasters are going to provide metadata, and that in turn will ensure that they prioritise the radio user experience in their cars. As car dashboard screens get even bigger, radio station metadata will be even more important to power a rich user experience. It is vital that broadcasters prioritise metadata for car manufacturers to ensure their station information is clearly and correctly shown on dashboards.”
The campaign is part of WorldDAB’s ongoing work to improve the user experience of digital radio in the car. With the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) directive mandating digital radio in all new car radios across Europe from 21 December 2020, WorldDAB urges broadcasters to prioritise the visual as well as the listening experience of digital radio in the car.
The percentage of new cars fitted with digital radio as standard in the UK is currently 93.9% (SMMT/CAP Q2 2020), and following recent new Government regulations, all radios fitted in new passenger cars in the UK will come with digital radio as standard from 2021.
To find out more contact metadata@worlddab.org