Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs teases out the real and “existential” threat to broadcast radio and even the auto industry posed by the digital dash from tech Giants Google and Apple.
Car makers are adjusting to the reality that autonomous driving and car-sharing means fewer people will buy cars in the future so their sales points are centered on dashboard connectivity right now, while radio just hopes to still be in the dash.
He notes J.D. Power ratings for user satisfaction with all manners of dashboard interfaces have fallen, as we’ve reported. That’s what Attracted Apple and Google.
“At DASH this past November, consultant John Ellis was emphatic about the threat posed by both Apple and Google to automakers – and to the radio broadcasting industry,” blogs Jacobs (http://jacobsmediablog.com/2016/01/14/much-ado-about-apple-carplay-and-android-auto/)
“For the former, the danger revolves around the potential loss of branding, data, and even control of their dashboards. For radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto take consumers even further away from being able to easily access their favorite local radio stations.”
RBR+TVBR observation: Having gone to CES for several years, automakers have told me, as well as the Jacobs brothers, radio will remain in the dash for a long time. However where and how it’s accessed is another story as consumers are faced with built-in apps and their associated logos on multiple screens in these advanced “infotainment” systems. Jacob seeks help from the industry to help convince Apple to make radio station apps compatible with CarPlay.
