90% of Aussie car buyers say a radio should come standard in every vehicle
Radio continues to be the in-car entertainment source of choice according to a new international study released by Edison Research commissioned by WorldDAB in partnership with Commercial Radio Australia (CRA).1,044 recent and prospective Australian car buyers were surveyed and almost all (90%) stated that a radio should be standard equipment in every car.
The survey also revealed that prospective Aussie car buyers valued having a radio tuner as one of the most important standard features expected in their next car at 86%, alongside USB ports (87%) and Bluetooth connectivity (88%) which are well ahead of smartphone mirroring technology Android Auto (66%) and Apple CarPlay (60%).
When survey participants were also asked about their most desired added-value in-car radio features, the ability to search for a radio station using voice controls was the most popular choice at 56% followed by the inclusion of extra displayed information on the content at 51%. CRA Chief Executive Officer Joan Warner said the research was overwhelmingly conclusive that radio was the dominant audio choice of Australian drivers and positive consumer sentiment about the role of broadcast radio in the car remains strong.
“Despite an increase in other audio options, Australians still love to listen to the radio in the car. Listening to local news and entertainment delivered free to air by local voices is an essential in-car feature for Australian drivers,” she said.
“The ability for drivers to receive up-to-date local community news and information via free to air broadcast radio in the car, particularly in the case of emergency, also came through strongly in the research. Australian drivers want to be connected to what is happening in their community.”
Consumption of radio remains very high among Australian car buyers with 85% saying they have listened to it in the last week, and 68% saying they listen at least once per day. 63% of total respondents say they listen to broadcast radio in the car frequently versus 24% who prefer online streaming music services and 14% who still love playing CDs.
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