The car dashboard continues to be a battlefield upon which radio fights to survive. Automakers consider the cost efficiency of removing it, with an eye on drivers bringing their personal audio onto the dashboard. Dashboard technology supports those drivers with touchscreens, apps, and smartphone integration.
Enter research authority Nielsen with a consumer study sponsored by iHeartMedia. It’s called “Tuned In: Why Removing AM/FM Radio Is a Multi-Billion Dollar Gamble for Automakers.”
The goal is to measure demand for traditional car radio and AM/FM listening on the dashboard. The result is characterized by Nielsen as “The Undeniable Demand: A “Must-Have Feature.” (Survey results HERE.)
Two major survey conclusions catch our eye:
- Around half of all respondents stated they would outright refuse to purchase a vehicle that lacks an AM/FM radio.
- Over 7 in 10 consumers view AM/FM radio as an essential feature that should come standard as basic equipment in all new vehicles.
The report cites the 2026 Share of Ear study produced by Edison Research, where it is shown that radio accounts for 55% of all audio time spent in the car, while streaming takes 16%. (A gaggle of audio types and sources comprise the remaining time.)
There is an interesting breakout of the consumer cohort which would not purchase a vehicle lacking AM/FM radio, as illustrated below.
We notice with interest the gender skew to females. And, predictably, to seniors.
Nielsen dug deeper into driver sentiment by asking drivers to rank the importance of four in-car entertainment options. The graphic below reports that smartphone integration is substantially more important than AM/FM radio. Satellite (SiriusXM) drops down substantially and predictably — it is a brand option, not a generic one.
The age factor in purchase refusal is reinforced by age, with the 55+ survey cohort, though we are not given an exact figure for that.
Nielsen boils down these learnings like this: “Innovation should add to the dashboard, not strip away what drivers already value. Keeping standard AM/FM radio in the vehicle isn’t just about preserving tradition. It may also help preserve brand equity and sales.”
