Broadcasters’ association wants government to mandate radio receivers in cars, manufacturers wary of proposal

The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) is calling on the federal government to force automobile manufacturers to continue to install radio receivers in cars. One manufacturers’ group says government involvement would be an overreach. The proposal was initially made by the OAB at a CRTC hearing in June. The OAB has not made a concerted push on the issue since then. The association is worried that car makers will favour streaming services over terrestrial radio because they get a share of the revenue generated by satellite radio. They do not receive funds from commercial radio stations. Car radios are a lifeline in times of disasters, OAB past president Doug Bingley tells The Wire Report. He says other options do not always work in times of crisis. “When they look at emergency communications they’ll say, ‘hey have a radio in your house, go in your car and use the radio, or you’ll have Alert Ready on your cell phone’,” he states. “And that’s all very well and good in terms of having alerts and emergency information on cell phones on the internet. But, of course, if you have a natural disaster or an act of terrorism or whatever, then the internet goes down, the power goes…” Wireless communication may also be compromised if cell towers are destroyed by natural disasters, he added. Bingley isn’t sure if the CRTC has the jurisdiction to force auto makers to keep the receivers. If it doesn’t, the federal government would have to step in, he suggests. But the head of the Global Automakers of Canada feels the government need not get involved with how cars are made. The group represents 16 car makers from outside North America, such as Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. and Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. President David Adams maintains that market forces will keep radio receivers in automobiles. “I think the reality is that automakers are going to be always responding to the desires of their consumers in terms of content in their vehicle and that sort of thing,” he tells The Wire Report. “I don’t think there’s a clamoring from consumers to eliminate radio receivers in vehicles. I think people are looking for more choice, not less.” Bingley says car radios fill the gap left by people eliminating radios from other parts of their lives. Local radio stations are a rich source of local information, he concludes. “You have to have radio available in times of emergency,” he opines. “It’s in cars, there aren’t as many radios in people’s houses anymore.” Adams thinks concern about the loss of radio receivers is premature. “There have been some instances that manufacturers have looked to eliminate those but as far as I’m aware the intention is keep those receivers in vehicles and there’s no blanket desire across the board to eliminate those,” he offers. ppark@thewirereport.ca

Broadcasters’ association wants government to mandate radio receivers in cars, manufacturers wary of proposal

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By Paul Park
| September 8, 2025

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Broadcasters’ association wants government to mandate radio receivers in cars, manufacturers wary of proposal

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