The survey, commissioned by WorldDAB, interviewed 6,287 people who had recently purchased or leased a new car, or plan to do so in the near future. Interviews were done in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Results show that almost all—around 89 percent say broadcast radio (AM/FM) should be standard equipment in every car. It’s a trend that’s consistent across age groups, indicating strong demand not just with current, but even with future buyers.

The survey also reveals that the availability of radio has a major impact on consumers’ vehicle purchasing decisions: 78 percent of prospective car buyers say they would be less likely to buy or lease a vehicle that is not equipped with a built-in radio tuner.

When considering the most valued standard-fit audio features in a new car, having a broadcast radio tuner ranks highest for prospective car buyers (rated ‘important’ by 89 percent), ahead of USB ports (rated ‘important’ by 83 percent) and the availability of Bluetooth (rated ‘important’ by 80 percent), and well ahead of smartphone mirroring technology (Android Auto is rated ‘important’ by 59 percent and Apple CarPlay by 57 percent).

Respondents say the primary reason for listening is ‘to get news and information’, cited by 58 percent, followed by ‘to hear favorite songs’ (42 percent).

Yet, a clear majority don’t want to pay for radio – 93 percent say it is ‘important’ that radio should remain free to listen to – as it is currently via analogue and digital broadcast radio tuners. The importance of free-to-air radio was highlighted by motorists’ concerns about data charges for streamed content: a clear majority (79 percent) of those who currently listening to audio via their mobile device say they are ‘concerned’ about how much data they are using.

Car buyers were also asked about their most desired added-value in-car radio features. Having an ‘ability to search for radio stations using voice controls’ is the most popular (mentioned by 53 percent of respondents), followed by ‘provision of information about content’ (50 percent).

The car remains the most popular location for listening to radio, cited by an average 87 percent of respondents, followed by 77 percent who listen at home and 40 percent who listen at work.

Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research, comments: “This is a major piece of consumer research covering some of the biggest automotive markets, yet attitudes about radio among car buyers across all of the countries surveyed were uncannily similar.

“It’s clear, too, that broadcast radio was singled out specifically as a must-have option. Roughly two-thirds of motorists across all countries surveyed indicated that they ‘would not listen to their favorite radio stations’ if they were only available online. For consumers the availability of free, easy-to-access broadcast radio as standard is an essential part of the in-car entertainment system and looks set to remain so.”