Associated Presidency Event on Radio in Connected Cars

This in-person event has been approved for inclusion in the programme of Associated Presidency Events during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union and is sponsored by Ireland’s Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. It is being organised by the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), together with the Association of European Radios (AER), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Bauer Media and RTÉ.

Taking place on the margins of the EU Consumer Summit, the event will bring together representatives of national governments, the European institutions, regulators and the European radio sector. Confirmed speakers include Patrick O’Donovan TD, Ireland’s Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, who will provide the opening remarks; Aoife MacEvilly, Broadcasting and Video-on-Demand Commissioner at the Irish Media Regulator, Coimisiún na Meán; and Chris Doyle, CEO of Bauer Media Audio Ireland. The event will be moderated by Ciara Kelly, co-presenter of Newstalk’s national drivetime current affairs programme, The Hard Shoulder.

The event will focus on the future of broadcast radio in vehicles and its importance for consumer choice, media pluralism, crisis preparedness and societal resilience. It will also consider how these public-interest objectives can be reflected in the developing European regulatory framework, including through the Digital Networks Act.

The morning will be structured around two complementary discussions: “Why radio in connected cars matters” and “From principle to policy: how the Digital Networks Act could help ensure that radio remains accessible in vehicles.”

The event will take place from 08:30am to 11:00am at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin, with registration from 7.45am.