WorldDAB & RadioDNS announce new guidelines for use of broadcaster logos in cars

Digital industry groups WorldDAB and RadioDNS have produced a new set of guidelines for car manufacturers and broadcasters regarding best practice for broadcasters to supply and update brand logos for their DM and DAB services.

The guidelines also provide information for automotive manufacturers for how to download and display broadcaster logos, and aim to help provide the best radio experience to drivers.

The newly produced document addresses the fact that drivers are increasingly used to interacting with larger format screens for their in-car radios, with specific focus on the use of brand/broadcaster logos for station navigation.

“Radio is still hugely popular in cars and must continue to offer the best possible experience to drivers as cars go digital and get connected – part of which is displaying consistent branding and content,” said WorldDAB Automotive Working Group chair Laurence Harrison.

“Too often in cars we see out of date or incorrect logos, or broadcasters not making the most of the screen space available – this set of recommendations will help both broadcasters and automotive manufacturers deliver the best experience to drivers and listeners,” added RadioDNS project manager Nick Piggott.

“The document will continue to evolve over time and we’d encourage any interested parties to get in touch if they’d like to contribute or find out more.”

The document sets out how to provide logos over both IP and DAB/DAB+ including formatting and size guidelines, as well as how manufacturers and suppliers should acquire, refresh and update the logos.

WorldDAB Asia Pacific Chair & CEO of Commercial Radio Australia Joan Warner told Radio Today that the new guidelines will assist radio operators to deliver rich content to drivers.

“The WorldDAB and RadioDNS guidelines for automotive manufacturers and broadcasters provide another way radio broadcasters can supply content into vehicles,” she said.

“DAB+ broadcasters in Australia can currently send logos and text via DAB+ broadcast into vehicles with a DAB+ receiver. These new guidelines outline details of how radio operators can use a combination of broadcast via DAB or FM with IP using open standards to deliver rich content to drivers.

“Radio has long dominated the automotive dashboard and these guidelines for broadcasters and automotive manufacturers allow broadcasters to explore hybrid radio, a combination of broadcast and IP, in vehicles to continue to deliver live, local and entertaining content for Australian listeners.”

The full document is available here.