PHILADELPHIA — Drivers who want more advanced technology in their next vehicle may also be unusually heavy users of AM/FM radio, radio applications and podcasts, according to Audacy’s newest connected-car study.

Among respondents Audacy classified as “AI Intenders”—people interested in additional AI-powered vehicle features—65% reported listening to AM/FM radio in the car. Forty-eight percent used podcasts, while 51% accessed radio through an application.

Those numbers do not mean AM/FM receives 65% of their listening time. They describe the percentage of people reporting use of each medium, and a single respondent may use several forms of audio.

Modern drivers still want recognizable local voices

Audacy reports that seven in ten connected-car respondents use local radio for breaking news, weather and traffic. Approximately 70% also said hearing favorite local hosts is part of the routine they expect while driving.

The findings challenge the assumption that consumers interested in advanced dashboards will automatically abandon familiar radio brands. The stronger possibility is that stations must make their live signals, personalities, podcasts and local information easier to locate through applications and voice commands.

Voice control is becoming particularly important. Fifty-four percent of connected-car respondents said they want fully integrated voice control in their next system. The leading requested voice actions were playing radio, music and podcasts, followed by discovering new audio content.

The dashboard is also becoming advertising inventory

Larger vehicle displays allow an audio advertisement to appear with an advertiser’s name, logo, offer or location. Audacy says 65% of surveyed drivers believe that combination makes them more likely to remember an advertiser and search for it later.

The company also reports that 45% looked up a product after hearing an in-car radio advertisement, 45% discussed it, 39% purchased it and 36% visited a physical location.

These are self-reported responses from research conducted by a company that sells radio and digital advertising. They should not be presented as independently verified sales attribution. Stations and advertisers should test campaigns using offer codes, branded-search activity, store visits and actual sales whenever possible.

What stations should do next

Radio operators should test whether a driver can find each station by its call letters, frequency, brand name, format and leading personality using the most common dashboard voice systems. Station applications should resume audio quickly, display accurate program information and move listening cleanly between the home, phone and vehicle.

Advertising departments should also determine whether their automation and metadata systems can deliver synchronized visual information without distracting drivers or creating conflicts between competing advertisers.

The research’s most useful message is not that technology will save radio. It is that audiences interested in new technology still value radio and podcasting—if broadcasters make their content effortless to reach.

Sources: Audacy’s 2026 Connected Car Study and Radio Ink’s September 11 report.