This is a version of the speech delivered by Stefan Möller, AER President, at the Digital Markets Act joint media event “The DMA and its implications for media in Europe: the case of Connected TV Operating Systems and Virtual Assistants” at the European Parliament in Brussels on 1 July 2026, held under the Chatham House Rule.
“My name is Stefan Möller. I am CEO of RadioMedia Finland, President of the Association of European Radios and a member of egta. I am also someone who has spent most of my professional life – and much of my personal life – working with radio and audio.
Because at the end of the day, radio is not just a technology or a distribution channel.
It is a relationship.
It is companionship, trust, local connection, culture, creativity and, in many cases, a lifeline when people need reliable information most.
That is why today’s discussion matters—not just for broadcasters, but for anyone who believes in fair access to trusted media.
At first glance, virtual assistants may seem like a niche technology issue. But from the perspective of media and radio broadcasters, they are something much bigger. They are rapidly becoming the gateways through which people access content, information and services.
And if we want the Digital Markets Act to remain effective in the media environment of tomorrow, we need to recognize that reality.
Increasingly, listeners no longer access radio directly. They reach it through smart speakers, mobile ecosystems, connected devices, virtual assistants and, increasingly, through the operating systems built into their cars.
In those moments, the platform is no longer simply carrying a request. It interprets it.
It decides what the user meant. It determines what gets surfaced first, what gets recommended, how content is routed and what data is retained.
In other words, these platforms are increasingly shaping access to audiences, discoverability, data and, ultimately, monetization.
That is why, from our perspective, virtual assistants are no longer just interfaces.
They are becoming gatekeepers.
We are not here asking for special treatment for radio. We are simply asking the DMA to recognize what is already happening in practice.
When a small number of platforms control how citizens discover content, how voice requests are interpreted, how services are ranked and how data flows back to content providers, they are performing exactly the kind of gatekeeper’s role the DMA was designed to address.
And I underline that this is important and it is no longer just our opinion.
A recent study commissioned by the German media authorities confirms what broadcasters across Europe are already experiencing.
It concludes that platform power in the voice ecosystem is becoming structurally embedded. A handful of large platforms increasingly control the entire value chain
-from hardware and operating systems
-to virtual assistants and AI-driven content routing
-while broadcasters risk losing control over discoverability, audience data and, ultimately, their commercial relationship with listeners.
The study also makes another important point. The issue is becoming more urgent, not less!
As virtual assistants evolve into AI-powered ecosystems embedded across connected devices, homes and vehicles, their role as gateways to media will only grow stronger.
That is precisely why we believe the time has come to recognize virtual assistants as Core Platform Services under the Digital Markets Act.
Let me finish with one simple observation.
Radio has survived and adapted through every technological transformation of the last hundred years.
We are not afraid of innovation in fact, our industry has embraced it.
But innovation works best when it remains open, fair and accessible.
As someone who has spent a lifetime working with radio, I don’t fear new technology.
I fear a future where people think they have a choice, when that choice has already been made for them by an algorithm.
As virtual assistants become the front door to media for millions of Europeans, we need to ensure that no single platform can quietly determine what people hear, what they do not hear, or under what conditions media organizations can reach their audiences.
This is not about protecting radio from the future.
It is about ensuring that the future remains open to competition, media pluralism and consumer choice.
For those of us who believe in trusted media, local voices and a diverse European audio landscape, that is a goal worth pursuing.
Thank you.”
Photos of the event can be seen here.
This timely event follows the joint European broadcasting associations’ statement AER has co-signed, calling the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera for urgent action under the DMA to address the growing gatekeeping role of virtual assistants and connected TV OS – you can read the statement here.
For more information, please contact the AER office in Brussels at aer(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)aereurope.org.