Based on AER President Stefan Möller’s opening remarks at Radiodays Europe Athens 2025
At the opening ceremony of Radiodays Europe in Athens, AER President Stefan Möller, joined by Edita Kudláčová, Head of Radio at the EBU, set the tone for the days ahead. In his remarks, Stefan underlined the priorities for commercial radio and captured the essence of today’s challenges with a powerful phrase: “Content is king, but distribution is King Kong.”
The message was clear: while great content remains the foundation of radio, ensuring that audiences can find and access that content across all platforms is now the decisive factor. In an increasingly competitive audio landscape – where public service broadcasters expand their remit and global tech platforms dominate distribution – radio must unite to safeguard its place.
Commercial radio faces mounting pressures: declining advertising revenues, stricter national restrictions, and the rise of streaming and on‑demand services. At the same time, new technologies and changing listening habits demand constant adaptation. Yet the sector continues to evolve, integrating podcasts, embracing digital innovation, and strengthening its distinctive offer.
Looking ahead, access and findability remain critical:
“ The radio industry needs to cooperate to ensure radio is always findable, reachable and prominent for their audiences “
Whether in cars, on smartphones, or through smart speakers, radio must remain prominent and freely available. Cooperation across the industry and strong advocacy at European level are essential to ensure radio is not squeezed out by gatekeepers and continues to thrive as a trusted, accessible medium.
AER President Stefan Möller brought the spotlight firmly onto radio’s future in the car. Speaking during the “Reclaiming the Dashboard – putting radio back in control” session by Radioplayer, he underlined the essential role of radio not only as entertainment but also as a matter of safety and security.
Stefan argued that radio should be considered as indispensable in vehicles as seatbelts: “In a perfect world, wouldn’t it be nice that radio would be mandatory in the car? Like by law you need seatbelts, you need to have a radio receiver.”
He stressed that the industry must work together to ensure radio remains findable, reachable and prominent in connected environments increasingly dominated by global tech platforms. Access and distribution are as critical as content itself. Looking ahead, he painted a vision of cars widely recognised as “radios on wheels”, a future where listeners can rely on radio’s trusted presence across dashboards, smartphones, smart speakers, and beyond.
You can watch the recorded session here.
More information about Radiodays Europe at www.radiodayseurope.com
AER is an official partner of Radiodays Europe.
Photo by ©Hedda Axelsson