RDS solved a practical listener problem: as FM services multiplied, receivers needed a reliable way to identify programmes, retune automatically, and present service information.
Learn the basics
Start with the high-level explanation of RDS, then use the glossary for feature names such as PI, PS, AF, TP, TA, RT, RT+, and ODA.
Understand the timeline
RDS development began before the first public specification and now spans more than 40 years of standards work and deployment.