EBU Member delegates at the Euroradio Assembly in Amsterdam

54 percent of European citizens believe in the integrity of radio compared with 48 percent for television, 41 percent for press and 34 percent for the internet.* Dr David Fernandez, from the EBU's Media Intelligence Service, presented the data during his address on the second and closing day of the 20th Euroradio Assembly in Amsterdam.

However the research, based on figures from 2009 to 2013, highlights extreme differences between individual broadcasters across the EBU community.

"At the top of the league table is Finnish radio," said Dr Fernandez. "The greatest losers are Greece (40%), Portugal (42%), Cyprus (28%) and Ireland (26%), which should not come as a surprise. These are broadcasters in crisis that have been subjected to severe funding cuts leading to reduced services."

Keynote speaker Helen Boaden, BBC Director, Radio, said that the BBC was one of many UK public institutions including governments, banks, and churches to face a deepening crisis of trust in recent years.

"And yet, in comparison to other news providers, the BBC has remained by far the most trusted source," she said, "58 percent, compared with the public's next preferred news provider Sky News at 11 per cent."

Ms Boaden said trust was driven by 'content and services' which helped build 'loyalty and habitual contact with audiences.'

"Institutional crises can knock trust badly, although over time trust is possible to rebuild," she said. "Hit by a series of scandals, we have responded by overhauling procedures, putting in place whisteblowing policies and being open about our shortcomings. But we are also vocal about what we do well, and what audiences would lose if we weren't there."

*European Commission  Eurobarometer data, 2013