Automakers Are Starting to Drop AM Radio in New Cars. Here's Why

[kalvado]

How expensive is it for someone to put in a portable AM/FM radio in their car's emergency kit... provided that someone actually HAS a emergency kit...

pretty meaningless as that doesn't take away interference from the engine. So you would need to park (because you cannot use portable radio while driving),  turn off systems to avoid interference and take the time to listen for transmission. ANother Tesla coming by may cause loss of reception, though.

Who said anything about listening to the AM radio when driving? From the article:

While drivers nowadays can use smartphones and other tech to dial up their favorite radio stations, the signal keeping those services online isn't as reliable as AM radio during emergency events, the former FEMA officials said.

If you are stuck on the side of the road during a natural disaster, you may want to conserve fuel and battery power. Also, my car has some of my emergency items in it including a backup radioI . If anything, car radios should have the NOAA frequencies in it, but I know, good luck with that with the NAB. Also, when was the last time you purchased a new vehicle where it only had the AM radio in it? How many decades ago was that?

I seem to recall that 88.1 MHz to 89.9 MHz of the FM spectrum was reserved for non-profit use. Perhaps the FCC needs to have a word or three on that as well.

It's an interesting discussion when in the emergency cycle I need information most. Best case scenario is avoiding emergency altogether, not driving into a massive backup or a storm to begin with. So, I do need emergency info while driving.
If I am on the shoulder, I either need to call rescue services if it is just me, or it's too late and we are all in trouble. Updates are great, but.... 

And yes, I totally agree on NOAA. What is NAB, though? 

[Big John]

I thought the non-commercial FM band went up to 91.9.
NAB means National Association of Broadcasters.

[kphoger]

I seem to recall that 88.1 MHz to 89.9 MHz of the FM spectrum was reserved for non-profit use. Perhaps the FCC needs to have a word or three on that as well.

I thought the non-commercial FM band went up to 91.9.

Correct, it's 91.9 MHz.  Here in Wichita, one of the local NPR stations is higher than 89.9 MHz.

[bandit957]

The FCC allows a few noncommercial stations above 92 MHz, but it does not allow commercial stations below 92 MHz.

[jeffandnicole]

I think it's pretty laughable in that WSJ story as to the last example presented:

Mr. Wenger said one caller dialed in to the station multiple times, saying he was diabetic and stranded in his car. The caller was rescued after the station broadcast his story, he said.

"His only connection to the world was an AM radio station,"  Mr. Wenger said.

Clearly, they're ignoring that HE HAD A WORKING PHONE. 

Why he was calling the radio station and not 911, family, friends or anyone else, who knows.  And then it took multiple phone calls for even the radio station to get help.

Moving on from that, we've had numerous national disasters...and even minor ones...over the past few decades, and not once has AM radio been relevant.  All those hurricanes and snowstorms.  Highway routes shut down leaving people stranded due to snow.  The New York City Blackout of 2003.  Just name every issue that we've had in this country, and no one has said they remained reassured because their only form of communication was listening to AM radio.

It's also notable that when people talk about AM radio, they're talking about ways to keep it in cars.  Most people aren't saying they listen to it, and no one is saying that's their go-to when a disaster strikes.

[kalvado]

I think it's pretty laughable in that WSJ story as to the last example presented:

Mr. Wenger said one caller dialed in to the station multiple times, saying he was diabetic and stranded in his car. The caller was rescued after the station broadcast his story, he said.

"His only connection to the world was an AM radio station,"  Mr. Wenger said.

Clearly, they're ignoring that HE HAD A WORKING PHONE. 

Why he was calling the radio station and not 911, family, friends or anyone else, who knows.  And then it took multiple phone calls for even the radio station to get help.

Moving on from that, we've had numerous national disasters...and even minor ones...over the past few decades, and not once has AM radio been relevant.  All those hurricanes and snowstorms.  Highway routes shut down leaving people stranded due to snow.  The New York City Blackout of 2003.  Just name every issue that we've had in this country, and no one has said they remained reassured because their only form of communication was listening to AM radio.

It's also notable that when people talk about AM radio, they're talking about ways to keep it in cars.  Most people aren't saying they listen to it, and no one is saying that's their go-to when a disaster strikes.

When was the last time stupid truth had any bearing on decision making?

[ZLoth]

It's an interesting discussion when in the emergency cycle I need information most. Best case scenario is avoiding emergency altogether, not driving into a massive backup or a storm to begin with. So, I do need emergency info while driving. If I am on the shoulder, I either need to call rescue services if it is just me, or it's too late and we are all in trouble. Updates are great, but....

Precisely. While I have driven across the Sierra Nevadas in winter to Reno or South Lake Tahoe, it was on major highways and when the roads were clear. Any hints of snow and the need for chains, and it's trip canceled. Same thing around DFW. When we had thundersleet in DFW a few weeks ago, I only ran a quick errand and returned from the store before it hit on Tuesday, January 31st at 8:30 AM. After that, I did not go off my property until Friday, February 3rd, although I spent some time breaking up the ice hump that formed in front of my north-facing garage which doesn't get much sun.

And yes, I totally agree on NOAA. What is NAB, though?

National Association of Broadcasters. They are a industry lobbying group who will insist you are better off getting your weather information with plenty of commercial connections instead of a non-commercial audio loop.

Moving on from that, we've had numerous national disasters...and even minor ones...over the past few decades, and not once has AM radio been relevant.  All those hurricanes and snowstorms.  Highway routes shut down leaving people stranded due to snow.  The New York City Blackout of 2003.  Just name every issue that we've had in this country, and no one has said they remained reassured because their only form of communication was listening to AM radio.

In some of those severe situations, the radio stations went into simulcast mode where both the AM and FM stations were utilized to broadcast information when, under normal circumstances, they broadcast completely different formats. For Texas, many areas have EAS Local Primary-1 on the AM band and a Local Primary-2 on the FM band, although some areas have both stations on the FM band. Only San Antonio has both local primaries on the AM band, while Texarkana and McAllen have a single Local Primary station.

Something I posted July 2022:

This is nothing new: Home and portable stereo systems are doing the exact same thing, as they're being FM only. So this is another sign that AM radio is currently on life support, as more of those stations are adding FM simulcasts (or more commonly, HD2/3/4).

From a technical standpoint, Frequency Modulation (FM) is considered superior to Amplitude Modulation (AM) in how the signal gets sent from the transmitter to the radio. AM is now best for talk-based formats (e.g. talk radio, news, sports broadcasting) where the audio quality doesn't matter as much compared to music. From a technical standpoint, it is easier to implement FM into a piece of consumer equipment than AM, especially that antenna part.

It should be noted that some mobile phones, most notable the basic phones, may have the FM receiving functionality, but either the carrier has disabled it or the functionality is not implemented in favor of streaming services.

I had both a iPod and a Sansa e200 media players. Both were able to tune in the FM frequencies provided you had plugged in a wired headset as it also served as the FM antenna, but no AM antenna. Both were much smaller than a transister radio. And, as was noted earlier in the thread:

A little over two years ago, the FCC allowed AM stations to file applications for FM translators to rebroadcast their AM stations. Lots of AM stations took them up on the offer. The catch? If the AM goes away so does the FM, so there's some incentive there to keep the lights on. One interesting phenomenon is that stations with complicated multi-tower directional arrays are reducing their power and eliminating the extra towers to reduce maintenance costs. Another factor is that AM stations are often built on valuable land. More than one large AM station has gone silent because the land the towers sit on is more valuable than the station itself.

Also, many newer vehicles have dropped physical media entirely in favor of Bluetooth. Cassette players were no longer offered at the end of 2000s, while CD players started to be eliminated in the late 2010s.

[Life in Paradise]

As a former radio employee (I worked in both AM and FM radio stations) and current HAM licensed, I would propose the following:  Since many current lower powered AM stations are now also broadcasting on an FM translator and their current AM station is a small part of their remaining listenership I would go back to a time when we had clear channel stations and make them a priority over the entire country (with a federal body reviewing past broadcasting setups and locations) so that each AM frequency would have a very limited number of stations (perhaps 1, 2, or 3) very distant from each other and the 50,000 blowtorch clear channel stations might be alone for 1000-1500 miles.  There are areas that are very remote or mountainous (or both) where FM signals really don't serve the populous, and not everyone will pony up for Sirius XM or have cell phone wifi (same reason for bad FM signals) and could use that AM signal.

[Dirt Roads]

As a former radio employee (I worked in both AM and FM radio stations) and current HAM licensed, I would propose the following:  Since many current lower powered AM stations are now also broadcasting on an FM translator and their current AM station is a small part of their remaining listenership I would go back to a time when we had clear channel stations and make them a priority over the entire country (with a federal body reviewing past broadcasting setups and locations) so that each AM frequency would have a very limited number of stations (perhaps 1, 2, or 3) very distant from each other and the 50,000 blowtorch clear channel stations might be alone for 1000-1500 miles.  There are areas that are very remote or mountainous (or both) where FM signals really don't serve the populous, and not everyone will pony up for Sirius XM or have cell phone wifi (same reason for bad FM signals) and could use that AM signal.

Got my vote!  I can still remember picking (then) KULA (and later KKUA) in Honolulu at 690 kHz in West Virginia on many Friday and Saturday nights, with the signal typically cranking up about 4 hours after our local WCAW (680 kHz) went dark.  I'd spend about 10 minutes with them, then go looking for something else a long distance away.

[bandit957]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

[Life in Paradise]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

I would agree, but it's the same thing with television/cable.  Yes there are great things being done, but you really have to look for the gems among the cesspool that surrounds it.  I'm not a big fan of reality TV, since to me it's nothing more than a cloak of "reality" with a script.  Also with local television stations, they have become so dependent upon news driving income, you get hours and hours of the same thing, just like cable news (you pick the network).
And television, just like radio has become a place for ads (but drive time was always like that).  That's why I've moved more over to satellite.

[ZLoth]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

If you are talking about terrestrial radio, I wouldn't really know as I only listen to the Classical music station. Most of the time, it's either an audiobook or music from either my home media server or Apple music.

[Roadgeekteen]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

In the world of spotify and podcasts, there really isn't a huge audience that listens to radio consistantly and really cares about it. Who wants to listen to radio with ads when spotify premium exists?

[bandit957]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

In the world of spotify and podcasts, there really isn't a huge audience that listens to radio consistantly and really cares about it. Who wants to listen to radio with ads when spotify premium exists?

That costs money.

Radio used to be better before 1996, even with ads.

[Roadgeekteen]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

In the world of spotify and podcasts, there really isn't a huge audience that listens to radio consistantly and really cares about it. Who wants to listen to radio with ads when spotify premium exists?

That costs money.

Radio used to be better before 1996, even with ads.

Even spotify free with ads has less ads than the radio. Nobody wants to listen to 15 minutes of music than 10 minutes of ads, and repeat.

[kphoger]

In the world of spotify and podcasts, there really isn't a huge audience that listens to radio consistantly and really cares about it. Who wants to listen to radio with ads when spotify premium exists?

Even spotify free with ads has less ads than the radio. Nobody wants to listen to 15 minutes of music than 10 minutes of ads, and repeat.

1.  I don't have Spotify or podcasts or whatever in my car.

2.  I have six radio station presets in my car, plus two others that I know are just a single push of the seek button away from one of the presets.  When ads come on, I simply switch to another station I like with the push of a button.

[Roadgeekteen]

In the world of spotify and podcasts, there really isn't a huge audience that listens to radio consistantly and really cares about it. Who wants to listen to radio with ads when spotify premium exists?

Even spotify free with ads has less ads than the radio. Nobody wants to listen to 15 minutes of music than 10 minutes of ads, and repeat.

1.  I don't have Spotify or podcasts or whatever in my car.

2.  I have six radio station presets in my car, plus two others that I know are just a single push of the seek button away from one of the presets.  When ads come on, I simply switch to another station I like with the push of a button.

For your second point, I do scroll through channels during ads as a passenger. Though often times, especially when leaving greater Boston, it can be hard to find multiple radio stations that everyone in the car likes. I find spotify to be much more simple and easier. Plus you can skip songs you don't like or want to listen to.

[kkt]

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

No, radio only makes me figuratively sick.

(And most of the time I'm listing to NPR, which is by no means perfect but is a lot better than the commercial stations.)

[ZLoth]

I have six radio station presets in my car, plus two others that I know are just a single push of the seek button away from one of the presets.  When ads come on, I simply switch to another station I like with the push of a button.

Wait until you get a "super commercial" which is the same radio ad purchased across multiple stations (usually within the same station group) and timed to air at the same time. It's especially worse when it's a political advertisement.

Does anyone else literally get sick to their stomach because radio has gotten so bad?

It depends on what aspect you are talking about. Outside of Christmas music last December, I stopped listening to commercial terrestrial stations years ago because the amount of actual content (e.g. music) got outweighed by the amount of commercials and fluff by the announcers. As for the news stations, yes, it's biased and designed to appeal to a demographic for advertising, but I found better details reading an online article. I usually have my radio set to the local classical music station because my errands in my car is 10 minutes or less, and it's not worth the small amount of trouble to start something on my mobile phone. Also, most of the Dallas-area stations either have music formats that do not appeal to me or are non-English (yes, there are several Asian stations in DFW).

[ZLoth]

From GM Authority:

Ford To Phase Out AM Radio In Its New Vehicles

Crosstown rival Ford is set to phase out AM radio functionality in its new vehicles, starting with the all-new 2024 Ford Mustang and 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck.

As reported by GM Authority sister-publication Ford Authority, almost all Ford vehicles — except commercial vehicles — will have AM radio functionality omitted sometime in the near future. This means that only the Ford Super Duty, Transit family, E-Series, and F-650/750 Stripped Chassis models will retain their AM radio in North America.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

From Inside Radio:

NAB Launches "˜Depend on AM Radio' Campaign

With AM radios being left out of numerous EVs due to reception interference, NAB unveils a new campaign highlighting the importance of AM radio in the car for news, community engagement, entertainment, and vital public safety information. The campaign includes a website with a grassroots call to action and new tools stations can use to highlight the importance of AM radio. NAB is urging all radio stations to participate in reminding listeners what makes AM radio unique.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[jeffandnicole]

NAB Launches "˜Depend on AM Radio' Campaign

With AM radios being left out of numerous EVs due to reception interference, NAB unveils a new campaign highlighting the importance of AM radio in the car for news, community engagement, entertainment, and vital public safety information. The campaign includes a website with a grassroots call to action and new tools stations can use to highlight the importance of AM radio. NAB is urging all radio stations to participate in reminding listeners what makes AM radio unique.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

"Nobody listens to AM Radio anymore"

"AM Radio had 82 million listeners last month!"

"But were they unique listeners?"

/static................./

[ZLoth]

"With a monthly audience of 82 million Americans, AM radio is a cornerstone of everyday life for many that also serves a critical, life-saving function during extreme weather and natural disasters,"  NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in a release

Then, why not include the NOAA Weather radio frequencies at 162.400 to 162.550? It is technically feasible after all with the digital tuners.

_static, crackle_

I should note that KEC56 which is the local NOAA station in DFW and KEC57 for Sacramento are both available through the Radio Garden app, and there are several apps in the store to tune in those stations as well. In addition, in a emergency situation, the FM station will go into simulcast mode and rebroadcast the AM station.

[hotdogPi]

Are there any frequencies that should not be able to be tuned into, or would it be fine for any station to be allowed at all? For example, various frequencies around 121 FM get airports, which is legal in the US as long as you're not speaking into a two-way radio. I'm not sure if any frequencies allow Sirius XM without paying.

(Interestingly, one of the hangars at Lawrence Municipal Airport says "FUEL 122.85" on the front near the top. I thought it was a radio station while I was there, and I may still be right, but it turns out that the elevation of the airport is also about this number, so I'm not so sure.)

[edited for grammar]

[Rothman]

Are there any frequencies that should not be able to be tuned into, or would it be fine for any station to be allowed at all? For example, various frequencies around 121 FM get airports, which is legal in the US as long as you're not speaking into a two-way radio. I'm not sure if any frequencies allow Sirius XM without paying.

(Interestingly, one of the hangars at Lawrence Municipal Airport says "FUEL 122.85" on the front near the top. I thought it was radio station while I was there, and I may still be right, but it turns out that the elevation of the airport is also about this number, so I'm not so sure.)

That's a radio frequency.  Not sure if it's still in use given current docs at Lawrence.

[formulanone]

Are there any frequencies that should not be able to be tuned into, or would it be fine for any station to be allowed at all? For example, various frequencies around 121 FM get airports, which is legal in the US as long as you're not speaking into a two-way radio. I'm not sure if any frequencies allow Sirius XM without paying.

(Interestingly, one of the hangars at Lawrence Municipal Airport says "FUEL 122.85" on the front near the top. I thought it was radio station while I was there, and I may still be right, but it turns out that the elevation of the airport is also about this number, so I'm not so sure.)

That's a radio frequency.  Not sure if it's still in use given current docs at Lawrence.

https://skyvector.com/airport/LWM/Lawrence-Municipal-Airport

Tune in, turn out, fuel up.