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

[ClassicHasClass]

Pretty sure WBBM is owned by Audacy like KNX, yes?

[PurdueBill]

Pretty sure WBBM is owned by Audacy like KNX, yes?

Yep, while WBZ ended up owned by iHeart and even moved out of the combined studio building with the TV station now that they are no longer both owned by CBS. Most of the rest of the AM CBS Radio stations that were Westinghouse seemed to end up with Audacy.

[Road Hog]

I always liked 8-tracks.

I was disappointed when my family sold all our 8-tracks without telling me. We had John Denver, Jim Croce, Billy Joel. All gone now.

And the matchbook you always seemed to need to wedge under the tape so it would play right.

Yep. If you inserted an 8-track into the slot at a wrong angle, the azimuth of the head and the tape was forever jacked up. Big part of the downfall of the 8-track.

[GCrites]

Ha, I do remember seeing a lot of signs for 8-track repair in old pictures from music stores.

[dvferyance]

A friend of mine told me this back in 2019. So this isn't really all that new. As far as what he knew it was just the cars made outside the US.

[bing101]

You can get KFI AM 640 here in the LA area on KOST-FM HD-2, and they even seem to be pushing this more than their traditional AM frequency. I think KNX has an FM simulcast as well but I can't remember it off the top of my head.

KNX-FM is on 97.1 FM.

[mgk920]

You can get KFI AM 640 here in the LA area on KOST-FM HD-2, and they even seem to be pushing this more than their traditional AM frequency. I think KNX has an FM simulcast as well but I can't remember it off the top of my head.

KNX-FM is on 97.1 FM.

A local AM here in Appleton, WI ( WHBY 1150 AM) has apparently turned their AM digital signal OFF after a couple of years a week ago because a usually decent AM in Milwaukee (WISN 1130 AM) is again coming in pretty much loud and clear.  For the past couple of years, WISN's signal here in Appleton was like continually listening to a radio through a thunderstorm that was trying to sound out words.  There is simply not enough bandwidth available at those frequencies to fit in any more information, but that bandwidth is available in FM channels and there  it works fine.

Mike

[ErmineNotyours]

The knock against AM radios not being miniaturizable is interesting.  AM radios were the first miniature electronic device: the transistor radio.  AM radios can not be miniaturized into a smart phone because they need a bar antenna, but FM no longer has that edge.  FM radios need an antenna too, and that was usually a headphone cord.  Now that wireless headphones have taken over, FM radios in smart phones are no longer practical.

Once I started listening to radio on personal stereos, I preferred AM because it uses less battery power.  I also hate multi-path distortion, a problem not helped with cheap personal stereo FM circuitry.  Sony started putting a DX/local switch on their Walkman radios, which is a hack that is rarely useful.  Especially when you have to go into a menu to use it.

It was easy for software providers to stop making 8-tracks and VHS tapes, but there's still an installed base of AM radio stations, and no easy way to provide the content on FM.  Most AM station are on FM HD-2s.  I myself would love to buy a personal stereo HD radio, but the only one I can find on Amazon appears to be new old stock from 2006.  Users complain that the built-in rechargeable battery can't keep a charge after a few cycles.   For some reason the National Association of Broadcasters is not leading a charge to get more HD radios available.  Radio stations used to have an ad at the end of their ad block promoting HD radio, but now that spot is used to plug the iHeart or Audacy app.  Progress.

Edit: typos.

[mgk920]

I also have found that my normal Android 'smart' cell phone makes some pretty heavy interference on my AM nightstand radio (listening to out of town stations) when I set it down right next to the receiver set.  Thankfully, that interference is very short range, so it doesn't really bother me.  I did start thinking that this interference would make it impossible to build an AM receiver into the phone, though.

Mike

[kalvado]

I also have found that my normal Android 'smart' cell phone makes some pretty heavy interference on my AM nightstand radio (listening to out of town stations) when I set it down right next to the receiver set.  Thankfully, that interference is very short range, so it doesn't really bother me.  I did start thinking that this interference would make it impossible to build an AM receiver into the phone, though.

Mike

I believe that was an artifact of older GSM protocols (3G or 2G?)  which featured short, but pretty high power (>1W) transmissions. I had an impression newer protocols are much better in that respect. This is one of the reasons cell phone requirements for passenger planes are relaxed..

[skluth]

Listeners also use apps and websites to stream radio, both AM and FM. No point in installing a receiver for something when most drivers can even stream radio from their phones.

[MikeTheActuary]

The New York Times has a column on the subject.  (That should be a non-paywalled link).

Nothing terribly new -- just additional EVs listed as getting rid of AM radio, observations on the value of AM radio, and an anecdote about Tesla drivers not noticing the omission.

[ZLoth]

When I take a look at the radio station ratings for the Dallas-Fort Worth Market, thirteen of the top fifteen stations are FM stations. #5 is a AM news/talk, and #8 is a AM/FM simulcast sports station. The next AM station is at #16 as a NewsRadio station. For New York City, the top ten stations are all FM stations, while Los Angeles has one AM station in the top 10.

Personally, in my commute walk to work, I prefer to listen to a streaming service or my own media server over a terrestrial station.

[kkt]

AM is worth having, even if it's just for the occassional DOT local transmitter about road conditions.

[brad2971]

A server is way cheaper than an AM antenna, even if you're the only one using it.

Yes, but the vast majority of radio broadcasters have already taken care of that particular cost by selling their AM/FM towers to companies like Vertical Bridge, which in turn use those towers to co-locate wireless services on them. iHeartMedia and Audacy, in theory, could turn off all their AM/FM stations and simply go to podcast/streaming music networks, and not miss a beat.

[bandit957]

Bring back CLU 132! Then maybe I'll start listening to AM again.

[brad2971]

IMHO,

- At least around here, all of the AM stations that are serious efforts, have been given FM repeaters.  These generally have much shorter range than the AM station.  Most stations continue to use the AM branding, much like digital TV stations use PSIP to fake the channel numbers they used to be on.  For example, one local station is "58 WCHS and then in much small type 96.5 and 104.5 FM". 

- People have been predicting the demise of AM radio since at least the mid-60s. 

- The Spanish issue is real.  Since at least the mid-80s, AM has found niche markets.  Spanish or, in some places, other languages, niche music formats, other political opinions besides the MSM, etc.  This won't change.

- The rural issue is a thing too.  Not everybody likes music.  Many listen to talk or sport talk exclusively (I do).  Some people are just not going to pay for SXM and cannot get a cell phone signal.

- SXM (which probably has maybe 10 years left before it goes away), and the various apps are about NATIONAL political, NATIONAL sports, and NATIONAL "other" talk.  All good. But LOCAL politics and LOCAL sports are different formats and also worthy.

- Car makers seem to only make a token effort at AM anymore.  My last two cars got AM reception that was really poor. 

Be careful about predicting the demise of SXM. It is a service that has been able to get 12-14% household penetration for a technology (radio) that has been a free service from its inception over 100 years ago. Heck, SXM and its investors (John Malone in particular) have been able to use SXM to purchase Pandora.

[Ted$8roadFan]

If AM radio is struggling in an environment where it's still available in vehicles (and many other places), it would follow that it would continue to decline if no longer available. Yet even the NYT article said that there are still ways to access AM radio (via apps) and there are dedicated AM radio users, even among younger drivers.

[vdeane]

AM is worth having, even if it's just for the occassional DOT local transmitter about road conditions.

Those might be on the decline.  I know the Thruway got rid of their system a couple years ago.

[Rothman]

AM is worth having, even if it's just for the occassional DOT local transmitter about road conditions.

Those might be on the decline.  I know the Thruway got rid of their system a couple years ago.

Heh.  Part of the reason is that they were using toll plazas as ground plates for their transmitters...

[kalvado]

AM is worth having, even if it's just for the occassional DOT local transmitter about road conditions.

Those might be on the decline.  I know the Thruway got rid of their system a couple years ago.

Heh.  Part of the reason is that they were using toll plazas as ground plates for their transmitters...

Is that a reason or an excuse? When they rebuilt 23-24 stretch in Albany, most of it was concrete, and I am sure finding other pads is possible. I am not sure how big those grounding pads need to be, but my bet couple hundred feet of concrete roadway is all what's needed. Other structures, like overpass bases, should also be usable.
But if they see no value in keeping transmitters running, then why bother...

[Scott5114]

A server is way cheaper than an AM antenna, even if you're the only one using it.

Yes, but the vast majority of radio broadcasters have already taken care of that particular cost by selling their AM/FM towers to companies like Vertical Bridge, which in turn use those towers to co-locate wireless services on them. iHeartMedia and Audacy, in theory, could turn off all their AM/FM stations and simply go to podcast/streaming music networks, and not miss a beat.

My webserver costs me $28/month. It's a cheap, kinda slow one, but it's enough to run an ecommerce business on. I'm doubtful that the operating costs for renting the use of a transmission tower, even if the station is not on the hook for maintenance or support staff, are anywhere close to comparable.

[kalvado]

A server is way cheaper than an AM antenna, even if you're the only one using it.

Yes, but the vast majority of radio broadcasters have already taken care of that particular cost by selling their AM/FM towers to companies like Vertical Bridge, which in turn use those towers to co-locate wireless services on them. iHeartMedia and Audacy, in theory, could turn off all their AM/FM stations and simply go to podcast/streaming music networks, and not miss a beat.

My webserver costs me $28/month. It's a cheap, kinda slow one, but it's enough to run an ecommerce business on. I'm doubtful that the operating costs for renting the use of a transmission tower, even if the station is not on the hook for maintenance or support staff, are anywhere close to comparable.

I bet server capable of handling couple hundred simultaneous streams - 1% of midsize MSA - would cost much more. That is with customers paying for signal distribution via their connection fees.

[Road Hog]

When I take a look at the radio station ratings for the Dallas-Fort Worth Market, thirteen of the top fifteen stations are FM stations. #5 is a AM news/talk, and #8 is a AM/FM simulcast sports station. The next AM station is at #16 as a NewsRadio station. For New York City, the top ten stations are all FM stations, while Los Angeles has one AM station in the top 10.

Personally, in my commute walk to work, I prefer to listen to a streaming service or my own media server over a terrestrial station.

I'm a P1 of the #8 station and I listen exclusively on the FM channel.

[Scott5114]

A server is way cheaper than an AM antenna, even if you're the only one using it.

Yes, but the vast majority of radio broadcasters have already taken care of that particular cost by selling their AM/FM towers to companies like Vertical Bridge, which in turn use those towers to co-locate wireless services on them. iHeartMedia and Audacy, in theory, could turn off all their AM/FM stations and simply go to podcast/streaming music networks, and not miss a beat.

My webserver costs me $28/month. It's a cheap, kinda slow one, but it's enough to run an ecommerce business on. I'm doubtful that the operating costs for renting the use of a transmission tower, even if the station is not on the hook for maintenance or support staff, are anywhere close to comparable.

I bet server capable of handling couple hundred simultaneous streams - 1% of midsize MSA - would cost much more. That is with customers paying for signal distribution via their connection fees.

A couple hundred simultaneous streams, you say? Then it's not as much as you'd think it would cost. Unlike radio, a stream can do things like compress and timeslice data to reduce the amount of bandwidth used. One site I've found describes a 320 Kbps stream (140.62 MB/hour) as a "high quality" stream.

Assuming by "a couple hundred" you mean 200, the math works out to:

140.62 MB × 24 hours = 3360 MB/day
3360 MB/day × 31 days = 104160 MB/mo
104160 MB/mo × 200 users = 20832000 MB/mo
20832000 MB ÷ 1024 = 20343.75 GB ÷ 1024 = 19.8 TB

DigitalOcean will rent you a managed server with 6 TB of bandwidth for $160/month. So say you get four of them and balance the load between all four servers. That's $640/month, and you don't have to do any maintenance on the server; the hosting company does it for you.

Just paying one tech $7.25/hour to watch the tower 24 hours a day would cost you $5,394/month, not to mention the cost of power, parts, benefits, redundancy in case the tech gets sick, etc. And good luck finding a qualified radio tech that works for that cheap to begin with.

I have no idea how much it costs to rent a managed AM tower, but I can't imagine it's less than $640.