AGDAILY: The Fight to Save AM Radio
(2024-11-24, Boston, MA, Special to the U.S. Times from AG Daily) We are marching toward an increasingly digital future, where the glories of online subscription services and Bluetooth technology encroach on our everyday lives. While this may already be the reality for a sizable population of Americans, there are still long-lasting technologies that continue to see extended use, remaining as time-tested tools that modern innovations cannot replace.
Yet, these technologies find themselves threatened as automakers lobby for their removal.
AM radio is a service relied on by countless working Americans. With over 4,000 active AM radio stations nationwide, it remains an integral aspect of people’s lives, especially for listeners from rural America. In places where wi-fi or broadband networks may not be readily accessible, there needs to be a way for breaking news and other vital pieces of information to be delivered, regardless of geographical location or state of telecommunication infrastructure.
Meanwhile, companies such as BMW, Audi, Volvo, and Tesla are pushing for AM radio functionality to be phased out of their electric vehicles, citing concerns that their electric motors would interfere with the radio frequencies, resulting in degraded audio quality and increased static. However, prior efforts from Ford in 2023, which were pulled back following backlash, have demonstrated that electric vehicles may not be the only ones affected in the future.
The future of AM radio now lies at the feet of Congress. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act was introduced in 2023 and has garnered bipartisan support but has yet to be brought to the floor.
The information surrounding this topic has been brought to the USTimes by Ryan Tipps from the online agricultural publication AGDAILY. To learn more in-depth about the fight for AM radio and its importance, please check out his article.