7/28/2023 0 Comments Ravio no mask![]() Not all manufacturers made a commitment either way in Markey’s survey, but a handful did say they had no plans to ditch AM, including Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, Land Rover, Jaguar and Mitsubishi.Īs far as interference with electric vehicles goes, Tesla has said that its cars’ electric drivetrains operate on a wavelength similar to that of AM, which makes having the radio band in its vehicles “unstable and unusable.” Some other manufacturers have indicated that they are working on technology that would remove such interference problems. “The importance of AM radio during large-scale emergencies cannot be underestimated… When the cell phone runs out, the internet gets cut off, or the television doesn’t work because of no electricity or power to your house, you can still turn on your AM radio.” “Elon Musk and Tesla and other car manufacturers are putting public safety and emergency response at risk,” said Gottheimer. Said Ford’s chief government affairs officer, Christopher Smith, “We acknowledge that broadcast AM radio has long been an important source of information for consumers.” But, he said of the emergency alerts that have traditionally gone out over AM, “with FM, satellite radio, mobile data and others, vehicles and their drivers have numerous alternative sources to receive these alerts.”īut Gottheimer, the House member from New Jersey, has counterargued that saying that AM stations can be accessed via apps ignores what happens if, say, cell service cuts out. Moreover, Ford signaled that there was no longer a need for AM in its non-electric cars, either. He found that eight manufacturers of electric cars had already ditched AM: BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo. In April, Markey surveyed the car makers to find out their plans going forward for AM. ![]() If there’s a bias in that data, it could be in it having been pulled from Internet-equipped cars. Yet Ford told the Washington Post that its data showed that less than 5% of listening in its cars was to AM stations. The AM for Every Vehicle Act would have the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issuing a rule that “requires automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their vehicles without a separate or additional payment, fee, or surcharge.” It would also mandate that any cars being sold without AM have a warning sticker pointing out the lack of the band, in the interim, until all new vehicles are in compliance.Īccording to the National Association of Broadcasters, more than 82 million people still listen to the nation’s 4,185 stations each month. Inside Radio said many other lawmakers are expected to sign on as co-sponsors, given that 100 House members sent letters earlier this week to all the major auto manufacturers asking them to keep AM intact in new vehicles. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Tom Kean, Jr. In the House, those initially pushing the legislation are Reps. In the Senate, backers include Markey, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and J.D. Updating transportation should not mean sacrificing access to what can be life-saving information.” ![]() Having AM radio available in our cars means we always have access to emergency alerts and key warnings while we are out on the road. Said FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement, “There is a clear public safety imperative here. Cruz, not surprisingly, has emphasized that angle, calling AM “a critical bulwark for democracy.” But many Democratic congresspeople are joining the fight to preserve AM as well, especially those representing rural areas, where the need to access information in emergencies is considered vital. There is a political aspect to the growing controversy: Some conservatives have claimed that the shift to axe AM is part of a move to silence right-leaning talk radio, which mostly thrives on the AM dial. “Carmakers shouldn’t tune out AM radio in new vehicles or put it behind a costly digital paywall.” “For decades, free AM broadcast radio has been an essential tool in emergencies, a crucial part of our diverse media ecosystem, and an irreplaceable source for news, weather, sports and entertainment for tens of millions of listeners,” said Senator Edward Markey (D-MA), according to a report by Inside Radio. ![]()
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