NAB: Apple Deliberately Disables FM In iPhones

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In a very detailed and researched blog entitled “Setting The Record Straight on FM Radio in iPhones,” NAB Chief Technology Officer Sam Matheny enters the controversy between the radio industry and Apple, and the tech giant’s refusal to equip iPhones with FM radio reception.

While Matheny says radio is not at war with Apple, he does write that Apple has specifically chosen not to offer the FM functionality in their iPhone. “Indeed, Apple has disabled FM chips despite the capability being available on the communications module within the iPhone. This means other app developers cannot offer FM apps either.”

Take a look at Matheny’s blog HERE and please leave your thoughts below.

9 COMMENTS

  1. Amen to the other comments.

    If the NAB really wanted to save radio, they would lobby for regulations that require minimum standards for transmission and reception, and for integration between terrestrial systems and the emerging digital victor (streams and podcasts). So far they haven’t, and both AM and FM are slowly dying off.

    Crapping on Apple is pure misdirection. Many of us have said elsewhere that there are good design reasons, for Apple’s purposes, not to design FM reception into their phones. Not the least of these was this non-starter: FM as a feature in the iPod Nano, discontinued last summer.

  2. Given the disastrous performance by Napa and Santa Rosa public officials, in getting out clear and timely EAS, cellular and reverse 911 evacuation alarms, the NAB solution would be a giant step backwards.

    The FCC screwed up 2 years ago and failed to require cell companies to use geo-coding for emergency activations.

    Here’s an idea: require every radio station to carry every local alert for every threat in their coverage area. The day we see that will (a) be a cold day in hell and (b) might support taking a 2017 device and sending it back to the 70s.

    And way to abandon AM radio, NAB.

  3. There’s a device that is a lot cheaper than an iPhone, comes with BOTH an AM and an FM chip, and carries absolutely NO monthly fees. It’s called a RADIO…just get one of those and use your phone for making phone calls. I just have a simple cell phone here with bare bones service…no iPhone, no “smart phone”…and I don’t want those advanced phones, which just give marketers a new way to send me spam. If I could find a way to disable texting on my phone, I would do that, as I find texting to be extremely annoying and discourteous.
    As for the radio companies: Put some decent programming on the air and stop whining about people not being able to get your FM stations on their cellphones, toasters, electric mixers, garbage disposals, or other appliances. (Although the people in Mason, Ohio used to be able to hear WLW (AM) on all kinds of gadgets when that station ran 500 kW back in the 30s!)

    • It’s become more difficult to buy radio-only devices today now that small electronics stores have gone out of business. No Radio Shack, no Circuit City, and many others. The last fun radio put on the market was the Walkman 30 years ago. The electronics industry has focused all its energy on the digital business. Apple has no problem including a camera, a GPS, and an alarm clock in its phones. It installed the chip because it was required in other countries. But since its not required here, it’s disabled.

  4. Some phones use the earpiece cord as the FM antenna. But the iPhone 7 and 8 lack the earpiece cord: they use wireless earbuds. So, when Mr. Matheny says that Apple can connect the antenna…WHAT antenna? The half-dozen tiny antennas in the phone are for vastly shorter wavelengths than FM…I can imagine that networking them to create an internal FM antenna would concoct a highly directional, forced-resonance (loading coils and all that) antenna system that would work only on megasignals. In emergencies, all you need is one strong station, so that might be sufficient. But if Apple did this, consumers who wanted to listen to FM for fun would expect Nano performance levels, and they would be disappointed. Sigh… Thank goodness no one is trying to build AM reception into these phones! (“To receive AM stations on your new iPhone, first wrap 50 feet of bell wire around your phone…”)

  5. Streaming is where this is headed it is inevitable.

    Apple will never activate any chip it would impact their own cash flow will never happen.

    • And yet those chips were installed in those phones for many years. The obvious question is why would they install a chip, charge consumers for it, and not activate it? seems like the NAB has a point.

      • Sometimes obvious = kinda dumb. Why does my car have a de-icer when the temperature here never goes below 45? The chip had an antenna input that required a circuit connection to an antenna … and Apple doesn’t make antenna-capable radios!

  6. If radio leaders like Bob Pittman and Iheart don’t care about FM…all they do on their stations is incessantly push streaming and promote the Iheart app…basically telling their listeners to leave FM and to go to the iHeart streaming app…then why should Apple care about FM of the top radio company doesn’t care about it????

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