(By Cameron Coats) As the anniversary of the AM For Every Vehicle Act’s introduction approaches, I’ve begun to miss the excitement and camaraderie of those first few weeks and months – radio was flying high. When Ford reversed its decision to remove AM from all of its automobiles, everyone celebrated. At a time when the radio industry needed unity, we found a rallying point in AM.
But now the grumbling has restarted. “AM doesn’t have any good programming.” “People only listen to AM stations on FM translators.” “It’s best to let go of AM and focus on FM and streaming.” And those grumbles are getting louder.
All this before the battle for the dashboard has been won.
A friendly reminder: it isn’t the FM band that a majority of Congress wants to ensure remains in the dashboard. If radio gives up the fight and automakers are allowed to remove AM this year, especially after the fight we’ve given them in full public view, they won’t stop there – not when there’s an information and entertainment source in their vehicles they can’t monetize.
It may not happen tomorrow, but it will happen if we don’t head them off today.
Calling for the end of AM radio now negates the 400,000+ people who wrote, called, and messaged their legislators to say they Depend on AM, not to mention the tireless work of the NAB, state broadcast associations, and more. Sure, that’s not everyone, but it certainly isn’t an inconsequential number either.
I’m not pretending that the morning after the AM Act passes, everyone will wake up, turn their radios to AM, and drive to work with the volume all the way up. Does AM radio have real problems that need to be addressed? Yes. AM has a content issue. But you have to admit FM isn’t exactly perfect, either. And we can get to those after the AM Act has passed.
The AM Act is a celebration of what radio still means and provides more than one hundred years after its invention.
So if AM succeeds, who would be hurt?
This industry will lose nothing by continuing to root for AM, but it could lose a great deal by stepping away from it now.
Cameron Coats is the Online Editor for Radio Ink.
I’ve been lobbying hard to rally support from our Congressional delegation to stay behind this legislation.
This focus on the AM band has created a content opportunity for independent owners to focus on local community issues within our municipalities, our schools and nonprofits.
What’s more the availability of locally produced podcasts has proliferated since the pandemic and have created a remarkable opportunity for AM radio.
We air these podcasts daily under several content share agreements we’ve developed with other independent print media outlets that share our vision and values of localism.
We’ve even recorded and aired local high school choirs, churches and events that sound terrific on AM radio.
We’re is the process of actual upgrading our transmission site under an active construction permit from the FCC to expand our AM coverage to clear the way to air local play-by-play with our local college and high school.
In the meantime our low power STA has been brutal but thankfully supplemented by our two FM translators.
I hear from listeners and advertisers daily inquiring when our signal boost will be completed on AM.
Our agenda is mandated by our commitment to be of service to the community we serve.
This is all possible because of AM radio and it’s a honor.
As former radio on-air talent and salesperson, AM radio should go the way of the horse and buggy. The only way to profit from AM is to have obnoxious talent to lie to his/her audience like Limbaugh. As a salesperson, it is difficult if not impossible to sell commercials on AM during a show like Limbaugh as no one local wants to have their commercial associated with that type of show.
AM also is over- modulated so often it is a nuisance to those living nearby as it comes in on your television and landline.
Get rid of it.
Agree with Kimberly. If radio broadcasters had put the same effort into investing in good content for AM as they are now, in trying to “save” AM, there wouldn’t be a problem now. Kind of like a little kid who never used a toy, but then cried and screamed when the parents put the toy away.
AM Radio, other than a news station in many markets, has deteriorated into a wasteland of right wing talk shows, and sleazy
Pay for Pray “Chri$tian” infomercials on Salem and other alleged broadcasters. They prey on the elderly. Disgusting.
Those stations in no way are operating in the public interest.