Keep AM radio in cars for now
It’s a good idea to keep AM radio, a linchpin of the federal emergency warning system. Credit: Getty Images/juanma hache
For decades, Long Island drivers cruising on open roads or stuck in traffic have relied on the soundtrack of the AM radios in their cars. Cousin Brucie playing Motown or the Beatles. Phil Rizzuto yelling “Holy Cow” after a Yankee home run. Howard Stern and Robin Quivers teasing Don Imus in the 80s with shock-jock banter.
On your illuminated dashboard, you could always find the latest local news, sports, and weather on that AM dial. Better suited to the human voice than music, it gave birth to political “talk radio” highlighting the confrontational style and strong opinions of Joe Pyne, Imus and Rush Limbaugh. Before GPS, it told us where the traffic was.
Now, some in Congress want to save this old-time medium by putting the brakes on automakers' plans to phase it out of their new electric cars. Firms like Tesla want to remove AM radio because they say electric motors cause annoying interference to that frequency, and only a small percentage of customers still listen to it.
To younger Americans attuned to Bluetooth, podcasts, Sirius satellite beams and the mellow sounds of FM, keeping AM radio might sound like just another unnecessary government intervention by nostalgic baby boomers. But a wide spectrum of surprising allies in Congress are pushing this bipartisan proposal. They argue that AM radio is essential to public safety as an important way of alerting people during emergencies like hurricanes and natural disasters. Bills to stop the removal have been introduced in both the House and Senate.
It’s a good idea to keep this linchpin of the federal emergency warning system in place — at least for now.
Before AM radio can be turned off, federal officials need to make sure the public has easy access to alternative radio frequencies, including internet-based ones, so the widest number of people can be alerted during an emergency like Superstorm Sandy. Right now, about 50 million Americans still listen to AM. Many of these stations have backup equipment to ensure they can keep broadcasting during an emergency.
Claims that electric motors cause too much interference on AM sound a little specious for a medium known for its crackling, tinny quality. If Tesla’s Elon Musk can build spaceships to the moon, he can surely find a less noisy solution here. Ford recently backed off its plan to get rid of AM after hearing these national safety concerns. Some senators have asked all to promise by July 7 to keep AM in their cars at least for the time being.
In the end, the marketplace seems likely to determine the fate of AM radio. But a mandate by Congress at this moment to keep AM seems necessary and in the public interest. We need to make sure the nation’s emergency alert system can reach everyone before AM radio is allowed to drive off into the sunset.
MEMBERS OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD are experienced journalists who offer reasoned opinions, based on facts, to encourage informed debate about the issues facing our community.
