Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

[billmich88888]

the political spectrum is not a line, its more like a horse-shoe where the extremes on either end actually wrap around and are quite close to each other (especially in their implementation)

[audiophile]

If I was a car company I would offer weather band and shortwave reception along with AM. The chipsets offer that at minimal cost.

https://www.skyworksinc.com/Products/Au ... -Receivers

[TC Talks]

Ford will be phasing out AM in all vehicles...

Ford recently disclosed that it would not include AM radio in the 2024 Mustang, which is a conventional vehicle powered by an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), and not an EV, which is known to cause interference with AM radio reception.

It now seems Ford is looking to phase out AM radio options in “most new and updated models.” The company earlier said it would not include AM in its 2023 F-150 Lightning EV trucks, which resulted in a response from Pete Gaynor, the former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Experts at The Federal Emergency Management Agency — the agency I used to oversee — have been clear: eliminating the AM radio will put public safety at risk,” he wrote in an opinion piece published by the Detroit News.

Seven former FEMA officials have asked the federal government to help keep AM radios in electric vehicles. In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the group petitioned the government to seek assurances from automakers to maintain AM radios in EVs, arguing that the band is vital to the federal National Public Warning System. In a separate letter, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington expressed his support of the former FEMA directors.

Upon the news that Ford was dropping AM from its Mustang models, ARS Technica asked the automaker for clarification. A Ford spokesperson told the publication, "A majority of U.S. AM stations, as well as a number of countries and automakers globally, are modernizing radio by offering internet streaming through mobile apps, FM, digital and satellite radio options,” the statement read. “Ford will continue to offer these alternatives for customers to hear their favorite AM radio music, news, and podcasts as we remove amplitude modulation—the definition of AM in this case—from most new and updated models we bring to market."

In reaction to the latest development on the discontinuation of AM radio in Ford vehicles, NAB Senior VP of Communications Alex Siciliano tells Inside Radio, “There’s no question that AM radio plays a critical role in informing Americans and keeping them safe; it is the backbone of the Emergency Alert System,” he said. “This is why numerous policymakers and FEMA representatives have sounded alarm bells for automakers. We are certain that Ford does not want to alienate the nearly 48 million Americans who listen to AM radio, and we’ll continue working closely with the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and individual manufacturers to keep this important service in cars.”

[audiophile]

I put ham gear in my cars, so I still have AM radio capabilities, but Ford is making another dumb move.

I drive Diesel's so not to have much interference.

[Mega Hertz]

https://www.insideradio.com/free/fcc-sh ... 9060c.html

I didn't know AP was interviewed for this story!

[TC Talks]

https://www.insideradio.com/free/fcc-sh ... 9060c.html

I didn't know AP was interviewed for this story!

It took a while, but I figured out the joke...

Good One

[audiophile]

Steve Forbes comments sound like mine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbe ... -to-do-it/

Oh we're going to play the "Free Market" card?

Electric Car subsidies are not Free Market.

Supply AM radio or no more subsidies...problem solved.

YES!

[MWmetalhead]

I was surprised to see some 2023 model year trims for Honda do not come with Sirius XM factory installed.

For example, for the fully redesigned CR-V (which looks way better inside & out than the outgoing generation), the LX, EX and Sport Hybrid trims do not offer it. It comes factory installed only on the EX-L and Sport Touring Hybrid trims.

The same holds true for Toyota as well. I do not believe it is even an option on the RAV4 LE trim, and for the XLE trim, one needs to purchase the audio upgrade for it to be included. (At least Toyota offers it as an option package for its mid level XLE trim, Honda does not do option packages.)

Perhaps the NAB should've spent more time these past 30 years lobbying the FCC and Congress to require higher quality receiver specs for the AM band so that the listening experience isn't so horrendous. Had they done so, perhaps a much higher percentage of non-boomers would be using the band today. Instead, they and others lobbied for implementation of HD Radio on AM, which greatly degraded the already substandard listening experience on analog-only receivers.

[TC Talks]

I don't think my 2020 Honda has XM. Maybe it's hidden and can be activated if you actually spend money for it.

[MWmetalhead]

I just heard the new generation Honda Accord does not offer SXM on *any* trim in the United States (the top trim in Canada does offer it).

That is shocking to me and would be a complete deal breaker if I were in the market for a sedan.

AM radio sounds abysmal in current generation Honda vehicles. Bandwidth is minuscule; maybe 2 kHz.

[TC Talks]

From what I just read, you can add an XM pod to the accessory input to the Honda radio. So it is an added piece of hardware in your glovebox that uses Android Auto for display and control. This makes sense to me.

[bmw]

This has unfortunately turned into a political issue. TC Talks' comments earlier in this thread about AM radio being a "tool of the GOP" are how most politicians feel; hence, most Democrats oppose such a mandate and most Republicans support one, for political reasons alone.

While I oppose such a mandate, my concern lies with the fact that unlike cars from a decade or more ago, you can't just replace your now "infotainment" center with an aftermarket radio. If AM were a feature a consumer could easily add, that would be one thing. So I oppose the mandate, but I don't understand the decision to leave it out.

And a question to MW - did you oppose or support the federal mandate in 2005 that required all TV manufacturers of television sets over a certain size to contain a digital ATSC tuner?

[MWmetalhead]

In reference to your question, I do not recall the specific parameters of the mandate.

I do not believe compulsory ATSC tuner inclusion should have been mandated so long as manufacturers provided clear notices on product packaging as to inability to pick up OTA digital broadcasts (without purchasing a converter box) and inability to display high definition programming.

[TC Talks]

Fortunately, Joe Biden being 81 could actually be helpful with this government overreach legislation. He probably still listens to AM...

I audited my AM band on the way home from Chicago yesterday; nothing but yelling white men about politics or sports. I can't see the value in mandating it stay in a modern car any more than mandating we all keep getting print newspapers.

[km1125]

In reference to your question, I do not recall the specific parameters of the mandate.

I do not believe compulsory ATSC tuner inclusion should have been mandated so long as manufacturers provided clear notices on product packaging as to inability to pick up OTA digital broadcasts (without purchasing a converter box) and inability to display high definition programming.

I agree fully.