Say goodbye to AM radio: Why carmakers are removing it from new models

[SixPlusOne]

You've heard about this before. Time will tell if and when it actually happens. I insert this in the forum so you will know the latest.

Courtesy: The Hill

Say goodbye to AM radio: Why carmakers are removing it from new models

"Car manufacturers typically cite electromagnetic interference as the reason for removing the radios from EVs. Electric motors can interfere with AM radio frequencies, making it sound staticky over the airwaves."

https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_me ... ew-models/

[Dan in Northville]

And cruel fate deals yet another blow to Ron Cameron Sportstalk on WPON.

[audiophile]

Ford reverses decision, will offer software update to allow AM reception on two 2023 EV models:
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireSto ... s-99540219

As said earlier the hardware costs to automakers was always minimal, as the radio chipsets include AM.

[Ben Zonia]

They made it sound like AM radios interfere with electric car motors, not the other way around. A large percentage of news stories are deliberately confusing, especially the headlines, which are often incomprehensible, and which could have been better written by a grade school student in the 1960s.

Watch how quickly News Talk and Sports formats will turn up on full power FMs in major markets now. Many rumors say it is when, not if, these migrations will occur. Not 99 watt and 250 watt translators either. Many have already done so, and others are on "suburban" stations, some full Class Cs, Class C0s, and C1s, which were able to move in from the more former rural areas, made possible by stations resulting from and upgrades from Docket 80-90 and subsequent rulings. Stations on second adjacents or third adjacents as C1s and C0s can be just 51 to 60 miles apart, and completely cover most major cities with a 70 dBu from the opposite side of the market from the 1960s antenna farms. Other Major Market Class Bs and Class C,C0, and C1 are performing so poorly that they are ripe to move to Talk formats.

[Rate This]

They made it sound like AM radios interfere with electric car motors, not the other way around. A large percentage of news stories are deliberately confusing, especially the headlines, which are often incomprehensible, and which could have been better written by a grade school student in the 1960s.

Watch how quickly News Talk and Sports formats will turn up on full power FMs in major markets now. Many rumors say it is when, not if, these migrations will occur. Not 99 watt and 250 watt translators either. Many have already done so, and others are on "suburban" stations, some full Class Cs, Class C0s, and C1s, which were able to move in from the more former rural areas, made possible by stations resulting from and upgrades from Docket 80-90 and subsequent rulings. Stations on second adjacents or third adjacents as C1s and C0s can be just 51 to 60 miles apart, and completely cover most major cities with a 70 dBu from the opposite side of the market from the 1960s antenna farms. Other Major Market Class Bs and Class C,C0, and C1 are performing so poorly that they are ripe to move to Talk formats.

FM radio is superior in literally every way. It’s a miracle AM wasn’t abandoned entirely 30 years ago just because it sounds like hot garbage on a clear day a block from the transmitter. If everything went FM I wouldn’t be bothered.

[Ben Zonia]

AM carrier reduction techniques to save power also introduce audio distortion in my experience, as well as weakened signals that skip the scan. Now, stations with low power and no carrier reduction sound better in my experience. There's one station I observed that actually cut off with high modulation at times, like they are over modulating, and another whose field strength is reduced by 30 percent. It seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot to cut power consumption. Stations that used to sound good don't anymore.

AM BC is still superior in coverage near and beyond the radio horizon, where shadows and the earth's curvature make FM stations weak. The lower the frequency, the better, as low frequency radio waves bend in such a way that it fills the terrain and horizon signal holes.

[RedfordRob]

Ford reverses plan, vows to keep AM radio for its electric, non-electric vehicles

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ ... 247434007/

[Ben Zonia]

The Music formats are so fragmented today, that when one format becomes unpopular, an AM simulcast or complete move to FM may occur.

In rural areas at Night, it is difficult to get news, weather, and information from local stations, and AM skywaves are definitely useful, both the Class A protected skywaves, and the de facto listenable high power Class B skywaves.

[bmw]

What is frustrating about the state of AM radio today is that it CAN sound really good - it just usually doesn't. At least for sports and talk radio, I actually prefer the sound of a well-modulated, non-HD AM station at a wide 10 khz bandwidth over FM.

If AM stations start to disappear from the band, what I'd love to see is a re-allocation eliminating every other frequency (thereby opening spacing up to 20 khz) and allowing stations to transmit at a bandwidth up to 15 khz. This would match FM fidelity and provide a 5 khz buffer against adjacent splatter. Ditch IBOC. And also, allocate a few frequencies (I'd propose 1650, 1670, and 1690) for non-licensed use at 1 watt of power.

[TC Talks]

What is frustrating about the state of AM radio today is that it CAN sound really good - it just usually doesn't. At least for sports and talk radio, I actually prefer the sound of a well-modulated, non-HD AM station at a wide 10 khz bandwidth over FM.

If AM stations start to disappear from the band, what I'd love to see is a re-allocation eliminating every other frequency (thereby opening spacing up to 20 khz) and allowing stations to transmit at a bandwidth up to 15 khz. This would match FM fidelity and provide a 5 khz buffer against adjacent splatter. Ditch IBOC. And also, allocate a few frequencies (I'd propose 1650, 1670, and 1690) for non-licensed use at 1 watt of power.

With no commercial viability. I'm getting bored with the theorist take on AM.

[CurlyHoward]

The Music formats are so fragmented today, that when one format becomes unpopular, an AM simulcast or complete move to FM may occur.

In rural areas at Night, it is difficult to get news, weather, and information from local stations, and AM skywaves are definitely useful, both the Class A protected skywaves, and the de facto listenable high power Class B skywaves.

Kindly explain how one gets local news, weather and information from signals running Hannity on delay, George Noory or ESPN Radio. Which is what most skywaves do at night, and have for decades now, besides the odd outlier like WSM or 740 in Toronto. Which also don't provide local news, weather and information for people in rural areas.

[Mega Hertz]

I'm okay with AM radio going away. I can come here to find out who Joe Biden personally wronged and find out that Democrats are the cause of 93% of all cancers.

[Tman]

Just put some traffic , news and weather information stations like WWJ on FM and problem solved .