Decline of AM radio

MSN - In recent years, a number of carmakers—BMW, Volvo, Tesla—have stopped offering AM radio in at least some models, especially electric cars. The problem is that their motors cause electromagnetic interference on the same frequency bands in which AM radio operates, in some cases making the already fuzzy medium inaudible. Carmakers do have ways to filter out the interference, but they are costly and imperfect—all to maintain a format that is in decline anyway. AM radio was eclipsed by the superior-sounding FM in the late ’70s, and the century-old technology can seem akin to floppy disks in the age of Spotify and podcasts. According to Ford’s internal data gathered from some of its newer vehicles, less than 5 percent of all in-car listening is to AM radio. Which is perhaps why Ford decided last year to drop AM from all of its vehicles, not just EVs.

Because so much listening happens in the car, the Ford news seemed like the beginning of the end for the whole medium. But just a few weeks after announcing that decision, the company reneged in response to political pressure. Before Ford’s reversal, Cruz and Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, had introduced the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would require exactly what its title suggests. (Bernie Sanders and more than 40 other senators have joined them as co-sponsors, along with Tlaib and 208 other representatives in the House.) Not everyone supports the bill: In December, Senator Rand Paul at least temporarily delayed its passage on the grounds that it constituted regulatory overreach. In the interim, Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey announced new steps last month intended to ramp up the pressure on carmakers to preserve AM radio. The year is 2024, and somehow, AM radio still matters.