Bill to save AM Radio advances in U.S. House

[Ed Nielson]

Found this headline... thought it would be of interest.

Bill To Require AM Radio In Cars Advances In House.

A House bill that would require carmakers to keep AM radio in the dashboard has taken a step forward in Congress. A House subcommittee today approved the AM Radio for

www.insideradio.com

 

[CTListener]

Rest of the world must be shaking its collective head at America, as again, the U.S.A. not only proves unwilling to accept a technological shift; it actually tries to force manufacturers to keep making products containing that dying technology. What happens if this becomes law and AM stations increase their license turn-in rate sharply? In 15 to 20 years, perhaps even fewer, when AM is a wasteland of widely scattered Godcasters and infomercial hucksters, will automakers still have to include the AM band on the radios of every vehicle made for the American market?

 

[TheBigA]

In 15 to 20 years, perhaps even fewer, when AM is a wasteland of widely scattered Godcasters and infomercial hucksters, will automakers still have to include the AM band on the radios of every vehicle made for the American market?

All that matters is that the band exists to carry the EAS notifications that are sent out automatically from DHS. Nothing else matters, and no one cares about the stations, what they normally program, or that their owners are all going broke. This is not a windfall for broadcasters. I have lots of devices that I don't use. AM radio is just another one.

 

[landtuna]

Does anyone have a cost per unit for the inclusion of AM in a typical dash radio?

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Rest of the world must be shaking its collective head at America, as again, the U.S.A. not only proves unwilling to accept a technological shift; it actually tries to force manufacturers to keep making products containing that dying technology. What happens if this becomes law and AM stations increase their license turn-in rate sharply? In 15 to 20 years, perhaps even fewer, when AM is a wasteland of widely scattered Godcasters and infomercial hucksters, will automakers still have to include the AM band on the radios of every vehicle made for the American market?

iOS - CarPlay

With CarPlay, get directions, play music, and more on your car’s built-in display. And use digital car keys to unlock and start your car with iPhone.

www.apple.com

Drive with Android Auto. The best of Android, on your in-car display.

Meet Android Auto, a hands-free, smart driving companion with apps that let you connect your phone to your car to stay focused, connected & entertained.

www.android.com

Also this one car manufacturers have been shifting to dashboard app systems for some time. How will AM be factored here is yet to be seen. I agree how AM is fading given that some of the major all news, Sports/talk and News/talk stations have been emphasizing their FM simulcast stations and their parent company's apps. Notable examples are KNBR-FM, WFAN-FM Sportstalk, KFBK, WMAL, for Newstalk. WINS, KNX, WBBM and KCBS for all news on the FM side.

 

[Greg Strickland]

Is there another technology in place that does not require the internet protocol suite to broadcast emergency information, audio, video, or text to the public?

With over the air broadcast the public pays no fee (other than buying a radio or television and hearing or viewing advertising), network connectivity is not required, electric power from a utility is not mandatory, and listening, viewing or reading activity is private.

The analog AM broadcast band system is a cost-effective way to distribute and broadcast information and audio. Long radio wavelength and nighttime skywave propagation result in a diversified and robust way to broadcast information to the public.

Does anyone feel a bit uncomfortable paying rent every month for information, audio, video or text; in many cases still hearing or viewing commercials, and having maybe three sources for connectivity to content creators?

I think over the air broadcasting is important to us, and our country.

 

[CTListener]

Is there another technology in place that does not require the internet protocol suite to broadcast emergency information, audio, video, or text to the public?

With over the air broadcast the public pays no fee (other than buying a radio or television and hearing or viewing advertising), network connectivity is not required, electric power from a utility is not mandatory, and listening, viewing or reading activity is private.

The analog AM broadcast band system is a cost-effective way to distribute and broadcast information and audio. Long radio wavelength and nighttime skywave propagation result in a diversified and robust way to broadcast information to the public.

Does anyone feel a bit uncomfortable paying rent every month for information, audio, video or text; in many cases still hearing or viewing commercials, and having maybe three sources for connectivity to content creators?

I think over the air broadcasting is important to us, and our country.

Since all but 10 percent (or less) of all radios in use are going to be tuned to FM stations when this awful event you imagine happens, and most people aren't going to be listening to a radio at all, I think we're just going to have to accept that some folks are inevitably going to be collateral damage, especially if the FM stations they're listening to are running on autopilot. Let their families sue Congress (if Washington still exists after the big earhquake/alien attack/Ice Age onset/flood/whatever) and blame the failure of the AM Preservation Act for their demise. Yeah, that's gonna work.

Where does it say that the survival of every human in the nation in the event of any calamitous occurrence is the duty of broadcasters, anyway?

 

[PTBoardOp93]

Is there another technology in place that does not require the internet protocol suite to broadcast emergency information, audio, video, or text to the public?

SiriusXM.

 

[TheBigA]

Does anyone feel a bit uncomfortable paying rent every month for information, audio, video or text; in many cases still hearing or viewing commercials, and having maybe three sources for connectivity to content creators?

People like to attack big radio for various things, but there is no radio company that is as big as any of the telecom companies or companies like Spotify or Apple Music. People seem to think nothing about turning over their personal information to them.

 

[CTListener]

SiriusXM.

1. You have to pay for it.
2. Only 30 million of so people do that, and it's hard to envision it becoming much more than niche.
3. A SiriusXM receiver has only rudimentary text capacity, and can't stream video at all. Good thing, because you're not supposed to be looking at text or watching video in the car.

 

[gr8oldies]

All that matters is that the band exists to carry the EAS notifications that are sent out automatically from DHS. Nothing else matters, and no one cares about the stations, what they normally program, or that their owners are all going broke. This is not a windfall for broadcasters. I have lots of devices that I don't use. AM radio is just another one.

I demand mandatory cassette players!

 

[Kelly A]

I demand mandatory cassette players!

Congress would be on board with that idea if:
1. Political rhetoric was distributed by cassettes.
2. Lobbyists for cassette manufacturers gave hundreds of millions of dollars to political candidates' reelection funds.

 

[PTBoardOp93]

1. You have to pay for it.

We're talking about Congressional mandates here. It would not cost so much for Uncle Sam to pay SXM to put an alerts channel alongside the barker channel that lapsed subscribers can hear.

2. Only 30 million of so people do that, and it's hard to envision it becoming much more than niche.

The intended audience would be radio & TV broadcasters, not the general public.

3. A SiriusXM receiver has only rudimentary text capacity, and can't stream video at all. Good thing, because you're not supposed to be looking at text or watching video in the car.

All of those limitations are adequate for distributing EAS alerts.

 

[TheBigA]

We're talking about Congressional mandates here. It would not cost so much for Uncle Sam to pay SXM to put an alerts channel alongside the barker channel that lapsed subscribers can hear.

Satellite radio is regulated by the FCC. They air EAS just like broadcast media:

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States designed to allow authorized officials to broadcast emergency alerts and warning messages to the public via cable, satellite and broadcast television and both AM, FM and satellite radio.

 

[CTListener]

Satellite radio is regulated by the FCC. They air EAS just like broadcast media:

But not to non-subscribers, right?

 

[gr8oldies]

But not to non-subscribers, right?

I've heard of threm opening the Weather Channel to everyone but if you don't know to look for it, you won't. Pretty sure I've heard one national alert test but it's not going to tell me of a tornado where I am.

 

[davideduardo]

SiriusXM.

A huge percentage of people in the US can not afford services like that, And it is obvious that Sirius XM is moving towards streaming distribution just like satellite TV services are.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

This isnt going to do much

and i hate to say that, as a long time broadcaster and even longer term dxer

every improvement in the last 30-40 years has been through technology..... am stereo? puh-lease.. some people still think that might make a difference. and the few attempts based upon attempts at laws dont really work either

you cant shove crap in and get a diamond out. its gotta come from programming

And i dont want the fcc involve in mandating programming... free market is what i stand for.

if the telecom act of 96 hadnt happened, what we might be left with is mroe signals off the air after revenue started dropping and they didnt have the synergy of a corporate owner or cluster operations.

if the internet had come along a little later, we'd eventually still be facing some of the same issues.. increase competition and dropping revenues (whens the last time any of you have tried to sell to ma and pa for your on air station... or egads,.. website or stream? even with good stations and sales people, it is hard)

Wed eventually still end up relatively where we are today, just maybe several more years down the line, but maybe in a different order or with a different set of issues but with the same end result

 

[CTListener]

I've heard of threm opening the Weather Channel to everyone but if you don't know to look for it, you won't.

They stopped doing that a few years ago. No pay, no service except during promotional periods. All you can get for free is the barker channel.

 

[CTListener]

A huge percentage of people in the US can not afford services like that, And it is obvious that Sirius XM is moving towards streaming distribution just like satellite TV services are.

Absolutely. Every lineup change they make diminishes the radio side of the operation. If you're not streaming, you're hearing the "basic cable" version of SiriusXM. More and more attractive content is being moved to the internet side.