Streaming services are becoming more popular as an alternative to traditional phone calls. AM radio has been phased out of automotive infotainment systems in recent years as a cost-cutting measure taken by manufacturers in response to the dwindling number of people listening to terrestrial radio. A number of legislators are working to change that. On Capitol Hill, members from both parties introduced AM radio legislation the week before last. If the proposed legislation is passed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be authorised to mandate that AM radios be installed in all newly manufactured vehicles. Additionally, the technology must be available to the general public. It is expected that the corporation will incorporate AM radio within the vehicle rather than charging additional fees to customers. “Carmakers should not eliminate AM radio from newly manufactured vehicles or place it behind a pricey digital paywall,” Democratic Senator Edward Markey, who had previously supported AM radio, argued. The automotive industry has looked into this in order to support the legislation. AM radio has been removed from the most recent models of electric vehicles produced by Audi, BMW, Ford, Porsche, Tesla, and Volvo (including Ford’s Mustang with an internal combustion engine). Because more than half of radio listeners in the United States listen to the station while driving to and from work, relocating the station from a prominent location where many people congregate is likely to result in a decline in the number of radio listeners. Legislators maintain that it is not about the number of viewers or the amount of money made. They place a high emphasis on public safety. As FM has become more popular, AM radio has fallen. AM radio broadcasts have a narrower frequency range and worse quality than FM broadcasts. Another significant advantage is the enhancement of mass communication over great distances. AM broadcasts can reach hundreds of miles, whereas FM broadcasts can only reach tens of kilometres under optimum conditions; this difference is important for public safety. Politicians are concerned that AM radio will make it simpler for people to communicate during and after a disaster. The former director of FEMA, Craig Fugate, referred to it as “the last line of communications” for disaster response and relief efforts on the local, state, and federal levels. AM radio technology is quite inexpensive; removing it from vehicles would be a waste of time and resources. The manufacturers of automobiles claim that other factors influence pricing.
