Beginning my career in radio broadcasting, I remember the general manager of the FM station where I worked complaining in 1970 about a piece of legislation that had just passed Congress and became law.  The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) had lobbied to require carmakers to install FM radios in their vehicles, but that provision was stripped from the final version of the measure.

He complained that the stripping away of that law provision would stunt the growth of all FM stations for many years.  There was some truth in that.

I thought about those comment in 1970 while watching the current kerfuffle over announcements by some car manufacturers of plans to eliminate AM radios in new cars.

Tesla says the static created by their engines is too much.  BMW, Mazda and Volkswagen announced they will eliminate AM radios in their new electric vehicles.  Ford had announced it would remove AM radios from all new vehicles, then reversed that decision.

Why are so many people worked up about AM radio?  In recent years, AM radio has mostly been home to political talk radio, news, sports, foreign language and religious programming.

What are the major differences between AM & FM radio?

First, Amplitude Modulation (AM) radio was the first form of broadcasting in the United States.  It has the capability of beaming a signal a long way,  That’s why clear channel stations in places like Chicago, Cincinnati and even New Orleans can often be heard at night in central Indiana.

AM radio is important for emergency messages, particularly in rural areas not served by FM stations and with little or no access to the Internet.

But AM radio has some major drawbacks,  First, the quality of the sound cannot come close to matching FM.  Also, if there is a thunderstorm in your area, there is a lot of static on your AM radio, often making it difficult or impossible to listen.

Then there is Frequency Modulation (FM) radio, where the signal does not reach nearly as far as AM, but the sound quality is much better.  It is best suited to broadcast almost any kind of music.  FM radio exploded in popularity in the 1970s.

When carmakers started the discussion of ditching AM radios in new cars, particularly electric ones for technical interference reasons, it started a new conversation about the future of AM radio.

Many politicians on the left and right of the political spectrum are saying AM radio must be saved.  I am not so sure that is a good idea.

The argument that hard-to-reach rural areas without FM radio or much access to the Internet do need access to emergency messages is valid today.  However, recently enacted legislation will begin to fund programs providing Internet access to remote rural areas.  That argument will only last a few years.

I had broadcast engineers tell me in the early 1970s that AM radio would, at some point in the future, be abolished in favor of FM.  That trend has continued, with most of the radio audience on FM, based on all the data I have seen.

The only 50,000 watt AM station in Indianapolis, WIBC (Later WFAN after switching to a sports format) had an offer for their transmitter site that was so good the owners had no choice but take it.  Without a suitable and affordable alternative to place the towers and transmitter, 1070 AM is still off the air.

The impact of the Internet and cell phones cannot be ignored.  Music, news, sports and the latest iteration of podcasts are all available through your cell phone and Blue Tooth in your car.   Fewer people are listening to radio overall these days.

AM radio will be around a few more years, but once Internet is more universally available, the emergency message argument will no longer be valid.  Also, carmakers will eventually take them out of newly manufactured vehicles.

That part of the radio spectrum could be used for other purposes. Just look at how much money the federal government has reeled-in during recent radio spectrum auctions.  The cell phone firms and other communications companies would bid for that spectrum once AM radio is gone.

So, with technology moving on, I see a bleak future for AM radio.  The broadcast engineers that prophesied the end of AM radio may have been a little premature, but in the long-run, I believe they will be proven correct.

My General Manager boss in 1970 was livid that FM radio would not be in new cars.  Interesting that more than 50 years later, the shoe is on the other foot.