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Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

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n8fnr
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Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by n8fnr » Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:18 pm

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-bus ... ty-feature

A congressman from New Jersey wants the government to add AM radio to the list of safety equipment that carmakers must include in their vehicles.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer has called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to “add AM radio to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to require that all automakers, including EV manufacturers, include AM radio as a stock feature in their vehicles. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are the minimum safety standards that a manufacturer must meet when making a vehicle — including requirements related to airbags, brakes, seatbelts, tires, controls and displays.”

The National Association of Broadcasters welcomed his effort.

Gottheimer, a Democrat who represents a district along the state’s northern border, held a news event next to a Tesla dealership in Paramus, N.J., along with New Jersey Broadcasters Association Executive Director Jordan Walton.
The congressman said he is writing to the major electric vehicle makers, including Tesla, “urging them to reconsider their decision to discontinue AM radio in their cars and trucks and to include the public safety tool as a stock feature.” He cited AM radio’s role during the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Sandy as examples (read his letter).

He also said he wants to ensure that AM stations remain safe and intact during national emergencies “through federal investment in backup power, hardening antennas and towers, and supporting key communications equipment for AM radio stations.”

Major carmaker Ford recently signaled that it plans to phase out AM in most of its vehicles, not just EVs. Other carmakers vary widely in their comments about AM in electric and other vehicles. Tesla has said that electronic noise “causes severe disruption to AM radio transmission that makes the signal reception unstable and unusable.”

“I would think that if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas,” Gottheimer said in his announcement.

“Instead, Elon Musk and Tesla and other car manufacturers are putting public safety and emergency response at risk. … When the cell phone runs out, the internet gets cut off, or the television doesn’t work because of no electricity or power to your house, you can still turn on your AM radio.”



km1125
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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by km1125 » Sat Mar 25, 2023 4:54 pm

RE: "Tesla has said that electronic noise “causes severe disruption to AM radio transmission that makes the signal reception unstable and unusable.”"

What happens to all the other radio services in the kHz bands that are affected by this kind of "severe disruption", especially as these kind of vehicles get more predominant on the highways?



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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by k8jd » Sat Mar 25, 2023 5:11 pm

What about the possible shift to DIGI ony AM stations ???, there have been reports of some stations going to DIGITAL modes like HD without any standard AM signal going out. Is this a possible trend for AM MW stations.



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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat Mar 25, 2023 6:00 pm

I suspect that the noise from a Tesla would wipe out that digital signal.


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TC Talks
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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by TC Talks » Sat Mar 25, 2023 8:10 pm

Another government overreach.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by audiophile » Fri Mar 31, 2023 8:14 am

Not really TCT, the vehicles are causing interference to radio reception in other nearby vehicles AND most federal TIS and PEP stations are AM.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by TC Talks » Fri Mar 31, 2023 8:54 am

PEP is moving to text and TIS can and should go to lpfm (as the equipment is like $150 a unit).

AM is a dying freq, like Analog TV.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by Ben Zonia » Fri Mar 31, 2023 4:52 pm

Unless ALL the AM stations can be moved to Full Power FMs in some way, expanded band, relaxed distance separation requirements, relaxation of First Local Service to relocate failing and other FM facilities to replace AM stations, returning to prior rules using contour overlap, DAs, whatever it takes, the loss of AM stations will result in an "inequitable distribution of facilities" as the FCC has always used as an argument. This has been done in many other countries, including Canada and Mexico. Translators can only serve small and medium sized cities. It is ridiculous to think that 250 watt translators are enough to replace AM stations for an "equitable distribution of facilities", in all but the smallest cities with little or no population outside the city limits.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by TC Talks » Sat Apr 01, 2023 4:44 am

Aren't TIS stations low power? This was Audiophile's example.

AM radio is a tool for the GOP. It's a political device these days.

Most homes don't have an AM radio. Most homes have a smartphone. AM is no longer a primary emergency tool like it once was.


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Ben Zonia
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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat Apr 01, 2023 12:13 pm

TC Talks wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 4:44 am

AM radio is a tool for the GOP. It's a political device these days.
If they try to shut down AM, those stations will simulcast and move to FM. They already are in many markets.

Under the First Amendment, there is supposed to be something called Free Speech. Unless you are a Communist/Nazi and shut that down too.

Anyway, politics is a poor reason to deny radio service by jamming it and making it go out of business. It's what they do in Communist/Nazi countries.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Apr 01, 2023 1:08 pm

And the LAST thing we need is more white conservative male victimization.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Apr 01, 2023 1:17 pm

What ever happened to free market economics? Let the car makers decide which features to include or not include. Continue to require them to accurately disclose on the sticker what is or is not included. If consumers like the product, they'll purchase it. If they dislike the product, they'll go elsewhere.

The notion AM radio is an indispensable emergency management tool is silly. Many AM stations change pattern and have much worse reception across a good chunk of their daytime coverage areas at night. They also perform terribly during lightning storms. I cannot think of any place in the lower 48 that is actually inhabitable where FM radio cannot be easily heard.

The removal of the AM band by some carmakers has absolutely nothing to do with conservative news/talk programming. The same cars that lack an AM band feature Sirius XM, which offers multiple conservative news/talk channels. In many parts of the country, conservative news/talk can be heard on FM, sometimes on 50 kW or even 100 kW signals.

In most places, the bulk of the AM band features ultra niche programming (foreign language, Christian preaching, brokered programming, a syndicated sports/talk network, etc.), much of which is either pre-recorded or non-local.

And by the way, if I'm concerned about obtaining emergency info during a power outage, etc. , chances are - I'll be listening to audio content from my home or workplace, not from my vehicle.

There's no mandate that the NOAA weather band be included in cars for emergency info purposes; why should AM radio receive special treatment?



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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat Apr 01, 2023 1:39 pm

I had a school friend who used to be a Chief Engineer of some AM stations. I got in touch with him after many years, and started talking about old times and AM radio ENGINEERING, and he had an irrational conniption about hating AM radio because of politics. He was all about free speech in the 1960s. I call it "AM Radio Politically Motivated Derangement Syndrome". I see the same thing happening on this board. It's been around since 1994 or so as the Gin Blossoms made a snide lyrical comment about AM Radio in "Found Out About You", so the rest of you are about 30 years LTTG.


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by TC Talks » Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:02 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 12:13 pm
Under the First Amendment, there is supposed to be something called Free Speech. Unless you are a Communist/Nazi and shut that down too.

Anyway, politics is a poor reason to deny radio service by jamming it and making it go out of business. It's what they do in Communist/Nazi countries.


Excellent, a Nazi reference.

These are public airwaves, it's not as simple as standing on a corner screaming "Go Brandon".


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Re: Congressman Says Make AM a Mandatory Car Safety Feature

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:14 pm

Though they might be defined differently, there is little difference between Communism and Naziism in the level of totalitarianism, political repression and oppression, and the mass murder of tens to hundreds of millions of their political enemies.


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