Ford Offering Update to Keep AM Radio in EVs

[SixPlusOne]

Courtesy: NewsMax

Ford Offering Update to Keep AM Radio in EVs

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/ford- ... d/1151834/

[Deleted User 15924]

However, data collected from vehicles showed fewer than 5% of customers were tuning in to AM radio.

That sentence sums up the (lack of) relevance of AM radio beautifully.

I wonder if this is a regional thing? Folks in sparsely populated areas are more likely to receive an AM signal. Or AM stations are more likely to carry the daily US farm report. That sort of thing.

[TC Talks]

However, data collected from vehicles showed fewer than 5% of customers were tuning in to AM radio.

That sentence sums up the (lack of) relevance of AM radio beautifully.

I wonder if this is a regional thing? Folks in sparsely populated areas are more likely to receive an AM signal. Or AM stations are more likely to carry the daily US farm report. That sort of thing.

Farm reports are on FM and via apps these days. The 5% are likely older than 70.

[Deleted User 16173]

Ford's AM radio receivers are terrible. Way to much computer noise. I'm not sure if it has to do with the antenna design or if it has to do with the car and computer setup itself.

[TC Talks]

Ford's AM radio receivers are terrible. Way to much computer noise. I'm not sure if it has to do with the antenna design or if it has to do with the car and computer setup itself.

or, who the fuck cares, it's AM. Ford has outsourced audio for 5 years now.

[RedfordRob]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

[Deleted User 16173]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

[Art Van Damme]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

Oh gawd, here we go again with the ‘doomsday’ discussion.
No, AM radio is not solely important…RADIO is important. AM, FM, SW, pick a band. Doesn’t matter, all of them do the job of sending information from a single point to many points at one time. RADIO can play a vital role in disseminating information in times of crises. So can print media, community sirens and PA systems.

The issue really is, is that if, God forbid, there a catastrophic crises that disables internet and cellphones, chances are radio and tv will be disabled, too. What then?

Your statement (and most doomsday communication discussions) never acknowledges that in the time since cell phones were introduced, the infrastructure needed to make the cell phone systems reliable has been constantly worked on and improved. Same can be said about the internet.

This “one day AM radio will save the day just you wait and see” discussion is pure nostalgia. AM (in the US anyhow) will continue down the path of (micro) niche broadcasting, until the economics of AM radio broadcasting don’t make sense.

[Graham Wellington]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

If that scenario plays out, do enough people actually have a radio to listen to? And couldn't FM just as easily disseminate information?

Radio stations rely just as much on internet as everyone else. If internet goes out, they are dead as well.

[Deleted User 16173]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

If that scenario plays out, do enough people actually have a radio to listen to? And couldn't FM just as easily disseminate information?

Radio stations rely just as much on internet as everyone else. If internet goes out, they are dead as well.

Not necessarily, a few stations have auxiliary transmission and backup generators to transmit emergency information. It is possible that FM would also be available for the same purposes. The thing with AM though is the fact that if your area is without power, you could get emergency information from distant stations. This is why it is important that auto manufacturers must keep AM radio in vehicles.

[RedfordRob]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

Oh gawd, here we go again with the ‘doomsday’ discussion.
No, AM radio is not solely important…RADIO is important. AM, FM, SW, pick a band. Doesn’t matter, all of them do the job of sending information from a single point to many points at one time. RADIO can play a vital role in disseminating information in times of crises. So can print media, community sirens and PA systems.

The issue really is, is that if, God forbid, there a catastrophic crises that disables internet and cellphones, chances are radio and tv will be disabled, too. What then?

Your statement (and most doomsday communication discussions) never acknowledges that in the time since cell phones were introduced, the infrastructure needed to make the cell phone systems reliable has been constantly worked on and improved. Same can be said about the internet.

This “one day AM radio will save the day just you wait and see” discussion is pure nostalgia. AM (in the US anyhow) will continue down the path of (micro) niche broadcasting, until the economics of AM radio broadcasting don’t make sense.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service proves your argument wrong.

[Deleted User 16173]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

Oh gawd, here we go again with the ‘doomsday’ discussion.
No, AM radio is not solely important…RADIO is important. AM, FM, SW, pick a band. Doesn’t matter, all of them do the job of sending information from a single point to many points at one time. RADIO can play a vital role in disseminating information in times of crises. So can print media, community sirens and PA systems.

The issue really is, is that if, God forbid, there a catastrophic crises that disables internet and cellphones, chances are radio and tv will be disabled, too. What then?

Your statement (and most doomsday communication discussions) never acknowledges that in the time since cell phones were introduced, the infrastructure needed to make the cell phone systems reliable has been constantly worked on and improved. Same can be said about the internet.

This “one day AM radio will save the day just you wait and see” discussion is pure nostalgia. AM (in the US anyhow) will continue down the path of (micro) niche broadcasting, until the economics of AM radio broadcasting don’t make sense.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service proves your argument wrong.

Again agree. Just 2 days ago, The FBI issued another warning about China hacking our power grids. Hopefully we can stop this form of terrorism before we have a terrible situation. The border crisis is not helping, any terrorist cell can just walk across the border.

[Art Van Damme]

AM is still needed, glad it's being kept in cars. I was listening to AM580 today while driving.

agree. AM Radio is important for emergency situations. When the power grid fails for whatever reason like hacking by terrorist, EMP or failure just by the age of our power grid, AM Radio can play an important role for us to obtain information. There will be no internet or cellphone service whatsoever. Look for rolling blackouts and brownouts this year due to the current strain on the power grid today due to the weather and other factors.

Oh gawd, here we go again with the ‘doomsday’ discussion.
No, AM radio is not solely important…RADIO is important. AM, FM, SW, pick a band. Doesn’t matter, all of them do the job of sending information from a single point to many points at one time. RADIO can play a vital role in disseminating information in times of crises. So can print media, community sirens and PA systems.

The issue really is, is that if, God forbid, there a catastrophic crises that disables internet and cellphones, chances are radio and tv will be disabled, too. What then?

Your statement (and most doomsday communication discussions) never acknowledges that in the time since cell phones were introduced, the infrastructure needed to make the cell phone systems reliable has been constantly worked on and improved. Same can be said about the internet.

This “one day AM radio will save the day just you wait and see” discussion is pure nostalgia. AM (in the US anyhow) will continue down the path of (micro) niche broadcasting, until the economics of AM radio broadcasting don’t make sense.

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service proves your argument wrong.

Refresh my memory. Does the ARES operate in the AM broadcast band? (530kHz-1710kHz)

[TC Talks]

If that scenario plays out, do enough people actually have a radio to listen to? And couldn't FM just as easily disseminate information?

Good question, important question.