AM radios in new vehicles at risk?

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A farmer or resident in a rural area can listen to AM radio in their vehicles for now — but an apparent trend with automakers could silence such radios in the future.

Some automakers appear to be moving away from installing AM radios in new vehicles, particularly electric models. Ford had originally proposed removing AM radios from some new vehicle models starting in 2024 but reversed after hearing from federal lawmakers and officials Tesla, BMW, Porsche, Audi and Volvo have all dropped AM radio from some models citing that electric models interfere with the reception of AM radio. The electric cars create buzzing and other noises in the reception of AM radio, some automakers have said.

A bipartisan front has emerged to to push for the retention of AM radio in all new vehicles at no additional charge. The legislation is called the AM for Every Vehicle Act. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is one of multiple sponsors. A release from the South Dakota Attorney General said AG Marty Jackley supports the proposed legislation and South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds has signed on as a supporter.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation opposes the proposed federal legislation. It cites the possibility of electric vehicles’ high voltage systems interfering with the reception of AM radio.

The Alliance also says on its website, “Combine that with research indicating drivers barely listen to AM radio in vehicles and the finite real estate behind the dashboard to house newer technologies, a clearer, less dramatic picture starts to emerge.”

Representatives of two radio stations with long histories in South Dakota said removing AM radios from vehicles is a mistake.

AM radio is the backbone of the emergency alert system, said Bill Holst, the general manager of WNAX in Yankton.

“Do we eliminate safety belts from vehicles?” Holst asked. “Are vehicle owners charged extra for that safety feature?”

Diane Deis, the general manager of James River Broadcasting (DRG Media) in Pierre, S.D., used the 2011 flooding on the Missouri River as example of the critical importance of AM radio in emergencies.

“We had 24-hour coverage,” Deis said. “We didn’t go to regular programming. We just kept looking for information to get on the air.”

The public needed to know where it could find sandbags, what the flooding levels were and where they could get other help, Deis said.

Radio “was an instant source” of information, she said.

AM radio takes the responsibility of informing the public about emergency situations such as summer storms seriously, Holst and Deis said.

“We know storms can develop out of nowhere,” Deis said. If a person is in a vehicle and a storm is approaching, AM radio is the source for information, she said.

Holst pointed out that WiFi coverage in rural areas can be spotty, which can make it an unreliable option to get information.

Daily reliance on AM radio

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said that many people listening to AM radios aren’t listening in their cars. 

Residents in their broadcast areas are listening to AM radio every day in their vehicles, Holst and Deis said.

Agriculture producers, “spend hours in that vehicle,” Holst said. “They listen the entire day from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

Listening to AM radio is how farmers learn about the markets, “how they stay informed during the day,” said Scott VanderWal, a farmer from Volga who is the president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau.

AM radio often carries agriculture information and resource programs, VanderWal said.

The agriculture information shared on the radio is not replicated on the internet, Holst and Deis said.

For example, WNAX has multiple agriculture analysts from around the nation, Holst said. The information they provide is reliable and current, he said.

VanderWal said his cell phone can be used for information but the public is advised not to use cell phones while driving. His AM radio can be on while driving.

Devices and national radio program subscriptions can provide some information but Deis said, “it’s not always local or relative to their location.”

Drive time with radio

Much of the life in rural South Dakota involves time in a vehicle, Deis said. A 50-mile one-way trip to a doctor’s appointment or a multi-mile trip from one field or pasture to another is not unusual.

“We are a source of information to the masses,” Deis said.

The seven radio stations in the James River Broadcasting system are locally focused, she said.

“We donate a lot of time to local organizations to get their information out,” Deis said.

AM radio listeners will learn about the next high school sports game or a local youth organization’s fundraiser.

KGFX broadcast its first youth baseball game in 1934. “We still broadcast high school sporting events,” Deis said.

“We still announce obituaries,” Deis said. “At 7 a.m., we do the funeral announcements.”

AM radio provides a community for its listeners, Deis said.

Holst likened AM radio to the adage taking a village to raise a child. By broadcasting weather and other local information, a radio station is essentially saying “be safe” and “take care of each other.”

AM has listeners

Pew Research said in 2022, eight-in-10 Americans ages 12 and older listen to terrestrial radio in a given week. Industry websites reported in June that AM radio reaches 82.3 million Americans monthly, representing one out of three U.S. AM/FM radio listeners, based on fall 2022 Nielsen surveys.

Holst said WNAX has focused on reaching what he called three generations of listeners.

For agriculture, there are often three generations considered: The younger people who are starting in production and farming, the middle generation that is actively farming and the senior generation that is retired or not as active in farming. Research has shown that the younger person spends more time with AM radio than the senior generation, Holst said.

He uses comments heard at a social gathering as another example of listening audience. The card party included members of each of the three generations. All three made comments on something they heard on WNAX, Holst said.

Unintended consequences

VanderWal said if automakers are allowed to remove AM radio it could likely have unintended consequences, including threatening the future of AM radio.

Deis and Holst said farm equipment could be next if AM radio is removed from future vehicles.

Representatives of AM radio are sharing their concerns and stories with federal lawmakers.

Deis said radio stations are also working with the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, the National Association of Broadcasters and the South Dakota Broadcasters Association.

The advocacy is not “just for our industry but for our consumers,” Deis said.