Medium Wave Forever?
While people in various European countries are fighting to keep FM radio, particularly so they can continue listening to the radio in cars (and classic cars), Americans are facing a completely different issue. Specifically, they want to ensure that broadcasting and reception on the AM band continue.
A few days ago, the House of Representatives approved the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” by voice vote and sent it to the Senate for further consideration. This is being hailed as an important milestone by broadcasters and advocacy groups.
For Americans, AM radio is an important medium for many stations that broadcast emergency information and reliable news.
In Europe, AM radios—which can still be found in some classic cars—hardly ever pick up anything, at least not in this country. But perhaps we should at least proclaim “FM forever” at the political level to ensure the survival of FM, if nothing else? As we all know, DAB isn’t for everyone…
