How important is it to have AM radio in cars if the majority of the people don’t listen to any AM radio stations?
I loved AM radio and my five decades plus career started on AM radio back in the 60s, but if I’m being honest, I can’t remember the last time I listened to any AM radio station, even though both of my older cars have decent AM radios in them – and I’m a “radio guy.”
Can we get real about AM radio’s problems? Mandating AM radio in all vehicles won’t cause more people to listen this radio service.
650AM – WSM
When I worked at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the only way I could listen to 650AM – WSM broadcasting from Nashville, Tennessee was via their stream. My office had a huge picture window that looked south towards the WSM tower site, but the interference from the fluorescent lights and the steel structure of the building made AM reception impossible.
Inviting radio professionals into my Capstone Class to talk about radio, one of those professionals was the program director of WSM who told my students that more people listened to his radio station via the WSM App & stream, than did via their AM 50,000-watt FCC licensed clear channel frequency on the AM radio dial in Nashville.
Monthly Radio Ratings
Every month, when the radio trades publish radio ratings, you’re lucky to find a single AM radio station listed; in market after market. Often you find no AM radio stations listed at all, and on rare occasions you might find two.
If you go deep into the weeds, you might find an all religious station or foreign language AM radio station with a small listener base.
WIIN – AM1450
Back in the early 80s, WIIN-AM1450 in Atlantic City had a news/talk format with a local news team, sports director and even a plane in the sky doing traffic reports during the busy summer tourist season. Its sister FM radio station was 50,000-watt WFPG that featured a beautiful music format. WFPG was rated #1 by Arbitron and WIIN never showed up in the ratings.
WFPG, on the FM band, was fully automated and made all the money. WIIN-AM was fully staffed and lost a great deal of money. The owners of WIIN once said it would be more cost effective to mail the station’s few listeners a news sheet than broadcast the news to them.
AM Radio or AM Programming
Every radio format, once only associated with AM radio – like news or sports programming –today can now be heard on an FM signal.
18-years ago WTOP-AM 1500 moved its excellent news format to FM and yet, do you recall anyone being up in arms that Washington, DC area residents had just been “unserved” with important news and information, because this format moved from the AM band to FM? Quite the opposite, many FM only listeners discovered WTOP for the very first time and became avid listeners.
Revenue wise, WTOP-FM has been the nation’s top billing radio station and has won all the major radio awards year after year. In fact, our nation’s capital is dominated by FM signals. The first AM radio station doesn’t show up until you get to #24 and it only managed a 0.4 audience rating – it also is connected to an FM translator where I’m guessing, the audience is listening.
The reason AM radio formats have moved to the FM radio band is that most people today only listen to FM radio.
I rob banks, because that’s where the money is.
-Willie Sutton, bank robber
Corollary:
We broadcast emergency information on FM, because that’s where the listeners are.
-Dick Taylor
The AM Exceptions
The Big One, 700AM-WLW in Cincinnati is just one of the notable exceptions to the problem with AM radio listening. It operates on what the FRC (Federal Radio Commission, which predated the FCC or Federal Communications Commission) called a clear channel frequency. It was in November 1928, under provisions of the FRC’s General Order 40, that 700kHz was one of 40 frequencies designated as “clear channels”, allowing WLW to operate exclusively on this frequency in both the United States and Canada.
Then in early 1933, WLW would begin building the largest broadcasting transmitter in the world with 500,000-watts of AM broadcast power, at a cost in today’s dollars of $11.3 million. It would sign-on its new half-million watt transmitter on May 2, 1934 with President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressing a golden telegraph key to ceremonially launch the new signal. WLW truly became “The Nation’s Station.”
Saving AM Radio
It seems to me that if AM radio is deemed such a critical service for the nation in times of emergency, maybe it’s time to re-think the entire AM radio band and once again establish a network of high powered AM radio stations that cover the entire continental United States, and are manned 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, providing all Americans with this type of radio service. There could even be a special circuit in all radios that would automatically switch the radio to these emergency channels when warranted; much as cellphones so effectively alert their owners of an impending emergency situation.
Likewise, current local AM stations should be allowed to sunset their AM signals and continue serving their communities via their FM signals (translators), just as they are currently doing, often with much better coverage than their original AM license permits.
Saving AM Radio via FM Translators
Giving AM radio stations an FM translator signal in order to save its AM signal – would be like trying to save Ford by giving everyone a Chevy. It was a ludicrous of an idea that the FCC never fully thought out before implementing.
The FCC was also derelict in its duties by not protecting the AM band from all kinds of noise interference, for example the kind generated by the electronic ballast in fluorescent lighting and by not standardizing AM stereo along with not setting audio quality standards for AM broadcasting.
The “AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act” currently before Congress says nothing about mandating a certain quality standard for AM radio in vehicles, leaving open the possibility that vehicle manufacturers will install the cheapest and lowest quality AM receivers, if such a law is passed?
Longtime agricultural broadcaster, Max Armstrong, loves AM radio, but admits that broadcasters are part of the blame for AM radio’s decline. Some examples are:
- Sold the land that was needed for strong AM signals, and reduced power
- Changed the format of their AM station, once they obtained an FM translator
- Re-allocated resources for areas other than for AM broadcasting
- Poorly maintained their AM transmitting facilities, in favor of their FM
“When the epitaph is written for AM radio, I think it will be
that AM radio killed itself. I think broadcasters have
neglected it to some extent.”
-Max Armstrong
DickTaylorBlog 
I know a few AM stations that are successful because of their FM translator. But I agree keeping the AM on the air to justify a translator is silly. Why not just give them a 1,000 watt FM signal to replace the local 1,000 watt AM signal. It would clean out a lot of interference on AM. Many of these local AM’s went on the air just after World War 2 when the FCC started approving broadcast licenses all over the place. It was a good thing for the time.
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We need a better plan for radio broadcasting in America. It’s way overdue.
-DT
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To pile on to my previous comment, I looked at radio-locator.com and WLW-AM also broadcasts its primary channel from this additional FM translator
W233BG 94.5 FM Cincinnati, OH (99 watts)
WSM doesn’t but it has it’s own 100,000 Watts FM side.
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Actually, WSM-FM is owned by Cumulus, not the owners of WSM-AM {which is owned by Opry Entertainment Group (Joint venture of Ryman Hospitality Properties, NBCUniversal, and Atairos) (WSM-AM, LLC)}
-DT
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Great article. AM has left the station and is not coming back, regardless of any government efforts. I started my career in AM radio in 1966, loved it but realised its limitations even back then.
And by the way, WSM-AM is there to sell tickets to the Grand Old Opry. I live in Nashville and no broadcaster, former broacaster, etc. takes them very seriously, except maybe the people that work there. It’s great heritage AM station for its purpose. Have you ever seen the demographics of the Grand Old Opry? 55 plus is an understatement.
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Thank You for stopping by the blog today Joel and adding your perspective.
LOL…I now more than fit the demos of the folks who attend the Grand Ole Opry. Have you listened to the 640AM-WSM stream? It’s in stereo and crystal clear.
-DT
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I am a former AM owner, probably be getting it back after the legal fight is over since the buyer defaulted and the broker tried to steal it and sell it to someone else. As both an engineer and an owner, the big problem with AM is the receivers… Crappy audio response, no noise blanketing to get rid of static or other impulse noise, It would be nice to have CQuam AM stereo back in them.. with today’s DSP horsepower this could all be easily accomplished.. The transmitters can easily pass up to 30 kilohertz of audio… Of course there is the NRSC filter in line or at least they’re better be… I know one station that isn’t running one and they’re splattering 15 to 20 kHz up and down the band
I played music on my AM and the listeners loved it… Not being a corporate station I wasn’t restricted to a 300 song list.. give the listeners what they want and they will listen… I even had 20-year-olds listening to my station!! I don’t believe digital is the future on medium wave.. Not yet anyway… Too many analog radios still out there to suddenly be obsoleted overnight.. No AM station in Houston is running HD right now… That speaks volumes right there… While the FM’s are loaded with HDs…
The FCC needs a mandate from Congress to improve AM radios in the public. AMAX standards should be applied to improve reception along with CQuam stereo included on ANY AMFM radio with FM stereo… But the manufacturers want to be cheap. And the big guns don’t really care..
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Chris, the real problem is there is no incentive for either broadcasters or set manufacturers to invest in AM radio. Around the world the AM band is being sunset. That’s the reality of the 21st Century world we now inhabit.
Like the horse and buggy, there will always be some around, they just won’t ever return to being our main form of transportation.
Thank You for stopping by the blog today and sharing your perspective.
-DT
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It’s time to “move on.” The AM band is only on life support with FM translators or signals. Let it go!
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Agreed, Art.
-DT
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I, like you, grew up and worked in it and enjoyed an almost a 50 year career. But, like all other technological upgrades that we have witnessed in our lifetimes, moved on to the next “latest and greatest.” I don’t even own a radio in my home anymore. It’s all streaming listening. As far as my 2022 Hyundai Tucson, AM reception is of very poor quality. The AM station that I may listen to while driving (WBT in Charlotte) is done on their FM signal.
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AM 750 WSB the 50,000 watt blowtorch is another example. Cox still carries the programing on the am but only promotes the station as “95.5 WSB”. They point to the fact most of their listeners are on fm. Cox continues the strongest news team in Atlanta, skycopter triple team traffic, and 30 years ago hired Atlanta’s only fulltime radio meterologist. Thankfully I was fortunate enough to work there with some exceptional dedicated professionals who kept AM750 WSB #1 in a world dominated by fm. And their engineering staff never got the respect it deserved. Guess I’m an old codger, but in the car I still prefer the sound of the human voice on AM 750. Things change…and each generation is witness to a new, different world. Radio use to be a great industry….before the FCC screwed it up.
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Thank You Jim for providing those insights.
-DT
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KCBS in San Francisco started simulcasting on 106.9 a few years back. Most of their Bay Areas listeners probably listen on FM, but I am over 100 miles away from SF – the only all-news station I can listen to is KCBS 740 AM. I am always in fear that Audacy will someday switch the 740 to some gawd-awful alternative spoken word format and I will lose my only way of hearing an all-news format in my car. Yes, I can stream the audio and BT it my radio but it’s a real hassle to screw around with programming the app and getting it to play. Plus, when you’re driving data for the cell phone seems to vary and you get buffering and lose audio. I’d rather listen to the AM signal and put up with a little static here and there. Easy to find, easy to program, easy to listen to.
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I understand your predicament, Mark. In my case, the best news station is WTOP out of Washington, DC. We will where their signal is iffy at best, but playing them via my iPhone in the car through my car’s audio system really works great. No buffering. At home, I just ask Alexa to play the station.
As the nation becomes fully wired for both high speed broadband as well as wireless interconnectivity, the issues you mention will be in the rearview mirror.
-DT
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The licensed content of ALL broadcast radio is what’s essential. AM can connect on FM, FMX, HD. Consider regional cooperative networks with home studios, experienced pros and no debt service. 1220watx.com
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Clark, you’re right. It takes a whole new approach. And from everything I read, that’s not being addressed.
-DT
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As an “old radio guy” I am also vexed (love that word) about the change/demise of AM radio. BUT, change happens, the tech changes. We don’t only watch movies in a movie theatre (or rarely in B/W), don’t only read news on paper, travel via horse and buggy. (here comes a radical thought) WLW isn’t AM radio….it’s “WLW”, the brand. Yes, the AM band is still available to all…but face forward and so is Twitter (X) Spacers. (just an example). I recall some AM radio brands moving to FM that were a huge success…cause THAT’s where the people went. I worked with some who fought that move…and some amazing radio brands vanished. AM radio is an old demo game (per the ratings)…let’s figure out where/how to get the WLW brands of audio entertainment to where the people are and are going to.
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