US Senate Panel Passes AM Radio, Ticket Fee Pricing Bills (reuters.com) 264
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation on Thursday to bar automakers from eliminating AM broadcast radio in new vehicles and require companies like Ticketmaster to put total ticket prices including fees in marketing materials. The AM radio bill and the ticket-pricing bill both had strong bipartisan support and both have companion measures in the House of Representatives. The AM radio bill would direct the Transportation Department to issue regulations mandating AM radio in new vehicles without additional charge. Senators said this year that at least seven automakers have removed AM broadcast radio from their electric vehicles, including Tesla, BMW, and Volkswagen. Ford reversed course in May under pressure from Congress. Lawmakers say losing AM radio undermines a federal system for delivering key public safety information to the public. The National Association of Broadcasters said the bill "will ensure that the tens of millions of AM radio listeners across the country retain access to local news, diverse community programming and emergency information." The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers, opposed the measure: "This is simply a bill to prop up and give preference to a particular technology that's now competing with other communications options and adapting to changing listenership."
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee also approved two bills aimed at tightening privacy protections for children online.
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee also approved two bills aimed at tightening privacy protections for children online.
The medium that brought us Rush Limbaugh... (Score:2, Insightful)
is now being supported by a "Big Government" MANDATE?
The fat fucker must be spinning in his grave right now.
If his fans had ANY level of consistency, they would all be ripping the radios out of their cars and burning them, to protest "Big Radio" telling the auto manufacturing companies how to run their businesses....
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It's for emergency broadcast concerns - pay attention.
"Even" the rural farmers that raise your food deserve to have access to emergency broadcasts. If Equal Protection is objectionable just get rid of the EBS, eh?
But, don't worry - most of the Deplorables who work outside of cell service areas get their content online now. YouTube even lets you download hours of podcasts easily.
The era of AM Radio neocons is over - Rush's replacement is literally a CIA guy (look it up).
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Re:The medium that brought us Rush Limbaugh... (Score:4, Interesting)
It's for emergency broadcast concerns
It's not. AM radio takes a very large portion [doc.gov] of some of the most valuable spectrum. If we really wanted to turn AM radio into a dedicated emergency service we could repurpose 99% of that and cut it down to a single emergency channel which would still work with existing AM receivers. Literally, 99%. That huge allocation is split into more than 100 channels.
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Didn't you notice that chart is logarithmic?
AM radio is a tiny portion of the total spectrum.
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Not only is it taking a smaller portion than appears due to the nature of the scale, it's also low frequency. Which means that it isn't "some of the most valuable spectrum" by most measures. It's relatively crappy spectrum, not capable of high data rates without being wide as all hell.
Now, it's good at relatively low bandwidth options over long ranges with a fairly high penetrative power, so it's good for reaching "everybody" with low bandwidth...
Hmmm... Voice is fairly low bandwidth, and you want to rea
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AM radio consumes just over 1MHz of the valuable HF spectrum which runs from 0 to 30MHz. This is valuable bandwidth because it enables worldwide radio communications. Above 30MHz or so, transmissions end up being more line of sight, and sadly, as we don't live on a flat earth, this limits the range of radio transmissions. After all, on a flat earth, all we'd need is a single radio tower at the center (what globe-ist
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[sarcasm]
But "emergency broadcasting" = SOCIALISM, no? A government program aimed at providing help for EVERYONE? Even the lazy welfare moochers, and people with objectionable skin colors, politics, or icky gay stuff?
The globalist government just wants to seize control of the airwaves and make sure that people are FORCED to consume their commie UN propaganda the next time they fabricate some so-called "emergency" like a pandemic, climate catastrophe, etc.
What's next, putting Bud Light directly into the wate
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I googled Rush Limbaugh replacement and it appears to be two guys named Clay Travis and Buck Sexton. Which one was in the CIA?
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If you are referring to Dan Bongino, he was a NYPD officer and the a member of Secret Service.
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is now being supported by a "Big Government" MANDATE?
The fat fucker must be spinning in his grave right now.
If his fans had ANY level of consistency, they would all be ripping the radios out of their cars and burning them, to protest "Big Radio" telling the auto manufacturing companies how to run their businesses....
Consistency?! You must have never have listened to Rush. He couldn't even be consistent during the segments of his program so why would one expect his non-logical, dead head audience to do so. I used to listen to his radio broadcast every now and then to judge how bad the hard right Republicans were becoming. On one such broadcast, he was railing against the Democrats using some talking point (I forget what it was). In the VERY next segment, he praised the Republican party for doing something, using the EXA
AM radio thing is silly. (Score:2, Interesting)
It doesn't matter if you have an AM radio if NOBODY IS USING IT. Seriously, why do they think that FM radio is somehow going to be unable or unwilling to broadcast a signal in an emergency? If that's the real issue then why not simply ensure that they must? Who is it that is deeply invested in the existence of AM radio?
Re:AM radio thing is silly. (Score:5, Informative)
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Sorry but I don’t believe you.
Re:AM radio thing is silly. (Score:4, Insightful)
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You think that the taxpayers are going to want to fund the increase to FEMA to cover the costs?
So instead we pay for it by mandating that car manufacturers install a feature that almost nobody wants or uses, because putting the cost on car manufacturers is not technically a tax?
Re:AM radio thing is silly. (Score:4, Interesting)
I am sure that auto-makers would love this route.
"Hey, come on guys, it costs us a few cents to install an AM radio! You know what would be better? Let us save that money and instead, you spend taxpayer money on upgrading, staffing and maintaining a different system! Everybody wins!"
On the other hand, it is rather silly to have government dictate a technology. I foresee some unintended consequences. Like, at some point, no AM broadcast stations are left but auto-makers are still mandated to install the hardware for it.
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It doesn't matter if you have an AM radio if NOBODY IS USING IT.
AM Radio is quite actively used.
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It doesn't matter if you have an AM radio if NOBODY IS USING IT. Seriously, why do they think that FM radio is somehow going to be unable or unwilling to broadcast a signal in an emergency? If that's the real issue then why not simply ensure that they must? Who is it that is deeply invested in the existence of AM radio?
Cell phones are capable of getting WES alerts; and I’d bet there is more likely to be a cell phone, probably streaming something, with a connection in a car than one where the AM radio is in use.
AM has a lot of range advantages over FM (here’s to you, WOWO FT Wayne, Indiana) but unless you are listening to it you aren’t getting any alerts.
A better approach, if the government wants to ensure better delivery, is to mandate streaming services develop a standard API that allows the governmen
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If the entire cell network, from EPCs to eNodeBs to the RAN, the backhauls, the management systems, and so on, are all also still up, yes.
Meanwhile, somebody can pour some diesel into a generator and alert an entire state, possibly multiple states, with a single AM tower.
Re:AM radio thing is silly. (Score:4, Informative)
In a real emergency...think hurricane Ida level....
Cell towers will be gone and out....you're not going to have any "streaming"....
At that point, you switch over and tune in on your AM radio to get emergency info.
You gotta think during AND post-emergency when internet and cell phones will be out potentially for a long, long time....for a large area.
FM can't cover large "dead zone" areas, but AM can.
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Just Ticketmaster / tickets? not ISP's / hotels? (Score:2)
Just Ticketmaster / tickets? not ISP's / hotels?
The airlines where forced to show an up front all in price so why not make hotels do the same?
TV / ISP's really need to have the RSN fees / LOCAL TV fees part of the base price.
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Anything where there's an additional fee; those additional fees _unless they are optional_ must be part of the base price and not added on after. If a breakdown of the base price is required, that's acceptable, as long as it's "the price".
No more "plus taxes and fees". The taxes are fixed and predictable, fees are not.
While we're at it, add in the tax to the price sticker (even if there's a breakdown). So we don't get these price shocks. If Europe can do it... why not the US (and I know there are studies s
gas stations are really good about the full price! (Score:2)
gas stations are really good about the full price!
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While we're at it, add in the tax to the price sticker (even if there's a breakdown). So we don't get these price shocks. If Europe can do it... why not the US
OK, but how do you advertise the prices? In most other countries, there is a set VAT. In the US sales tax can vary based on what side of the street a store is on. Each state has a different sales tax rate (or none at all in some). Many counties and cities can have their own as well. Even inside a city, it can vary if they set up special taxing districts.
With a concert, this is easy since you have a fixed venue. How would this work with a phone plan? Or a Pizza? A TV or radio ad won't know my physical loc
Armstrong turns in his grave (Score:2)
This isn't the first time broadcast AM has used government and law to stay its inevitable demise. The memory of Edwin Howard Armstrong should shame those fools in congress.
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Stretch or Neal?
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Edwin Howard...
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Armstrong worked on FM radio.
1. Meh 2. Why stop (Score:2)
2. Why stop only at ticket? Make everything show the damn fees. ISP instantly spring to mind.
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Why don't you then?
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2. Why stop only at ticket? Make everything show the damn fees. ISP instantly spring to mind.
Yes!
When you are quoted a price, that should actually be the selling price.
Ticket resellers are the problem (Score:3)
While I agree that it's good to eliminate hidden fees when promoting products, I think perhaps the bigger problem in the ticket sales industry is that the majority of tickets are purchased by brokers like StubHub and Vivid Seats. The majority of the sales of the resellers goes to tertiary brokers selling tickets at yet another profit as their profession.
Add to this that mechanisms are in place to funnel buyers into ever-increasing ticket prices using bait-and-switch tactics, and it would seem that is the greater area of concern. For this reason and no matter how much I like the band, I will only go to concerts where the band forbids the sale of tickets to secondary parties. The Cure recently did this for their tour. Depeche Mode did not. I bought tickets to the former.
Yeah, I'm old.
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I find it odd that on the same site that has near a universal advocacy for the right to repair and the right to resell (CDs/video games/whatever), there seems to also be extreme opposition to doing the same with concert tickets.
they resell at OVER list price. Others are UNDER! (Score:2)
they resell at OVER list price. Others are UNDER!
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Too Good To Be True? (Score:5, Interesting)
I like most of those things. But this all had strong bipartisan support.
Things with strong bipartisan support usually only sluice large amounts of money to corporations and rich people.
What are we not hearing about? What riders were attached to this stuff?
"Companies like TicketMaster" (Score:2)
AM Radio - in CARS (Score:2)
Extreme range has nothing to do with Amplitude Modulation. It's because they are big honking transmitters on a low frequency band. The same range could be achieved with FM if there were a desire, there isn't
Granted AM is dirt simple and would be the radio of choice if you had t
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FM in the AM band frequencies is not a slam-dunk, due to bandwidth issues.
Transistor radio (Score:2)
Wondering if putting a "free" hand-crank transistor radio in the glove compartment would satisfy the regulation. Added bonus, it removes the dependency on the car battery. Even better would be something like a weather radio that can announce itself when my attention is needed.
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This would actually be more expensive than just including it in the car itself, once you're past engineering costs.
AM radio (Score:2)
I think AM radio should be in every car.
I think Congress does not have the right to mandate it, any more than it can require ANY radio in every car.
Re:Republicans, Rush is dead tho (Score:5, Insightful)
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> Doesn't work if your internet is out. AM radio will.
I literally bought this one [amzn.to] last month for that exact reason (plus I wanted recording capability - there are cheaper models). With a USB-C charger I can keep it running for probably a week on a car battery, even if the solar panels aren't producing much.
The trouble is most people under 40 don't have an AM radio unless they have a car and most cars will themselves drain a battery down in eight hours with the key in the ACC position (or whatever the st
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That's a sweet little radio and USB-C for power is a must have these days. I have a RadioShack DX-398 and a pile of AA batteries as my "designated emergency radio", but honestly it's sweet for listening to pretty much anything, the receiver in it is awesome. Should probably look into modernizing the power source, though.
Availability of receivers is an issue, there just aren't a lot of families left with an actual receiver in the house they can hook an antenna to. There are SOME, though, and (at least in mor
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The radio you bought isn't going to work in your electric car if it doesn't have an AM radio, because the reason that the car companies are not installing AM in their electric cars is because they don't want to go to the expense of shielding the radio interference that the electric motor generates. It costs money. They would rather delete the AM radio in the car, than spend the money to shield the radio interference from their electric motors. That means that your portable radio is just going to hear
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The trouble is most people under 40 don't have an AM radio unless they have a car and most cars will themselves drain a battery down in eight hours with the key in the ACC position (or whatever the stupid pushbutton/ laptop-on-dash things do).
The Senate bill doesn't address this, but it doesn't have to address everything all at once.
The nice thing about an AM radio is they are pretty simple to build and out of components easy to find.Those old "Foxhole Radios" wren't elegant, but they worked. Built by people who weren't radio geniuses.
Now it's true that some people don't have the savvy to build one of their own. But any solution designed for the dumbest of us will also fail if there is a big emergency, because of infrastructure failure.
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Doesn't work if your internet is out. AM radio will. That's the whole point of keeping AM receivers ubiquitously available. A lot of people won't need it until they NEED it.
A radio band that nobody listens to is pretty much useless for propagating information.
Re: Republicans, Rush is dead tho (Score:2)
If they only listen to it in an emergency then mission accomplished
A radio band that nobody listens to is useless (Score:2)
If they only listen to it in an emergency then mission accomplished
They won't.
When was the last time you heard a public-service announcement reminding you "if there's an emergency, go to your car and turn on your AM radio!"
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How many times has someone turned on AM and heard valuable information? I’d honestly like to see the number of cases.
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Public(ly funded) radio stations broadcast on AM as well, and in every case I've ever heard, those lean heavily toward Establishment Left in terms of politics. So if you want to make it about politics, the people on the left have as much, or more, to lose as people on the right.
Rush is dead, it's true, but thought leaders on the right have largely moved on from AM radio and are available elsewhere.
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Re:Try using iHeartRadio App during Tornado outbre (Score:5, Interesting)
This is the primary reason to keep broadcast radio around. The ability to send information to a large segment of the population, all at once, with minimal hardware (that already exists), and cheaply, is a huge benefit and one of the greatest advances in communications technology we've had in a long time. One tower can broadcast information to tens of millions of people. That's amazing.
And AM has benefits over FM. It's extremely cheap to implement (moreso than FM), it has a much wider range, and it is less affected by physical barriers. It is more vulnerable to interference. I wouldn't be terribly upset if they deprecated AM in favor of a larger FM band, but then you run into issues with current radios being unable to access the newer stations. I've seen arguments that it's "difficult" to isolate the AM receiver from the EM interference produced by electric vehicles, but this problem has been solved by several manufacturers already.
I'm all for deprecating old tech in favor of a better alternative, but that alternative truly does need to be better.
The only real argument I've seen against it, from the auto manufacturers, is that they don't want to pay for it and many people don't use it. I don't blame them, you need to pinch a few pennies to keep those CEOs and Union Bosses in their penthouse apartments, after all. I have yet to use an airbag but if I ever DO then boy will I be happy it's there.
I do still occasionally tune in the local AM stations. Good for news, and the 3G/4G coverage in my area is unreliable (yes, I live in the USA). I know people in the city don't have these issues, but those of us who don't still exist and we do, in fact, matter.
Re:Try using iHeartRadio App during Tornado outbre (Score:5, Interesting)
AM is also very resistant to co-channel interference. I usually listen to a local AM station on its low-power FM signal. I am about five miles from the station (no idea if the FM antenna is there, but they have four towers on a few acres for AM), and sometimes I get distant interference and have to switch back to AM. The problem with FM interference is that the receiver has to lock onto a constantly changing frequency. Another signal on the same frequency prevents it from locking on, or could even steal the lock. With AM, it would only be a small addition to the stronger signal, so you might hear the other signal faintly in the background.
And then there's the part where if I drive out of town, the FM signal is gone almost immediately. The AM signal can still be heard 200 miles away.
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The problem with FM interference is that the receiver has to lock onto a constantly changing frequency. Another signal on the same frequency prevents it from locking on, or could even steal the lock. With AM, it would only be a small addition to the stronger signal, so you might hear the other signal faintly in the background.
What? FM doesn't change frequency. The carrier signal is modulated.
Not useful (Score:3, Funny)
During severe storms I have occasionally tried to listen to emergency broadcasts on AM radio (we have a hand-crank radio in the house for exactly this purpose) and found they never say anything useful. I doubt it would even occur to me to do so in my car, and frankly, I don't really think that anything the governing authorities would tell me over the AM radio broadcast is likely to be useful even if I did-- in my experience, what they want to tell me is things like "EMERGENCY! there was a child missing in a
Re: Not useful (Score:5, Informative)
During severe storms I have occasionally tried to listen to emergency broadcasts on AM radio (we have a hand-crank radio in the house for exactly this purpose) and found they never say anything useful. I doubt it would even occur to me to do so in my car, and frankly, I don't really think that anything the governing authorities would tell me over the AM radio broadcast is likely to be useful even if I did-- in my experience, what they want to tell me is things like "EMERGENCY! there was a child missing in a town two hundred miles away. EMERGENCY!"
As someone who lives in part of the country where hurricanes or tornados or severe winter storms are a threat, I have had the opposite experience. First of all, are the routine and repeated evacuation orders broadcast over every communication channel including AM radio. Second, after a hurricane hit, communication channels are spotty. Internet nor cellular is reliable. Third, while you have not found it useful, that does not mean the general population does not have a use.
It is mildly amusing that the party of "stop government interference with private business" has decided to back a program of government mandates of what private business can't sell, and mandating a product that nobody is going to use, for an emergency when nobody is going to use it.
There has always been exceptions to what private businesses can sell. Safety standards being one of the primary reasons. This is a safety issue. Second, your experiences in not using AM radio does not mirror every one else's experience. You do not speak for everyone including me who has used AM radio in multiple emergencies.
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so, be more specific. You find AM radio in your car to be useful? So useful that it needs to be a government mandate?
...
It is mildly amusing that the party of "stop government interference with private business" has decided to back a program of government mandates of what private business can't sell.
There has always been exceptions to what private businesses can sell...
Yes, that's always the way it is. "No government interference! Except for the exceptions, which are the goverment interference that I want!"
There always "exceptions".
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What's your solution? Mandate every household must have a functional, hand-crank AM radio in it? At least with cars, at the absolute worst-case scenario, you walk over to a neighbor with a car and ask what's the latest word.
I'd never EVER tell a population their internet or even cell phone network is going to be more reliable than an AM radio tower.
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so, be more specific. You find AM radio in your car to be useful?
When I am evacuating my house due to an emergency I find AM radio broadcasts relaying important information like routes, the upcoming weather situation, etc.
So useful that it needs to be a government mandate?
You are aware that the government mandates that private companies like TV and radio stations MUST broadcast emergency signals, right? If it was up to them, how many of them would broadcast emergency signals?
Yes, that's always the way it is. "No government interference! Except for the exceptions, which are the goverment interference that I want!" There always "exceptions".
Are you saying safety should never be an exception? This is purely a safety issue.
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The only real argument I've seen against it, from the auto manufacturers, is that they don't want to pay for it and many people don't use it. I don't blame them, you need to pinch a few pennies to keep those CEOs and Union Bosses in their penthouse apartments, after all. I have yet to use an airbag but if I ever DO then boy will I be happy it's there.
My take on that is that in EVs there is more interference so automakers will have to spend money for find an engineering solution to a feature they cannot monetize. If there was an interference problem with satellite radio, I would bet that automakers would find a solution as they could make money off satellite radio. For combustion engines, it is pennies to add AM/FM radio to a car. Spending what could be dollars in R&D money is something they do not want to do unless forced.
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I've seen arguments that it's "difficult" to isolate the AM receiver from the EM interference produced by electric vehicles, but this problem has been solved by several manufacturers already.
Bingo. They don't want to spend the money to mitigate the RF interference.
I've done Mobile Ham Radio, and it really isn't that difficult. Electrical bonding panels if metal, and even exhaust pipes. In severe cases, one might place shielding around injectors and plug wires.
But rf electrical shielding is a smart thing to do in any event.
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Appâ(TM)s are nit reliable enough during emergency situations to be trusted!
I'm not sure what an Appâ(TM)s is, but if you are worried about reliability during emergency situations, just require that every car have a satellite connection. After all, a hurricane could take out the FM broadcaster.
That makes more sense than an AM radio, and once you've accepted "the government has the right to mandate what radios are put in cars because someday there might be an emergency," you might as well go all the way.
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I'm not sure what an Appâ(TM)s is, but if you are worried about reliability during emergency situations, just require that every car have a satellite connection. After all, a hurricane could take out the FM broadcaster.
Let me get this straight: You are against the government requiring cheaper and older technology to be in cars but advocating for much more expensive technologies in cars?
After all, a hurricane could take out the FM broadcaster.
If only AM/FM broadcasters had contingency plans for emergencies like hurricanes . . . oh wait, they do [fema.gov]. There are also plans for small radius AM broadcasts [theradiosource.com] in emergencies. Second, you do know that satellite radio is affected by severe weather . . . like a hurricane, right? While the satellite is still broadcasting, no one being able to re
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Appâ(TM)s are nit reliable enough during emergency situations to be trusted!
I'm not sure what an Appâ(TM)s is, but if you are worried about reliability during emergency situations, just require that every car have a satellite connection. After all, a hurricane could take out the FM broadcaster.
That makes more sense than an AM radio, and once you've accepted "the government has the right to mandate what radios are put in cars because someday there might be an emergency," you might as well go all the way.
Think big picture, not just in a car. They have emergency use in domiciles as well. An AM radio is simplicity itself at base level. We can build one if needed, a simple crystal radio is going to be a lot less expensive than requiring a satellite system in every house as well.
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Think big picture, not just in a car. They have emergency use in domiciles as well.
Wait, what? You are now advocating that the government needs to pass a law mandating that AM radios should be mandatory in every home??
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I don't think he went that far, just said that they have a use.
And even if they mandated it, well, it'd be one of the cheapest mandates going. My field is more electrical, so hitting that more.
A quick look at amazon has "AM Radio" at $11-180. The $180 unit is also HAM capable.
Let's settle with $20.
I'm mostly going with median, not absolutely cheapest price here:
A GFCI outlet, which most homes will have at least 3 of - $20 each.
Arcfault breakers, ~4 - $50 each.
Smoke Alarms, 3 - $50 each,
Etc...
Again, I'm ac
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Nobody is going to bring up just how large AM antennas have to be? Wait until a tornado hits that sucker. You could quickly install an FM antenna anywhere and begin broadcasting.
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AM is still here, more ham radio operators need to be considering the antennae in cemeteries undermining emergency response along with understaffed teams of first responders dealing with ignorant population without AM radio.
Wait - was there some spelling issue? Cemeteries? Anyhow, I think I parsed something there. The great thing about AM is that it is utterly simple. A person can build a receiver in a very short time. There are some propagation issues, but those can be accomodated. Daytime AM is groundwave, and nighttime is nationwide and larger.
As for Hams helping first responders - there is a severe organizational issue going on there.
I heard it on the X (Score:3)
Also, throw in Wolfman Jack [theculturecrush.com] in there somewhere.
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
And the touch of a world that is older
Turn the switch and check the number
Leave it on when in bed I slumber
I hear the rhythms of the music
I buy the product and never use it
I hear the talking of the dj
Can't understand just what does he say?
I'm on a mexican radio
I'm on a mexican radio
I dial it in and tune the statio
Re:AM is history (Score:4, Informative)
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None of that.
Nobody "tunes to AM" anymore.
Kids don't listen to old people talking about what they heard on "that old radio." If it's not on YT, T, TT, FB, IG, it's not news.
So no, AM is gone. Nobody tunes to it anymore. Legislating its existence further just pretends to justify it. It's not a useful medium for spreading information in a timely manner.
Yes, I can build a Morse-code transmitter and a crystal (aka diode now) receiver from almost scratch. That won't alert me as well as using my smartphone a
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So because you don't listen to any stations on AM that OBVIOUSLY translates into the rest of society. I have a feeling there are quite a few thriving talk radio programs on AM that beg to differ on your simplistic view on society.
AM radio has some special abilities that make it ideal for emergency broadcasting that warrant it's continues existence including the fact that FEMA has already invested (guessing here based upon napkin math) hundreds of millions of dollars in the existing infrastructure.
And on a p
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AM radio has some special abilities that make it ideal for emergency broadcasting that warrant it's continues existence including the fact that
Name them.
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FM is halfway dead thanks to satellite radio.
Wow you are out of touch. Satellite radio is more dead than FM. Streaming is killing both, but satellite radio in particular. "But but people driving in remote areas... " Yea, that's a small portion of the population doing that and not nearly enough to prop up sat radio in the long term. There is a reason SiriusXM bought Pandora.
As for "no one listens to AM", ah, not sure where you are getting that. AM has a ton of listeners for sports casts, not to mention talk.
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So your sole argument is that you believe the average Joe won't think of tuning into AM during an emergency? Really? Guess you don't get out much and see where road signs tell the average Joe to use into an certain AM frequency for traffic and emergency updates. Plus, if they aren't smart enough to follow the basics then I guess we are just supporting Darwinism while the rest of us move on.
Now if AM should die it's timely death as you seem to think, what is the replacement mechanism to get emergency informa
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On the level of something like Hurricane IDA, where power transmission lines were taken out.
There was no cell phone service, no streaming/internet for a very large area for months.
You could, however, get AM transmissions and news in the large dead zone while rebuilding was going on.
It's not just a matter of happening to be listening to AM and an emergency hits....but the capability of having something to listen to during the aftermath when everything
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It's not a useful medium for spreading information in a timely manner.
It will be when it's the only game in town that still works once your internet apps quit responding and the FM stations go silent.
I do believe that's the crux of the difference of opinion here. You don't seem to believe that the internet, or your access to it, could truly be interrupted. FM stations also don't have the same support from the government - most exist solely to make money. Once they stop being able to make money, some will pull their own plugs to save costs. Some will keep going if they have po
Re: AM is history (Score:2)
Give it a few years and the youngsters will be using AM radio because it's retro
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You still haven't explained why car manufactures can't include a AM radio in their cars.
Nobody is suggesting that car manufacturers can't include an AM radio in their cars. Of course they can.
The topic is, should the government make a law requiring them to do so.
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Because the ever increasing number of electronics and things like switching power supplies are killing AM reception. If AM had any demand they would fix these problems.
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Realistically, most people do not use their FM OR AM radio to get emergency alerts anymore. They're going to use their smartphone.
Add those generators to cellular towers, and the problem is solved for most people.
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You want generators on 420,000 cell towers?
So car makers don't have to spend an extra $20 putting AM in cars?
https://www.benton.org/headlin... [benton.org].
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Bring back the little triangles at 640KHz and 1240KHz!
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How about we bring back longwave broadcasting? 250Khz sound like a good number.
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NOBODY TUNES TO AM.
Whatever you're licensed in, that statement is demonstrably false.
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Actually, we call an exaggeration to such a ludicrous degree 'hyperbole,' or 'lying.'
We also understand that if you have to resort to such measures to 'prove' your point, you have, in fact, proven that you're wrong, and dissembling.
Finally, we understand that when you're reduced to ad hominem, or 'at the person' attacks, you've also demonstrated that you can't actually support your own assertion.
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Why, the same "we" that you invoked in the comment I replied to:
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For immediate notifications, you're right. For a more longer-term situation, which could have resulted in cellular network disruption, power outages, etc., what use are cellular notifications if the network is down? That's the point of keeping AM available as an option. Yes it's old, outdated, and not widely used on a daily basis. But if all of the newer tech quits working, which I believe is possible because there are so many more points of failure, one old ass AM station with a backup generator (already i