The state association’s questionnaire finds that one in three AM stations does not have an FM translator
The National Alliance of State Broadcasters Association (NASBA) reports insights it discovered after surveying AM stations about removing new car AM on-air.
Data collected from more than 1,000 AM stations shows that many do not have an FM translator and/or do not transmit their signals over Internet connections, NASBA says. The group hopes to use the information to rally AM advocates to help convince companies like Ford, Mazda, BMW and others to keep AM reception in their new vehicles.
NASBA says automakers are “pushing the limits on expensive new electric vehicles” by phasing out AM radios, meaning more than 4,000 AM stations in the U.S. are at risk. But the survey results show that AM radio across the country offers a diverse mix of music and talk and is a vital link for millions of listeners.
“The goal of our station survey was threefold. First, we wanted to confirm AM radio’s diverse landscape of formats, languages, and ownership. Second, we wanted to quantify AM radio’s crucial part in the nation’s emergency alert system. And third, we wanted feedback that would guide our state association’s response going forward,” said Dewey Bruce, president of the National Alliance of State Broadcasting Associations and the Association of Broadcasters of Montana.
Automakers claim that AM radio programming is often available through other means in the car, such as FM translators, streaming apps and HD Radio side channels.
But while more than 70 percent of responding stations have FM translators, NASBA says hundreds of stations are no home in FM. “Extrapolating this percentage to the 4,475 licensed AM stations in the United States means that 1,300 AM stations could be left in the dark,” NASBA wrote in the report.
Of the approximately 725 stations that reported having an FM translator, less than 20% have an FM signal coverage area equal to or greater than their AM counterpart, according to NASBA.
Additionally, the survey found that more than half of AM stations do not currently have a standalone mobile app, and 40% are not currently on radio aggregators. “For many AM operators who work diligently to keep their signal on the air, providing local news, music, entertainment and emergency information that their communities depend on, the expense of carrying their station and paying additional rights is simply not realistic.”
Forty percent of station respondents broadcast music formats ranging from classic country and oldies to Mexican regional Spanish and inspirational gospel, according to NASBA’s Dashboard Subcommittee, so the idea that only talk radio thrives on AM radio is wrong.
The potential loss of AM in automobiles has prompted the radio industry to go on the offensive, emphasizing the value of AM radio content and its critical role in emergency alerting. A grand total of 99% of NASBA survey respondents say they participate in the emergency alert system. In addition, the majority of primary point of entry (PEP) stations are AM stations, which constitute 90% of US population coverage, according to FEMA statistics.
The most telling survey result, according to NASBA, is that 8 out of 10 of the radio stations that responded indicated their level of concern as 10 out of 10 when it comes to eliminating in-car AM .
Eight automakers have decided to drop AM radio from some of their models, mostly electric vehicles, citing interference with AM radio reception caused by electric motors.
[Read more stories about the future of AM radio in cars]
