More Automakers Eliminate AM Radios In New Cars

The Washington Post reports:

Automakers, such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mazda and Tesla, are removing AM radios from new electric vehicles because electric engines can interfere with the sound of AM stations. And Ford, one of the nation’s top-three auto sellers, is taking a bigger step, eliminating AM from all of its vehicles, electric or gas-operated.

Some station owners and advertisers contend that losing access to the car dashboard will indeed be a death blow to many of the nation’s 4,185 AM stations — the possible demise of a core element of the nation’s delivery system for news, political talk (especially on the right), coverage of weather emergencies and foreign language programming.

Now, although 82 million Americans still listen to AM stations each month, according to the National Association of Broadcasters, the AM audience has been aging for decades. Ford says its data, pulled from internet-connected vehicles, shows that less than 5 percent of in-car listening is to AM stations.

Read the full article.

Last month I reported Fox host Mark Levin’s rant that leftists are behind the demise of AM radios in cars because they’re intent on silencing the cult. Of note, Levin’s own radio show is heard on SiriusXM, which comes with many new vehicles.

AM radio is being removed from many cars, potentially ending its century-long love affair with the American automobile. https://t.co/qD17G2ZkT5

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 13, 2023