Re: AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing

On 02/05/2024 06:24, Jan Panteltje wrote:

AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing
  https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/05/am-radio-is-a-lifeline-lawmakers-say-tech-and-auto-industries-disagree/
A recent test of the emergency alert system found only 1 percent got it via AM.

This is one of those bonkers US lawmakers laws. I expect the geriatric senator proposing it has a crystal set manufacturer in his state.
They will be demanding compulsory use of semaphore next.

Strange. most is FM these days, or digital?

Most in car radios are generally FM or today DAB/FM. AM never really got on well with the spark transmitter under the bonnet of most petrol cars. When I worked in radio astronomy all of our cars were doctored by the local RF electronics guru to help suppress vehicle RFI on site. That had the side effect of making AM radio much more useful.

Something to do with Soros buying radio stations ;-) ?

More likely the antediluvian politicians wanting stone age technology.
To some extent they *DO* have a point for AM/FM analogue vs DAB digital.
A typical DAB radio in an emergency situation with no mains power will last about 8 hours on a full set of batteries. A basic AM/FM radio will last for about a month used 8 hours a day under those conditions.
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Martin Brown