VOA新闻杂志2023--AM Radio Stations Oppose Removing AM Radios from Cars

AM Radio Stations Oppose Removing AM Radios from Cars

04 August 2023

The move by automobile¹ manufacturers to include radios in cars nearly 100 years ago helped spread AM radio across the United States.

But now, some carmakers want to stop providing AM radio in their new vehicles.

The first cars to be sold with radios were introduced in the 1930s. They only received one kind of radio transmission, those that broadcast using AM, or amplitude³ modulation⁴.

After some time, radios could receive transmissions in AM and FM. FM stands for frequency modulation.

For many years, those were the only choices. But after a while, car makers² added 8-track players, audio cassette players, compact disc players and eventually Bluetooth connections so people could play music from mobile devices such as an iPhone.

However, cars are no longer sold with 8-track players or compact disc players. And now, some new electric cars are being sold with radios that only receive FM signals. Car makers say the driving systems in electric vehicles interfere⁵ with the AM signal.

That concerns the people who own and work at about 4,000 radio stations in the U.S. that broadcast in AM. One of them is in the small town of Dimmitt, Texas. Nancy and Todd Whalen own the radio station KDHN-1470, which has been broadcasting since 1963. They are the only employees, and they talk on the radio every morning. The Whalens have run the station for eight years.

They say they do it, so Dimmitt has something to feel good about. "We feel like what we've done and continue to do is provide that, not just for Dimmitt, but for all the small towns in the area that no longer have local radio stations."

KDHN also runs a translator, or a system that changes the signal so their programs can also be heard on FM. But the AM signal is much stronger. The FM signal covers about a 30-kilometer radius⁶ from the transmitter while the AM signal covers 160 kilometers.

Nancy Whalen called the AM signal "our bread and butter since the beginning."

The reduction in the number of AM stations has many people worried. That includes broadcasters, business owners, farmers and lawmakers. Some broadcasting companies that own AM radio stations are selling their land because it is more profitable than running a radio station.

Amy Klobuchar is a senator from Minnesota. She is concerned about losing AM radio stations. They keep people in her large state informed.

In an online video, Klobuchar said AM radio "gives people the information they need in many of our rural areas..." She noted⁷ that "a lot of people drive long distances" in rural areas and listen to the radio in the car. She also said of AM radio: "This is where people find their local news."

Klobuchar and others are working on the "AM For Every Vehicle Act."

They want to keep AM radio in cars. The lawmakers say the car makers should find a way to keep AM radio.

When Klobuchar talks about people in rural areas, she is talking about people like Rodney Hunter. He supervises two grain storage structures, called silos, in Texas. He said farmers will listen to the radio on their way to sell grain. Without the news on AM radio, they would not know if grain prices were up or down.

"Farmers are in their (trucks or tractors) going up and down the road," Hunter said. He added it is easier for them to listen to the agriculture news on AM radio than to try to find the information online.

But the people who run AM radio stations are not just farmers and small-town business people with a sense of civic⁸ pride.

About five hours southeast of the grain-storage building, Joann Whang is a pharmacist who listens to KKDA-730 in Dallas, Texas. It is a Korean-language station. At first, Whang said she thought listening to a Korean station was only for old people.

"But it actually was pretty interesting," she said. She said she got a lot of information and even heard Korean pop songs, known as K-pop.

The station is owned by DK Media Group. The company also runs two Korean-language newspapers. Stephanie Min Kim is the president. She said removing AM from cars would hurt small companies like hers that broadcast in languages other than English. It is too costly⁹ to buy a license¹⁰, or government permission, to broadcast in FM, she said.

Kim once worked for the Korean broadcaster KBS. She said, "We feel that it is our duty to help and support our Korean immigrants integrate into American society." She said her radio station hosts discussions with experts in law, healthcare and education that help people from Korea learn about life in the U.S.

She said, if AM is removed from cars, the transmissions face an "existential threat." That means the existence of the stations is threatened.

Radio Caravan¹¹ is another small broadcaster in Dallas. It broadcasts in Hindi, Tamil and English on AM 700. Aparna Ragnan is a radio host. She said carmakers should find a way to keep AM.

Vaibhav Sheth is the station manager. He said the sound quality of the AM stations is not a problem. He said the information that the stations provide is more important than sound quality. In addition, he notes that AM stations are important in emergencies. The emergency signals go off to alert listeners about bad weather, like a tornado¹², or a child who is in danger.

"Whatever it is that's happening," he said, "it goes to the AM frequency."

Words in This Story

transmission –n. (broadcasting) the sending of a specific radio signal for broadcast

8-track, cassette, compact disc –n. different kinds of devices that store information to play back sound

rural –adj. in the countryside and not in the city or suburbs

bread and butter –adj. (idiomatic) very basic and necessary

pharmacist –n. a person whose job it is to prepare and provide drugs and medicines called for by a medical doctor's orders

integrate –v. to make a person part of a large group, organization or community

frequency –n. (broadcasting) a measure of a radio wave signal that is received by a radio

1 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

2 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 amplitude   

n.广大；充足；振幅

参考例句：

• The amplitude of the vibration determines the loudness of the sound.振动幅度的大小决定声音的大小。
• The amplitude at the driven end is fixed by the driving mechanism.由于驱动机构的作用,使驱动端的振幅保持不变。

4 modulation   

n.调制

参考例句：

• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。
• Frequency modulation does not allow static to creep in. 频率调制不允许静电干扰混入。

5 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

6 radius   

n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限

参考例句：

• He has visited every shop within a radius of two miles.周围两英里以内的店铺他都去过。
• We are measuring the radius of the circle.我们正在测量圆的半径。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

12 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。