Something I began noticing years ago, is that the push to keep AM does not really seem to be much of a mainstream media story at all, in fact I've never seen or heard anything about it in the real world at all. We as AM hobbyists know only because it's on our radar, but it appears to me that its only a hot topic in radio trade magazines and the like, but nowhere else. It's been only in recent months that I've finally heard mention of it for the first time on AM radio programming (George Norry mentioned something about it a few weeks ago), but for years I heard nothing at all on my local TV news or radio stations - nothing, not a single peep until recently, and even then it only briefly and occasionally comes up. I get the sense the general public isn't even aware about the whole "Save AM" thing, or if they'd even care. Has anyone else in the past 5 or 6 years ever heard reporting about it on the news where you live? Ever?
Anyway, all that aside, here's a glance over a few recent stories concerning AM found on the net that I found interesting:
As carmakers shift to digital dashboard, lawmakers push to keep AM radio
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/mar/27/as-carmakers-shift-to-digital-dashboard-lawmakers -/
....Dashboards have become increasingly crowded with services like mobile applications that often require a subscription, and also offer an opportunity for carmakers to recoup a bit more money. Then there’s the public’s changing media preferences and the perception that AM radio is a medium of yesteryear. ... “Nobody under the age of 40 would know to go to AM radio in an emergency,” said Shane Tews, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute focused on the digital economy. Broadcasters are “holding onto an origin story that was good at the time. But it doesn’t hold now.” ..... According to broadcasters and supporters of the legislation, AM radio still wins in extreme emergencies. AM radio waves travel close to the ground and over extremely long distances. ... It also helps that President Donald Trump has the legislation on his radar. “I like that. I’m in favor of it,” Trump said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show in January. “A lot of people don’t know about that, but it’s actually a very big subject.”
FCC renews AM radio station license, despite multiple rules violations
https://thedesk.net/2026/04/fcc-renews-am-radio-station-license-despite-multiple-rules-violations/
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this week agreed to renew the broadcast license of a Mississippi-based AM radio station, despite finding the station and its owners made false statements to the agency and .... several ongoing compliance failures. According to the FCC, WABG owner SPB did not upload required quarterly issues and programs lists to its online public inspection file and failed to file multiple biennial ownership reports over several years. ... Despite the violations, the FCC said it wouldn’t decline to renew the broadcast license for WABG,....
WPTF AM Radio Building
This old radio building from the 1930s inspired the WSQK radio station featured in the last season of “Stranger Things.” ... The WPTF building, built as an AM Radio transmitting station in the 1930s, is still in operation today.....
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/wptf-am-radio-building
WOW: SummitMedia Spins A Silent AM In Omaha
https://rbr.com/wow-summitmedia-spins-a-silent-am-in-omaha/ ..It is an AM radio station licensed for 5kw from 1 tower in Nebraska’s largest city that has been silent under Special Temporary Authority from the FCC since February 20. Now, its owner — Carl Parmer-led SummitMedia — is selling the historic facility.
Unfortunately no one, or few care about AM. Teslas are the most common EVs on the road and the buyers don't care about no AM radio. All the interference in homes that kills AM reception doesn't matter to anyone. Gen Z don't even know what AM radio is any more than reading an analog clock. I don't like it but for us to get listeners on AM it is unlikely, even with the good range, no matter what you program. Millennials and Gen Z didn't grow up with a transistor radio. And phones put the final nail in the coffin. And all stations tell you to get us on a smart speaker(don't even know what that is)or streaming. And that's what Tesla says, you can get the AM stations streaming, and you pay for it and the car makers make more money on you.
@mark I've always been an AM listener, most of my life, although exclusively after the sun goes down and early morning because that's when the programming comes on that I want to hear playing in the background when I'm home - talk programming, as long as it isn't political crap, I'll be listening to it. I hear music stations every waking hour of my day, at work (when I was working), in the car, at the store, during meals, drinks at the bar, beach parties, yard parties -- everywhere, even just walking down the street, all the time, non-stop it seems a music station is playing. I love music! Let it perpetually play! Never want it to stop! Turn it up! But usually when at home, if I don't have the TV playing then it's the AM radio talk - except for between about Noon and Sunset.
I forgot what I was going to say.
Anyway, in one of those articles above I saw mention that there are about 4,000 AM's still in operation in the country, I can't help but to think someone must be listening to them, something must be keeping them afloat.
As for the Auto manufactures, I don't think it really fair to fault them - I mean they're not really doing anything wrong, their just building their cars. I'm 100% for the mandate for AM in cars, but at the same time I can understand why the auto industry feels it shouldn't be their responsibility. Maybe the mandate should expand to rental properties, make it mandatory that before you can rent an apartment, it must have an AM radio on premises to provide emergency information in the event of an emergency.
Some phones have ota FM receivers in them, if only you could get an AM radio in a cellphone! Then everyone would have an AM radio on their person at all times, but of course they don't play together any better than electric cars do.
I agree with you that some are listening as even on the talk shows you have 3 callers and we got to go to commercials, a whole slew of them. So the companies are still supporting them.
They couldn't put am AM radio in a phone as there is no space for the ferrite rod antenna.
They could have an FM radio chip just like an MP3 player and do, but it is disabled as they don't want you to have free over the air radio same as the car makers. If you get an off brand phone from Amazon they do come with FM radios operational.
I grew up with AM also as that is where the hit parade was, the OTRs and rock and roll.
I don't like that it is a dying thing.
As for cars it's more then not having emergency messages. It's the reason. Capitalism and the greedy billionaires has gone way to far. So has this tech stuff and they don't see AM radio as techy enough and they don't want you to have over the air radio at all so they lie to you and say they can't overcome the motor noise.
When in the car it is only AM I listen to. The free market always caters to the majority even though a large minority may want something, but they are left behind...like an AM radio in a car. Not through streaming and needing a subscription. I think the government should pass the mandate already. They can tell car makers that cars have to get a certain fuel economy, make standards of emissions they have to comply with, have certain safety features, they have to make them rust resistant and have to by law provide a 5 years warranty against rust, make a law they have to have daytime running lights and a third stoplight, and all kinds of other things, They can also require an AM RADIO!!
But you and I and are in the small minority. And the free market doesn't care about the minority. If a car doesn't have an AM radio that is a deal breaker for me but what if all cars take it away? No, all have to be considered, and the government has to step in and like all the other requirements car makers have to do they can include an AM radio and not force paying for apps and streaming.
By the way, in Canada, outside of Southern Ontario the AM band is mostly empty until nighttime when they come in from the USA on the skywave. Even for emergencies if there's no stations no emergency information. So what will happen as more AM stations go off the air?
Speaking of eliminating ota radio reception so as to force paid subscription for radio - There's kind of the same thing gradually going on with ota TV too. You might find this video interesting, it's pretty quick to the point as he addresses the shrinking TV bands, and how it's been shrinking for decades in stages, and now history is repeating itself with a recent new proposal to shrink it even further, potentially eventually to the point that over-the-air reception will become marginal at best in some areas.
I don't watch TV any more, but when I did, it was strictly OTA. Lots of channels, (there was a MeTV affiliate close by in the U.S. that had 6 oldies type channels). Plus all the Canadian networks and a few U.S. ones. Even a religious UHF-type channel.
Haven't had cable for a long time now, and don't stream (video at least).
It would be sad to see OTA go the way of AM radio.
It shouldn't be allowed to and legislated to be preserved. Lots of people have outdoor antennas. There should be a choice. It has gone too far. The public and the government have to stand up to the billionaires. It's more than just sad to see it go, that billionaires control and run everything and buy governments to enact things like this for their interests. Sell the airwaves off to the rich corporations. People own and control less and less. Public hearing is just a formality. The FCC is just a puppet of the rich. And the next thing that will happen is landline home phones will be phased out too and it already is as no new homes or buildings are wired for landlines.