The battle to save AM radio rages on.
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association joined the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, D.C., for the annual state leadership conference last week.
There, they spoke with Congressional and Senate representatives on topics affecting the broadcast industry.
Seehafer Broadcasting Vice-President Terry Stevenson was among those in attendance, and one of the topics discussed is one that has been on the books for years, the future of AM radio in vehicles.
He said that while people are generally against additional mandates from the government, this issue is different.
“Most items in our vehicles nowadays are mandated by the government,” he noted. “For example, safety belts, or airbags, those are all mandates by the government, and (AM) radio should be kept in the vehicles.”
Stevenson pointed to the safety aspect of keeping the AM dial in your car, truck, or SUV.
“What do you do if there is a national emergency or even a local emergency and there are no cell phone towers, there is no Internet, and you have no way of getting important information out to the public?” he asked. “AM Radio is the only way at that point when there is no cell phone and there is no Internet.”
He also noted that the Emergency Alert System utilizes the AM frequency, making it the best way to get vital information out to the public.
The NAB is asking for a 10 year sunset on the issue, meaning the AM dial would stay in vehicles for the next ten years, at which time, the issue could be readdressed.
Stevenson did say that legislators on both sides of the political aisle are in agreeance on the issue, and would like to work with the broadcast industry moving forward.
