AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing
arstechnica.com
A recent test of the emergency alert system found only 1 percent got it via AM.

A controversial bill that would require all new cars to be fitted with AM radios looks set to become a law in the near future. Yesterday, Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass) revealed that the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” now has the support of 60 US Senators, as well as 246 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, making its passage an almost sure thing. Should that happen, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be required to ensure that all new cars sold in the US had AM radios at no extra cost.

  • tal@lemmy.todayOPEnglish
    1·
    6 months ago

    My understanding is that the EU – higher density, more languages (so more radio stations that nearby people can’t use), more-congested radio spectrum – has done this, forced a switch to digital car radios, and has generally placed more weight on ways to acquire more usable bandwidth.

    The US, without the same level of pressure for the frequency spectrum, has placed a higher priority on not breaking compatibility, keeping existing devices continuing to function.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Broadcasting

    In the European Union, “the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) entered into force on 20 December 2018, with transposition into national legislation by Member States required by 21 December 2020. The Directive applies to all EU member states regardless of the status of DAB+ in each country. This means that since the end of 2020, across all EU countries, all radios in new cars must be capable of receiving and reproducing digital terrestrial radio.”