The recent news coming from auto industry circles hasn’t been good for AM radio broadcasters in the United States. Now, an alliance of state broadcasters associations is seeking information from AM licensees that could be used to help preserve AM radio in new cars and electric vehicles.
A newly-formed task force of the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA) is focused on initiating a dialogue with the automotive industry, as well as Congress, to understand why a critical safety feature such as AM radio is being removed and what can be done to ensure it is retained in future vehicles, according to a NASBA email to members.
To help facilitate this dialogue, NASBA is asking AM stations for more information on their operations via survey.
The survey asks for the basics from responders, like call letters, location and whether the AM station is commercial or non-commercial. In addition, it asks for any and all info on FM translator(s), coverage areas and if the station participates in EAS and/or is considered a PEP or Local Primary state under state EAS plans. The survey also wants to know if the AM station is available on a standalone station app or a third party aggregator like TuneIn or iHeart Radio.
Lastly, the survey asks AM licensees to rate on a scale of 1-10 their level of concern that the senior band has been removed from several models of electric vehicles, and what the removal may mean for their station; along with the pending removal of the service in some gas-powered vehicles.
NASBA says responses provided by AM broadcasters will be reported in the aggregate and no information will be attributed to individual stations. The advocacy group, which represents 50 state broadcaster associations, is asking for survey replies by April, 14. The survey can be found here.