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SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Some car manufacturers are opting to remove AM radio from their new vehicles. Companies like BMW, Volkswagen and many others are part of this change.
With the rise of new platforms like music streaming and podcasts – AM radio is being phased out.
Radio is no longer the preferred source of music for Americans – just 31$% of Americans listen to music through the radio.
E. Larry Mcduffie, a Grammy-nominated gospel artist and local radio legend, explained that young people began to devalue AM radio.
“Prime market they’re looking for the 24-50 market, we did very good when we first came through but as the years went about, that market was not as strong as it used to be,” said Richardson.
The change didn’t happen overnight
Mcduffie explained that many of his older listeners were even hesitant to make the switch from AM to FM radio.
“I was on AM and I was on FM, my older listeners that had been with me through the years, I couldn’t get them to change. By that time – AM radio no longer had the audio capacity to keep up with the improved quality of FM stations,” said Mcduffie.
The first issue that will come to play is the nation’s ability to deliver emergency alerts via AM radio.
The National Association of Broadcasters calls AM radio the backbone of America’s emergency alert system.
The decision to remove AM radio would affect the 4,000 stations that still broadcast AM radio – Mark Alford, a US representative spoke out in defense of AM radio on the US House floor.
Although the future of AM radio is trending downward, Mcduffie will always remember the glory days.
“We went to the Civic Center and packed the arena. That’s not an easy thing to do, and I always thought that was something real special for an AM station,” Mcduffie stated.
