|
9Local politics, the county, and the world, as viewed by Tammy Maygra Tammy’s views are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bill Eagle, his pastor, Tammy’s neighbors, Wayne Mayo, Betsy Johnson, Brad Witt, Former President Trump, Henry Heimuller, Joe Biden, Pat Robertson, Ted Cruz, Joe Biden’s dogs, or Claudia Eagle’s Cats. This Tammy’s Take (with the exception of this disclaimer) is not paid for or written by, or even reviewed by anyone but Tammy and she refuses to be bullied by anyone. See Bill’s Standard Disclaimer
|
|
Save local small radio stations, like St. Helens KOHI 1600 AM
We need to Save AM Radio
Lawmakers convene hearing on AM radio phase-out, but the government is arguing NO! Major automakers are eliminating AM radio from new vehicles, arguing the antiquated system is unnecessary and is incompatible with electric engines. But House lawmakers will convene a hearing in early June to discuss the importance of keeping AM radio in cars, committee spokespeople confirmed exclusively to The Technology 202. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and ranking Democrat Frank Pallone Jr. (N.J.) will hear testimony from public safety experts about why they think AM radio is still essential for vehicles. The hearing comes as lawmakers in both the House and Senate sound the alarm on AM radio being phased out, a move they say could prevent Americans from receiving public emergency notifications and stifle political discourse. AM radio was popular through the 1960s and ’70s, but once FM radio came on the scene, it was able to provide better audio quality at the cost of transmitting across a shorter distance. The debate has made unlikely alliances, as lawmakers argue that AM is a crucial service that can reach Americans in life or death situations when FM or other transmission methods fail. A bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced last week would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a rule requiring carmakers to keep AM broadcast radio in their vehicles without a separate payment or fee. It also requires automakers selling cars without AM radio before the effective date to disclose that AM is not present. The bill, titled the AM for Every Vehicle Act, has endorsement from Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), as well as Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.). It also has endorsements from Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel and Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington, who call it a “clear public safety imperative.” “AM radio plays an essential role in our communities, especially during public emergencies when other alert systems that rely on the electric grid and cellphone networks may not work. I’m looking forward to the Energy and Commerce Committee holding a hearing on this important matter soon,” Pallone said in a statement to The Technology 202. Republicans have also argued that popular conservative talk shows that rely on AM airwaves could suffer from the phaseout. Eight of the country’s 10 most popular radio talk shows are conservative, as our colleague Marc Fisher previously reported. AM radio has largely been discontinued in electric vehicles made by companies like Tesla, Ford, BMW, Mazda and Volkswagen on the grounds that the motors in those vehicles create electromagnetic frequencies on the same wavelength as AM radio and could lead to interference. Automakers also argue that AM’s phaseout trends with the population that grew up with AM: one that is getting smaller and older. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an automaker trade group, has previously said that AM mandates are unnecessary and that the Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System can be transmitted across AM, FM and other types of radio, as well as cellular networks in case of an emergency. Former Federal Emergency Management Agency officials in February wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg arguing that the United States should seek assurances from automobile manufacturers to keep AM in new cars. “AM radio plays an essential role in our communities, especially during public emergencies, and we look forward to hearing from public safety experts about the importance of ensuring this continues to be a resource for Americans,” McMorris Rodgers said in a statement to The Technology 202. Article from The Washington Post. Many people still depend on A.M. radio, here in South County depends on KOHI 1600 A.M. for local news, live charity events live broadcasts, and local political shows such as Odd Friday (which I co-host) which is often ahead of all newspapers on local breaking news. And will tackle local issues which requires getting down into nitty gritty research, opening up information to the public which normally would never see the light of day. KOHI is not operated on a huge budget with hundreds of employees, it is operated by our own Marty Rowe, a dedicated man who loves radio and does a lot of community services. His station is an independent operation. We cannot afford to lose this A.M. radio. Small towns across America depends on these A.M. stations. Stations which know what's happening locally, statewide and nationally.
Tammy
|