If automakers get rid of AM radios, what do stations need to do to stay on the air?
The future of AM radio in cars, trucks
Congress is responding to automakers that want to get rid of AM radio from new cars and trucks, with legislation that would mandate the feature to stay right where it is. However, FOX 26 Business Reporter says it is the latest battle over a product that keeps reinventing itself.
HOUSTON - Congress is responding to automakers that want to get rid of AM radio from new cars and trucks with legislation that would mandate the feature stay right where it is.
SEE ALSO: New bill to ensure Texas has a free market for electric vehicle (EV) charging
Manufacturers say electric vehicles affect the radio signal, and that fewer people are listening.
For the nation's 4,200 AM radio stations, the idea that there may be fewer radios to tune in is just another challenge.
What you should consider when buying an electric vehicle
Consumer Reports says 14% more consumers are interested in going electric the next time they buy a car. EVs are often more expensive to buy but experts say they can reduce your costs per mile. FOX 26 Consumer Reporter Heather Sullivan has Smart Sense on what to consider when going electric.
In Houston, KCOH has been a fixture on the AM dial, since 1953. From its one-time home on Almeda Road, it's been a vital and historic connection for music and information to the city's Black community.
Now, with the threat that fewer cars and trucks will be able to tune in AM signals, in the future, broadcasters need to get creative.
"It is a change that is inevitable. It had to come," says KCOH station manager Paris Eley, who does not seem worried by the challenge.
After a change of ownership and format that saw KCOH off the air for several years, it is back, in new studios, and leaning on many of the voices and sounds that made it famous, while also turning to new ideas that might appeal to new listeners.
Houston has several dozen AM stations offering sports, talk, and music in a variety of languages. All of them will be faced with deciding how to survive.
SUGGESTED: Ford CEO announces changes, including non-negotiated vehicle prices
For KCOH, and many others, one of those strategies is an internet stream for its programming that is growing in popularity. But that's just the beginning.
While longtime listeners will recognize the familiar sounds, Paris Eley says survival depends on growing with technology, and enough imagination to provide something worth listening to.
"To what extent it thrives, depends on the ability of the person who is doing the programming, or providing content, to find engaging content," he says.
Eley believes some of the big ownership groups, with dozens of stations, may get out of some of their AM radio business if there are fewer listeners.
Stations with more direct connections to communities may have more latitude and urgency to stay on the air.