“Where’s the AM/FM Radio in My New Car?”

I purchased a new GMC Acadia two weeks ago — and one week later, it’s already on a recall list … arrghhh. So that’s disturbing item number one. Now, number two: Where is the AM/FM radio?  Repeat — no AM/FM.When the car is started, the main screen includes various audio options: Pandora, Stitcher (a good but not well-known talk aggregator) Sirius/XM, a USB hub and a picture viewer. A picture viewer. Really? And GM thinks they have problems with recalling cars now.

So, where is the AM/FM? Could Radio Ink’s Eric Rhodes been correct with his apocalypticpronouncement that AM/FM radio would be wiped out from cars? And this fast? Was the JacobsTechsurvey10 study wrong in saying 89% of people consider AM/FM important when shopping for a new vehicle, and the top audio choice? Edison Research/Triton Digital’s The Infinite Dial 2014found 86% are using AM/FM and 14% using streaming radio.

Well, I found the AM/FM.  And here is the incredibly eye-opening news to me and should be to everyone in the radio business —  we have been relegated to a second screen. One now has to click to find AM/FM. And to add insult to injury, AM/FM is no longer one of the physical buttons surrounding the screen.