Why phasing out AM radio in vehicles is a bad thing–especially in Canada

These are not good days for AM radio, the oldest form of radio broadcasting. Yes, it’s sonically inferior to FM and is prone to all kinds of static interference (power lines, lightning, etc.) but it’s still important. More of that in a moment.

The car is radio’s most important environment. But now, many manufacturers are phasing out AM radio as a standard feature, starting with EVs. Tesla was first, pointing out that the strong electromagnetic fields generated by an EV’s motors all but drown out AM signals. Others pure EV makers (Rivian, Polestar) have followed. Mazda, BMW, Volvo, and Volkswagen have also dropped AM from the battery-powered models. GM plans to do the same.

The biggest blow came this week with Ford, which announced that they were phasing out AM globally in all their vehicles. A spokesperson for the company said this to Broadcast Dialogue: “Ford will continue to offer internet streaming through mobile apps, FM or digital options for customers to hear their favourite AM radio programming as the global transition away from AM radio continues.”

Translation: If you want AM programming (news, weather, opinion talk shows, traffic, and most important of all, play-by-play sports), you’ll find another way to listen in your new Ford. How? That’s TBD. GM has said that it will “reject phone projection” to its infotainment systems, restricting the connection to your car to making phone calls. What will this “internet streaming option through mobile apps” be? The potential prospects are not good.

The loss of AM will especially rough for Canada which has over 180 of these stations:

• Because the FM band is so crowded in major markets, the option of flipping an AM to FM is impossible. There’s just no room on the dial between 87.9 and 107.9 Mhz.
• The CRTC has rules in place regarding how many stations a company can own in a single market, divided between AM and FM signals. If there’s any chance of jamming more signals onto FM, the regulations will have to change.
• If it proves impossible to flip to FM, there are two choices: Sunset the AM station or turn an FM music station into talk. The CRTC rules behind talk on FM are murky at best, although this is being challenged in Calgary.
• AM radio covers vast distances, an important consideration for a country like Canada with a lot of open space and many blind spots when it comes to cellular/data coverage. As Canadian Association of Broadcasters President Kevin Desjardins points out, “[I]t is unfortunate that the assumption is made that internet streaming of stations will be a suitable substitute. In a country as geographically expansive as Canada, AM radio remains an essential way to keep people in rural and remote areas connected and informed, especially in the case of emergencies.”

Dark days for AM. The next few years are going to be interesting.