[misc] Congress moves to preserve AM radio in cars (fwd)

[danny burstein]

cc'ing 'cuz lots of common interest here

Subject: Congress moves to preserve AM radio in cars (fwd)

yeah, the h/t is to Lauren, but

a: dannyb has been working on this [1]
b: Lauren is giving a real citation

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 May 2023 11:26:19 -0700
From: PRIVACY Forum mailing list <pri...@vortex.com>
To: privac...@vortex.com
Subject: [ PRIVACY Forum ] Congress moves to preserve AM radio in cars

Congress moves to preserve AM radio in cars

I agree that there are legit public safety issues invoked in this matter. -L

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/17/am-radio-congress-cars
==========

[1] dannyb has pointed out to both the FCC and FDA the
problems this huge amount of new radio interference
can cause medical equipment. Got some good responses
from the FDA (well, actually HHS) which is taking
this issue seriously. Nothing back from the FCC.

And in regards to Congress:

dannyb also suggested a slightly different route from
Congress mandating AM radios in cars, namely that
the Feds use the precedent of the Hotel and Motel Safey
Act. In other words, the Feds wouldn't purchase or
lease any vehicle that didn't have an AM radio.
(and could extend this to any purchase/lease using
federal funds).

Oh, and he's also urged Congress, etc., to request
that FM digital radio receivers be extended downward
just a notch to 87.7 MC (the "official" cut off is 87.9)
so that he could receive MeTV's oldie von moldie
"radio" channel when in Chicago, plus the various
others which are still around.

(summary: the audio for what used to be referred
to as television VHF channel 6 is at 87.7. So
yes, if you tuned your FM receiver way down,
you'd be able to hear it.

A bunch of groups licensed out "channel 6" using
the low power tv kind f loophole, just in order
to get an FM radio station...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_6_radio_stations_in_the_United_States

[Jim Ellwanger]

Note that a digital-only FM radio receiver wouldn't be able to get the analog radio signals that are being broadcast on Channel 6.

[Mike Ward]

Weighing in here...

A) Many AM radio stations, including ours (WAKR/1590 Akron, OH), have added low-power FM translators. But in our case, "low-power" means I can't actually pick the FM up in the house here on this side of town. 1590 has no such limitation for me.

B) Those Channel 6 analog signals, which show up on 87.7(5) FM as radio stations, are all now converted to digital. But there is a "special temporary authority" by the FCC allowing some of them to inject an analog radio signal alongside the digital TV signal. This is by no means permanently authorized...

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[Richard de Give]

One must wonder, of course, how many FM stations are equipped to provide news and official information in the event of an actual emergency, unless they're simulcasting an AM sister station, as is the case with KCBS and KFRC-FM in San Francisco .

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