Hey, we did it. We destroyed one of the radio bands. The AM band is on life support, and it was caused by an industry’s hubris and the FCC. I love AM radio. I grew up slowly trying to tune in to radio stations from all over the world. Many of the players who created our predicament are gone, and we can now pick up the pieces and perhaps perform a rescue.
Early in radio’s existence, the federal government realized that radio could reach a large number of Americans instantly, which was so important in a national emergency. Radio stations were set up on clear channels that would cover most of the USA.
It was a revolution during a time when many Americans did not have a telephone yet, and even a newspaper was tough to get if you lived in a rural area. In 1939, more than 54,000 horse-drawn vehicles were still being produced. The cities had largely transitioned to cars, trucks, buses, and trains. These clear-channel stations were essential for a country that was slowly growing. These big stations were necessary.
A Potential Solution?
As time went on, communities grew all over the USA and eventually received their own radio stations. These AM stations frequently had to protect the 50,000-watt giants, even though these small stations were mandated to serve and inform the public. In fact, these small AM stations were the only lifeline for severe weather, community emergencies, and other problems.
If that market’s AM station had to turn down the power, so be it. Before anyone corrects me, yes, I know that a station could power up after sundown for big emergencies if it didn’t play commercials. But if a town’s radio station could not be heard 99% of the time after dark in its own community, even though the person trying to listen lived 10 miles from the town square, that created a lack of consistency. But here we are.
Here was the solution, but the owners of those 50k AM stations hated this idea: allow all AM stations to run the same array we use by day, just with less power. It would have been very helpful.
I have programmed and worked at 50k giants. What is the advantage of having someone hear the station five states away? It’s an ego play that didn’t fit into any business plan for a radio station. Depending on the situation, some of those 50k bruisers could have cut power at night and still covered their metros.
AM radio has interference issues. Well, yes, it does. Losing signal going under a bridge is a pain. But SiriusXM experiences the same thing, and no one complains about that. Sometimes cell phone coverage is lost under bridges or in big cities. Cell phones seem to be doing ok.
AM Radio’s Content Problem
AM radio, sadly, has a content problem. There are a lot of good reasons. The connected car has more options than you can count. That is great for the consumer, but AM radio has become the home of niche programming. Religious, foreign-language and brokered stations, along with other options on AM radio, do not create a reason to go there. Especially in spoken-word formats, there are really just two other options: news/talk and sports talk.
Many of those stations are now on FM. AM’s demise is connected to terrible content. Can AM rise again? It’s all about content.
By the way, both news/talk and sports talk formats have cume challenges. Is this an AM radio issue? No. Those same cume challenges are being experienced on spoken-word formats on FM as well. Okay, I have theories for both formats. I will share those in future columns.
What It Will Take to Rescue AM
The challenges for AM are immense. The companies that own the signals face serious fiscal realities that hinder format development and the patience to wait for it to work. I think looking at options to develop formats is key not only for AM but also for FM.
The challenge for radio’s long-term success must be about content. Information is not content and is no longer a rare commodity. You can grab your phone to find information at any time. Music radio has the same issues with Spotify and Amazon Music. Where is the unique content?
Modernizing AM also begins with a realistic way to improve market coverage of signals throughout the USA. If an AM station is in a market, people should be able to hear that station 24/7. The idea of protecting a station 700 miles away is ridiculous and counterproductive. To be fair, this should have been done 30 years ago.
Is it too late? Probably not. We now have 20-year-old humans purchasing record players and buying brand-new vinyl records. AM radio is vital, and the future ideas will come from amazing people like you. You will be the future.
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