Home Login RADIO ONLINE RSS Facebook
Advertisement

NABOB Says the Future of AM Radio is in Jeopardy


National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters
National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters

National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) says the removal of AM radio in electric vehicles from eight of the top 20 automakers producing vehicles is creating shock waves in the broadcasting industry. This is particularly true for Black-owned radio broadcasters, who own 103 AM radio stations. The impact of the technological shift could spell consequences for these Black owned radio broadcasters and the audiences they serve, including negative implications to public safety.

"This represents a huge setback for AM radio stations serving the needs of the African American community, as AM radio is a crucial medium for delivering content that is culturally relevant and often missing from other formats," wrote NABOB President and CEO Jim Winston in a letter addressed to Rep. Steve Horsford, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

He continued, "The removal of AM radio from electric vehicles would be a step backward in broadcasters' efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in media. It would reinforce the dominance of mainstream media outlets and limit the diversity of voices and perspectives that are heard."

Winston penned the letter enlisting support from Black lawmakers citing concerns on its far reaching effects on the Black community.

"Black audiences rely upon AM radio for news, religious, and entertainment programming. As the country moves toward greater use of electric vehicles, the loss of AM radio in their cars will have a severe negative impact on Black communities across the country. This is an issue that negatively impacts the entire radio industry, and NABOB is working with other industry organizations to address this issue."

Forbes reports, "New EVs manufactured by BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volvo, Ford F-150 Lightning truck, Volkswagen SUV and Tesla Model S have dropped AM radio. Ford announced in March plans to phase out AM radio in most of its new and updated car models, even those with internal combustion engines."

NABOB represents 257 Black owned broadcast media outlets and networks, including 103 AM radio stations. NABOB members own fewer than 2% of the 11,000 commercial AM and FM radio stations in America. For many Black owned radio broadcasters, the removal of AM radio in electrical vehicles will have a compounding effect, magnifying the inequities of broadcast ownership.

Historically, Black owned radio broadcasters have experienced challenges accessing capital and have experienced prejudice within the media advertising industry resulting in delayed digital transformations. The current proposition to remove access to AM radio in electric vehicles creates an additional threat to the amplification of Black voices, jeopardizing the vitality of Black owned radio, according to NABOB.

"Many AM radio stations are locally owned and operated, so they have a vested interest in covering stories that address the unique cultural and local needs of the communities they serve," Winston explained.

Winston also raises accessibility and public safety as causes for concern.

"Delivering this content over-the-air ensures that it is accessible to those who may not have reliable internet access or who cannot afford subscription services. For those living in rural areas, with unreliable wireless and/or broadband connections, AM radio is widely available, always on and accessible without subscription fees or data caps. During times of emergency and natural disasters, when power outages often cause wireless networks to fail, AM radio stations form the backbone of the emergency alert system. With the removal of AM from the dash, auto manufacturers are undermining the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) system for delivering critical public safety information."

In closing, Winston encouraged the CBC to help NABOB convey to auto manufacturers the importance of AM broadcast radio to African Americans across the U.S. and looks forward to working together to maintain AM radio in the dashboard of electric vehicles made in America.

Advertisement

Latest Radio Stories

Triton Digital Unveils U.S. Podcast Ranker for August
Triton Digital
Triton Digital
Triton Digital has unveiled its U.S. Podcast Ranker, covering the data from July 31 to September 3. This report showcases the performance of the SiriusXM Podcast Network, which has secured the top spot in the Top Sales Networks Report for August. More

Loud Media Launches ''104.9 KVL'' Debuts in Knoxville TN
WKVL-FM/Knoxville
WKVL-FM/Knoxville
Loud Media flips Classic Hits WKVL/La Follette, covering Knoxville, to 90s & 2000s Throwbacks as "104.9 KVL." The station is playing artists such as Destiny's Child, Jay Z, Danity Kane, Digital Underground, No Doubt, Nas, New Kids On The Block, More

Veteran WBEE/Rochester Personality Terry Clifford Retires
Terry Clifford
Terry Clifford
Veteran Rochester, NY radio personality Terry Clifford signed off the air on Friday for the final time. Clifford, co-host of the "Bee Morning Coffee Club" on WBEE-FM, is retiring after 37 years on the Country outlet. The Auburn native's radio career More
Advertisement

Bonneville, Arizona Coyotes Ink One-Year Extension
KMVP-FM/Phoenix
KMVP-FM/Phoenix
Bonneville inks a one-year extension with the Arizona Coyotes, keeping regular season and post-season games on KMVP (Arizona Sports 98.7) and KTAR (ESPN 620) for the 2023-2024 NHL season. Bob Heethuis returns to handle the club's radio play-by-play More

Matt Cooper Named PD for WCYQ (100.3 The Wolf) Knoxville
Matt Cooper
Matt Cooper
SummitMedia appoints 15-year programming vet Matt Cooper as Program Director and afternoon talent for WCYQ (100.3 The Wolf). He comes to Knoxville from the company's cluster in Louisville where he was the Assistant Program Director, Music Director More

RTDNA Issues Study on Trust in Local News Elections Coverage
RTDNA
RTDNA
Most U.S. local news consumers want journalists to ask tough, but respectful, questions of candidates and regularly fact check those running for office. That was one of many key takeaways from a fact-finding research project on trust in elections More

Return to Menu

Advertisement

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Radio news and headlines delivered right to your e-mail box -- and it's free.

Advertisement

Advertisement