Ford reverses course, will keep AM radio on future models

[Pioneer74]

“We've decided to include it on all 2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles," Farley wrote on LinkedIn and Twitter. "For any owners of Ford's EVs without AM broadcast capability, we'll offer a software update” to restore it.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/b...l-keep-am-radio-on-future-models/70247642007/

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[Zprime29]

How are they going to restore it to vehicles that didn't have it? Internet based broadcasts?

 

[Maquis]

It’s nice to know any future Ford I may buy will have one more feature I’ll never use.

 

[ErichKeane]

How are they going to restore it to vehicles that didn't have it? Internet based broadcasts?

I'm guessing they didn't ever remove the hardware, and just disabled it in software. They weren't going to spin up a special radio just for this (rather than just ship the same as the regular F150), and I suspect they disabled it because the reception complaints were horrific.

I'd also suspect they were able to improve the firmware on the radio to the point where the motor's interference can be better dealt with/eliminated, so they have better reception now.

 

[Zprime29]

That would make sense. I assumed they removed the hardware but I think you're right.

 

[viennaxmas]

They will also bring back the cassette player in 2024...

 

[Monkey]

This is stoopid. They’re pandering to the < 5% of their customers who actually think they care about AM radio and would use it…. Going to restore it for 2021-2024 and potentially another model year or two after. The FCC was going to eliminate AM radio but there was enough of a public outcry that they shelved that legislation for later review. I think they revisit the topic in 2027. There really isn’t a technical reason for AM to persist. I think as of 2018 or whenever the FCC shelved the planned 2030 AM radio termination, there were about 4200 actively broadcasting AM stations. Of those, less than 800 of them were solely broadcasting on AM, while the rest were simultaneously broadcasting on FM and many also via satellite or internet.

Keeping AM radio alive is nothing more than a nostalgic circle jerk.

 

[Monkey]

They will also bring back the cassette player in 2024...

I’ll be first in line to buy the next gen T3 Lightning…. If they include an 8-track player.

 

[theblunden]

This is stoopid. They’re pandering to the < 5% of their customers who actually think they care about AM radio and would use it…. Going to restore it for 2021-2024 and potentially another model year or two after. The FCC was going to eliminate AM radio but there was enough of a public outcry that they shelved that legislation for later review. I think they revisit the topic in 2027. There really isn’t a technical reason for AM to persist. I think as of 2018 or whenever the FCC shelved the planned 2030 AM radio termination, there were about 4200 actively broadcasting AM stations. Of those, less than 800 of them were solely broadcasting on AM, while the rest were simultaneously broadcasting on FM and many also via satellite or internet.

Keeping AM radio alive is nothing more than a nostalgic circle jerk.

Come on you don't want to listen to little orphan Annie anymore? What a buzz kill

 

[theblunden]

Thanks to all the AM whiners..... I've gotten accustomed to one less button push on my source button on my steering wheel. Now I'm going to have to relearn how to push a button one more time on my steering wheel not to mention it's going to shorten life of said button.

 

[MRButtler]

https://www.darkroastedblend.com/2010/04/car-record-players-other-cool-vintage.html?m=1

 

[gern]

While I’m right there with many of you ridiculing the idea of AM radio being a valuable entertainment source, I still support keeping AM radio in vehicles for _emergency purposes_. Think this is unneeded in this age of cell phones? Take a look at what happened in Paradise, CA during the fire that destroyed most of the town and killed nearly 100 people. The cell network was destroyed by the raging fire and was unable to send out emergency alerts, let alone support the idea of people looking up info on the internet. AM radio is more resilient in emergency situations than any other technological source of information due to its simplicity and ubiquity. A single AM radio broadcast tower (or maybe 2 or 3 for redundancy and backup) is much easier to provide power to, keep running, and protect than hundreds of smaller cell towers and the necessary backhaul they require. Do people need to be informed to tune to AM radio in the event of an emergency? Probably. But that’s a solvable issue when everyone already has an AM radio in the vehicle they are using to flee in.

(https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/camp-fire-anniversary-new-details-troubled-evacuation/)

 

[Maquis]

They will also bring back the cassette player in 2024...

I want a turntable with spring reverb, or nothing!

 

[p52Ranch]

I guess nobody has actually read the article. Ford isn't re-instating AM radio's in their cars out of the goodness of their hearts. They are doing it because Congress is forcing them to.

It is considered a public safety issue as emergency alerts are broadcast on radio frequencies including AM.

 

[Zprime29]

This is stoopid. They’re pandering to the < 5% of their customers who actually think they care about AM radio and would use it…. Going to restore it for 2021-2024 and potentially another model year or two after. The FCC was going to eliminate AM radio but there was enough of a public outcry that they shelved that legislation for later review. I think they revisit the topic in 2027. There really isn’t a technical reason for AM to persist. I think as of 2018 or whenever the FCC shelved the planned 2030 AM radio termination, there were about 4200 actively broadcasting AM stations. Of those, less than 800 of them were solely broadcasting on AM, while the rest were simultaneously broadcasting on FM and many also via satellite or internet.

Keeping AM radio alive is nothing more than a nostalgic circle jerk.

@p52Ranch beat me to the punch here, it's pretty obvious you didn't read the link. New legislation was introduced that will make it mandatory to include AM radio for emergency broadcasts. It hasn't passed yet, but Ford must've gotten word that it's likely to pass so they are making the best of it. The article points out several other automakers that this will effect (looking at you Tesla).

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