Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.News anchor Steve Bertrand reports the news live on air in the WGN Radio newsroom on June 6, 2023. Congress is weighing legislation to force automakers to keep AM radio in cars.
Automakers cite audio interference with electric motors and the ability to stream stations as justification for phasing out AM radios, but the communications and technology subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee heard nearly three hours of testimony as to why AM should be saved. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., head of the Energy and Commerce Committee, noted that Rush Limbaugh had about 15 million listeners each week for his show, which was broadcast across 650 stations at its peak.
Tesla Model Y vehicles sit on the lot for sale at a Tesla car dealership on May 31, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Tesla, the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in the U.S., has not included AM radios in its cars for years.AM listenership has been in decline for years, losing ground to the cleaner sound of FM radio, and more recently, satellite radio and the rise of digital media in the new millennium.
Sister station WSCR-AM 670 is tied with WBEZ-FM 91.5, Chicago’s NPR station, ranking 12th with a 3.1 share, according to Nielsen. While WGN has focused on fine-tuning its digital app — in part to help Tesla drivers listen to the station on the road — Boyle said streaming is not ready to replace over-the-air radio in the car.