BREAKING NEWS |
A Call to Action! |
The National Association of Broadcasters has devised a
quick-and-easy way for you to voice support for the new "AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act" that
would require manufacturers to keep AM radio in cars (at no additional
cost to users) to ensure that Americans can hear emergency alerts -- just as
carmakers are required to include safety belts. Time is of the essence, so visit
'Act Now'
to add your name to list of those
who support the legislation! Your voice matters. Please join the effort
and share this info within your sphere of influence. See also
this excellent summary published by Inside Radio.
UPDATE: On May 23, one major automaker reversed
course and announced that AM Radio will remain in their
vehicles but did not say for how long. Other carmakers
have not turned this corner yet. That is why NAB
president / CEO LeGeyt today reminded Congress that the
legislation continues to be required, stating,
“Broadcasters will continue to support this major
legislation to ensure consumer access to AM Radio in all
vehicles."
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Safety to Take Back
Seat? |
Automakers Need to
Rethink Proposal to
Remove Radio Receivers from Future
Vehicles |
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DETROIT, MI:
How could Motown have become so tone deaf?
Certain U.S. automakers are intending to eliminate AM
radio receivers from future models of both electric
vehicles (EVs) and gasoline-powered cars, despite the
Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s)
investment of billions of our dollars to ensure that AM
radio will be the backbone of our safety network in a
national emergency.
All the while, surveys indicate that more than one in five
customers say that AM radio is an important vehicle-buying feature
for the very models on which radio removal is
proposed.
What’s the back story?
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Some automotive manufacturers claim that integrating
AM receivers into Electric Vehicles (EVs) is impossible
due to electrical interference, even though there are thousands of EVs on America’s
roads right now, equipped with AM receivers.
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Some automakers point out that emergency notifications
are available from other sources (aside from radio),
ignoring the fact that non-radio sources (cellular,
internet) are highly vulnerable to attack and overload
during emergencies. And we all know that most states
have enacted laws that discourage drivers from using
mobile devices while on the road.
The real reasons manufacturers want to eliminate AM
radio are obvious: (1) They can
save dollars by eliminating the special shielding
required for receivers to work well, especially in
new Electric Vehicles. (2) In the future, automakers
intend to fully control all vehicle
dashboards and eliminate free services, such as radio, that
cannot be monetized.
As citizens, we can’t let this happen!
Virtually every car and truck in America today is
equipped with an AM receiver, making AM radio one of the
most reliable sources of information during emergencies. AM daytime
coverage is massive compared to FM and cellular – and
even more so after dark when signals can be heard for
thousands of miles. This is why our national
notification network leans heavily on AM, anticipating
the day when a cyberattack or service overload during a
disaster makes wireless methods worthless. FEMA has
invested our tax dollars to harden the AM network with
generators, shielded studios and special communications
so the network can survive virtually any catastrophic
scenario.
It is time for
action, and that action might need to happen at the
Congressional level.
Early in 2023 the American Association of Information
Radio Operators (AAIRO.org),
joined with the Federal Communications Commission and a
coalition of state emergency management agencies,
politicians such as Mike Pence and various senators and
representatives to address these concerns.
The National Association of Broadcasters initiated a grassroots effort, asking U.S. citizens to petition
Congress to act with a national campaign that encouraged
them to Text "AM" to Cell Number "52886" and sign a short
petition intended to “Keep AM radio in cars.”
They reported having received over 187,000 responses.
For broadcasters, this is their livelihood. But for all
of us, the difference during a national emergency might
be our lives. It may take an act of Congress to stop the
very car manufacturers that we propped up during the
great recession from
seeking a break for themselves while breaking radio --
America’s emergency safety net.
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Hiking at Mount Mitchell 6684 Feet above Sea
level |
Shutterstock Photo |
Remote Parks Rely on
Radio |
. . . to help visitors
navigate safety in
the “land of limited
services.” |
BURNSVILLE, NC:
Perched on the Blue Ridge Parkway northeast of
Asheville, North Carolina, is Mount Mitchell State Park.
This gem of the Appalachians boasts the highest mountain
peak east of the Mississippi. But to get there, you have
to enter a land devoid of many of the services modern
America is accustomed to. Gasoline? That’s at least 16
miles away; some days it’s 30. Cellular service? It
depends on where you stand. Weather forecasts? Not
likely to match the conditions that greet you when you
arrive at the top. Food? That’s why they made backpacks.
It is in these
“information deserts” that Information Radio services
thrive – especially with the current limitations on staffing
to provide
face-to-face visitor orientation.
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Signs advise visitors to tune in as they drive
in. |
Photo by Bill Baker |
Mount Mitchell’s
radio broadcast is all about safety, advising upbound
patrons of service limitations before they climb the
steep 1400-foot access road. Weather at the top can be
sharply colder with snow and fog that some visitors
don’t plan for before they start upward. The winding
access road is also traveled by bikers and hikers that
drivers need to keep an eye out for.
The Friends of Mount Mitchell’s IT manager Alan Orovitz
points out that the broadcast, “provides critical safety
information. If there are severe weather conditions
expected we definitely don’t want people to start out on
the trail system.”
With the Mount
Mitchell station, North Carolina State Parks join
hundreds of outdoor venues that have installed
Information Radio Stations to inform visitors as
they approach – the optimum time to reach out to refresh
details they might think they know from the web.
Recently Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio installed a
similar radio service to tell motorists how they can
enjoy their offerings on busy weekends when their most
popular venue – Old Man’s Cave – fills up. The park is
nestled in a remote part of southern Ohio where
cellular coverage is not consistently available.
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Approaching the South Rim, Grand Canyon's
information service advises bus schedules, hiking
safety. |
Photo by Bill Baker |
The National Park
Service
– which invented the Information Radio service back in
the 1970’s – employs the technology in dozens of parks
and historic sites coast to
coast.
Grand Canyon National Park broadcasts at the South Rim to
advise drivers about all variety of safety issues. Their
EventCAST radio station was used heavily during the
pandemic to let patrons know what services were
available and the safety procedures required amid the
changing health regulations. And, with lines at the gate
sometimes stretching to two hours, the Park wants to
encourage everyone to use their shuttlebuses to save
time and keep the air clean.
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Installing Mount Mitchell's Information Radio
Antenna
Arguably the Highest Radio Antenna East of the
Mississippi |
Photo Courtesy of NC
Parks |
Other high profile
destinations such
as St. Croix Island International Historic Site plan to
use a more compact license-free Information Radio System
(InfOspot) to broadcast interpretive information when
visitor facilities are unmanned.
The use of the radio medium for information and
interpretation services is a natural, given the
demographics of park and historic site visitors, which
skews high. Media surveys indicate that people above the age
of 45 are much more likely to sample a radio service
than a smartphone-based information method. Combined
with the reality that digital services are not available
in proximity to many of the most popular outdoor venues,
radio continues to be a natural fit to keep visitors
apprised.
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![630 Meter Antenna](../images/630m-ant-cover.jpg) |
The
Lowdown 630 Meter Antenna |
A Brand New Band |
“Hamvention” HAM Radio
Convention to Showcase New 630 Meter Equipment;
Information Radio Demonstration |
XENIA,
OH: The largest gathering of HAM radio devotees in
the world takes place in Southern Ohio the weekend of
May 19-21. As in previous years, Information Station
Specialists is providing an
EventCAST Radio Station for the event, broadcasting
on AM 1620 parking, travel and weather info for
attendees. But this year, there is buzz about a new
antenna from the company that amateurs have been
procuring to pioneer a new band that’s so low at 472-479
kHz you have to look up to see the AM broadcast
spectrum.
“The Lowdown” 630 Meter Antenna opens the way for
amateurs to explore the new spectrum from their back
yards with a HOA friendly package that can be assembled,
taken down and stored with ease. February test sessions
utilized digital modes and proved successful operation
from Michigan to most of the lower 48 states. |
![The Lowdown 630 Meter Antenna Testing Map](../images/lowdown-testing-map.jpg) |
February
2023 Test Results - FST4 Mode |
Early reviews have
been positive: “Thanks for an easy 630 meter antenna
solution,” offered Tom Costa (N9RU) of Marion, Illinois. Jamie
Labadia (N2VJ) of Windham, New York, summarized, “I think
you’ve created the only plug-and-play 630 meter antenna
out there.”
See Page 2 of this summary of Tom Costa's (N9RU) experience with the
new antenna.
The antenna and accessories like quick-deploy
groundplanes, mounts and matching transformers will be
on display in Building 1, Booth 1002. At the conference
or
via email Information
Station Specialists can provide updates on which
manufacturers intend to offer transceivers and
transverters for 630 meters. See specs and/or order
information at
this link.
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© 1983-2024 • Information Station Specialists,
Inc. • All Rights Reserved
PO Box 51, Zeeland, Michigan, USA, 49464-0051, Phone 616.772.2300,
Email
• • •
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Information Radio Stations is a generic term
synonymous with Travelers Information Stations (TIS), Highway
Advisory Radio Stations (HAR) / Highway Information Systems &
Low Power Radio Stations (LPR). Operation of the stations is
governed by FCC Part 90.242 Rules. A FCC license is required.
Information Radio Stations may be fixed or portable.
Subcomponents may include transmitter, antenna and ground
system, digital voice player, wattmeter, cabinet with
conventional or Corbin locks, lightning arrestors for RF, power
and telephone lines, coaxial cable. Most stations employ black
maximized antennas to discourage ice accumulation and security
measures to prevent unauthorized program access. Options include
synchronization, battery backup, solar power, remote programming
by local, network or telco, multi-station audio distribution via
RF or LAN / WAN or wireless network. |