In isolated parts of Argentina, residents without reliable phone or internet access use AM radio stations to send and receive personal messages, from birthday greetings to news of births, illnesses, and lost livestock. Stations like LRA9 Radio Nacional in Esquel and LU20 Radio Chubut broadcast these messages, sometimes directing listeners to specific hilltops or other spots where cellphone reception is strong enough to follow up by phone. Some residents even rig makeshift pulley systems to hoist phones into treetops to catch a signal.
newyorker.com
· 2026-10-13
Lawmakers are pushing legislation that would mandate automakers include AM radio receivers in every new car sold, countering a trend of manufacturers removing the feature. Automakers have cited rising costs and technical issues, particularly interference from electric vehicle components, as reasons for dropping AM radio from new models. Supporters of the bill argue the technology remains critical for public safety and emergency broadcasts.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-12
The U.S. House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act last month, a bipartisan bill requiring automakers to include AM radio in new vehicles. The measure now goes to the Senate, where a companion bill has already drawn support, while a companion effort has gathered backing according to public records. Broadcasters like WGN-AM's Mary Sandberg Boyle back the bill, citing AM radio's role in emergency alerts, while the Alliance for Automotive Innovation opposes it.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-04
A developer working with BMS, a combat flight simulator, describes contributing accurate AM radio physics to a community-built replacement for the sim's existing voice chat program, IVC. The goal is to properly reproduce phenomena like AM radio's lack of a 'capture effect,' where two overlapping transmissions can both be partially heard, unlike the current IVC tool which reportedly just produces a generic noise when pilots talk over each other.
bitbashing.io
· 2026-09-27
The House of Representatives voted with strong bipartisan support to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers include AM radio in new cars, trucks and SUVs at no extra cost. The measure now moves to the Senate, where a companion bill co-sponsored by Sens. Ed Markey and Ted Cruz already has 60 co-sponsors, enough to survive a filibuster.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-16
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