US Senate Reintroduces AM Radio Bill

[mmckenna]

Sounds like an amazing station! Just trying to imagine driving on an open highway at night with that station playing on the radio. I agree, that is what AM radio was meant to be. It's not about satellite feeds and canned/syndicated programming, boardroom playlists, etc.

Pretty much anywhere in the Southwest you can find that. Get off the interstate and find an old 2 lane US or State highway and just cruise. I've traveled a lot of the western US and parts of Canada that way. You skip the McDonalds and Starbucks at every interchange and get to see things that most people either speed past or fly over. If you've ever watched the Cars movie, it's much like that. Just set the mapping app on your phone to "Avoid Highways" and it'll take you off the interstate system. Pop on the AM radio, roll the windows down and just enjoy it. Everyone else will beat you wherever you are going, but you'll arrive later and much happier.

No it's not. There's only one way to listen to Glen Campbell singing Wichita Lineman and that's on an AM radio😄, preferably fading in and out.

Exactly, and KTNN will play that as well as similar classic tunes frequently. Some of that older music was recorded with AM broadcast in mind, and just sounds better that way. Just like some will turn up their noses at CD's and claim that vinyl is the only true music medium, some songs just sound better on AM, in a pickup truck, at night, with the window rolled down, and not a car in sight.

 

[kc2asb]

No it's not. There's only one way to listen to Glen Campbell singing Wichita Lineman and that's on an AM radio😄, preferably fading in and out.

Great song! You get that homesick feeling deep down when it plays. I was definitely born in the wrong era. Not that I'm complaining about the Grunge music that was the soundtrack of my college years, but the mid 60's to the early 70's is easily the best era for music, IMHO

I agree, Wichita Lineman should only be played on AM! Try listening to WPTX on 1690 (Maryland) or WMTR 1250 (Morristown, NJ). Good chance it might appear in their playlists from time to time. You might even get some fading in and out for good measure.

 

[kc2asb]

Pretty much anywhere in the Southwest you can find that. Get off the interstate and find an old 2 lane US or State highway and just cruise. I've traveled a lot of the western US and parts of Canada that way. You skip the McDonalds and Starbucks at every interchange and get to see things that most people either speed past or fly over. If you've ever watched the Cars movie, it's much like that. Just set the mapping app on your phone to "Avoid Highways" and it'll take you off the interstate system. Pop on the AM radio, roll the windows down and just enjoy it. Everyone else will beat you wherever you are going, but you'll arrive later and much happier.

Sounds great! Don't know if it is in the cards, but it would be amazing to do it just once. I have seen the Cars movie, which got me interested in Route 66 for a while. Driving Route 66 would be the way to really experience America - listen to AM and visit the roadside attractions.

 

[mmckenna]

Driving Route 66 would be the way to really experience America - listen to AM and visit the roadside attractions.

I've done parts of it. Some sections are in pretty rough shape as they fell off the US highway roster and down to the states. Some sections are maintained as state highways, some just became frontage roads to the interstate. Some sections still have services along it, as well as the old style restaurants and motels. Gallup NM has some interesting stuff along the old 66.

But getting to experience good AM radio out in the West is worth the trip. Still a few small local AM radio stations running local programming if you keep your ears open. Or, completely ignore it, switch to FM or Satellite and join the masses.

 

[IC-R20]

Pretty much anywhere in the Southwest you can find that. Get off the interstate and find an old 2 lane US or State highway and just cruise. I've traveled a lot of the western US and parts of Canada that way. You skip the McDonalds and Starbucks at every interchange and get to see things that most people either speed past or fly over. If you've ever watched the Cars movie, it's much like that. Just set the mapping app on your phone to "Avoid Highways" and it'll take you off the interstate system. Pop on the AM radio, roll the windows down and just enjoy it. Everyone else will beat you wherever you are going, but you'll arrive later and much happier.




Exactly, and KTNN will play that as well as similar classic tunes frequently. Some of that older music was recorded with AM broadcast in mind, and just sounds better that way. Just like some will turn up their noses at CD's and claim that vinyl is the only true music medium, some songs just sound better on AM, in a pickup truck, at night, with the window rolled down, and not a car in sight.

I prefer to pop on the shortwave instead, still AM Radio just with crazier "crazier" channel numbers. That shortlived run of Art Bell on WTWW was heaven for me, where the AM was actually Coast to Coast. Nowadays I like to listen to the Ranchera music on Radio Amazonia during the day or old school Salsa on Radio Rebelde. WRNO is also great but limited these days and pretty his or miss.

I also used to listen to the talkshow with the funny florida fellow and his fast food reviews.

 

[trentbob]

... join the masses.

Never LOL... I like my AM radio, I left the satellite free subscription expire after 6 months on my car and I really don't listen to FM radio, even the oldies station, I don't consider music from 2001 as oldies LOL.

All my music is collected on YouTube playlist and we are talking about a lot of songs from early 60s to early '70s. I graduated high school in 71 and I was into everything, every venue.

You name it, it's at my fingertips.

I don't see why, now that the BBB is signed, sealed and delivered, legislators who support the bill in a bipartisan manner can't put this bill in front of the president to sign this summer.

If it stays in automobiles people will listen. I've been AM DX'ing since I was a little kid, using my pillows speaker, remember those?

 

[trentbob]

Oh by the way, speaking of Route 66, who remembers Buz, Todd and Linc?

Again, it's so rare to have bipartisan support, let's get this bill approved and signed, preferably this summer.

 

[mmckenna]

Oh by the way, speaking of Route 66, who remembers Buz, Todd and Linc?

A great show, those are/were on YouTube.

 

[Boombox]

But how many of those are non-commercial stations or commercial stations that would not change their programming for an emergency? A lot of those AMs solely exist to legally feed translators. The industry is now moving away from that and using HD2/3 feeds.

My point is that while there are a lot of AM signals, I would wager a large part of them would never carry a lick of local programming nor break in for any emergency.

Same thing with FM's. However AMs have been used in disaster areas, most recently in western North Carolina. When it comes to emergencies and disasters, redundancy is better than no redundancy.

And another reason for keeping AM radio in vehicles is that most ethnic and ethnic owned broadcasters in the US are on the AM band. That is a factor that doesn't get brought up as much as the emergency factor. Nearly all of the African American owned radio stations are on the AM band. Same with Asian and Latino owned.

As for feeding translators, a lot of companies have turned off the HD2's, and a lot of AM stations never got HD or will get HD to feed a translator because adding HD to an FM or AM costs a lot of money.

 

[Boombox]

Oh by the way, speaking of Route 66, who remembers Buz, Todd and Linc?

Again, it's so rare to have bipartisan support, let's get this bill approved and signed, preferably this summer.

Never watched the series, but the theme music, by Nelson Riddle, is classic.

 

[GlobalNorth]

For those who want to hear KTNN, but can't make it to Gallup, NM or Window Rock, AZ; here's an audio taste of it.

KTNN - St. Michaels, AZ

KTNN 660 AM 101.5 FM - The Voice of the Navajo Nation

www.ktnnonline.com

Here's the building from which they transmit from.

When I had a Harley ElectraGlide, I rode up to Gallup, NM and took across what is left of Route 66 west to California. A weird little town is Seligman, AZ. People from Europe fly to the Western US and rent either Harleys or convertible Ford Mustangs to experience Route 66 in person.

 

[GlobalNorth]

I am just wacky enough to enjoy Homer Simpson singing 'The Wichita Lineman' as a call waiting jingle.

 

[IC-R20]

Never LOL... I like my AM radio, I left the satellite free subscription expire after 6 months on my car and I really don't listen to FM radio, even the oldies station, I don't consider music from 2001 as oldies LOL.

All my music is collected on YouTube playlist and we are talking about a lot of songs from early 60s to early '70s. I graduated high school in 71 and I was into everything, every venue.

You name it, it's at my fingertips.

I don't see why, now that the BBB is signed, sealed and delivered, legislators who support the bill in a bipartisan manner can't put this bill in front of the president to sign this summer.

If it stays in automobiles people will listen. I've been AM DX'ing since I was a little kid, using my pillows speaker, remember those?

I don’t know about the ones built into cars, but for the standalone units if you turn It off before the subscription expires and don‘t turn it on again for like a year they eventually stop sending the deauth for your serial number and basically have a free unlimited subscription. I have one of those handheld MP3 looking XM units i did that too back in 2013 that still works. They transmit very low bitrate audio though so I’m kind of over it.

C Crane still sells a decent pillow speaker too by the way.

 

[trentbob]

I don’t know about the ones built into cars, but for the standalone units if you turn It off before the subscription expires and don‘t turn it on again for like a year they eventually stop sending the deauth for your serial number and basically have a free unlimited subscription. I have one of those handheld MP3 looking XM units i did that too back in 2013 that still works. They transmit very low bitrate audio though so I’m kind of over it.
00p pp aneane
C Crane still sells a decent pillow speaker too by the way.

Thanks! I guess I'll check out the satellite radio I just don't know what I would listen to on it.

I actually have never used the satellite radio but I got a lot of info from them to renew.

I remember C Crane, big advertiser of Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM in the 90s. 4:00 a.m. you could go up and down the am dial and that's all you heard was the Art Bell show.. millions of listeners syndicated across the country.

 

[kc2asb]

I remember C Crane, big advertiser of Art Bell on Coast to Coast AM in the 90s. 4:00 a.m. you could go up and down the am dial and that's all you heard was the Art Bell show.. millions of listeners syndicated across the country.

Art Bell will never be replaced. If there was compelling programming like this on terrestrial radio today, it would not be losing listeners. Of course, talent like Art Bell would eventually be lured away by a lucrative Sirius/XM contracts.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks! I guess I'll check out the satellite radio I just don't know what I would listen to on it.

My wife has it in her truck, and thus I have it on my phone (internet/app access comes with the service).
Favorite is the old time radio show channel.
'40's junction is kind of soothing to listen to. My son used to enjoy listening to that when he was a little guy.

It's not a bad service, but people love to slam it. Some channels do have commercials, but many don't.

 

[trentbob]

My wife has it in her truck, and thus I have it on my phone (internet/app access comes with the service).
Favorite is the old time radio show channel.
'40's junction is kind of soothing to listen to. My son used to enjoy listening to that when he was a little guy.

It's not a bad service, but people love to slam it. Some channels do have commercials, but many don't.

Yeah I'll check it out.. as I say I've never actually used it but I imagine they have 60s and 70s music. Actually one of the reasons I don't listen to the radio in the car is it interferes with me hearing my scanners😄

 

[trentbob]

Art Bell will never be replaced. If there was compelling programming like this on terrestrial radio today, it would not be losing listeners. Of course, talent like Art Bell would eventually be lured away by a lucrative Sirius/XM contracts.

I worked a lot of overnight tours back in those days. Terrific guy, once George snory came on I tried to endure him but he didn't come close, I got tired of hearing about Bigfoot and angels LOL. And he couldn't control the callers, he would let wacos go on and on when Art Bell would just cut them off LOL

 

[BrhatWeed]

Wichita Lineman

Thought he retired after the Reagan administration...

 

[RRR]

" With over 70 Senators now behind this bill it is pretty much a done deal. No single Senator as yet has opposed this bill. I'm very confident this bill will pass. ""

So how does look in the house? Has to pass both the house and senate, before being sent to the President to either sign or line-item veto it.