But is it really? Here's what happening.
Let's end the week on a light note, and Sean Hannity of Fox News claiming that it “feels” like automakers leaving AM radios out of “new model” EVs is a political move to silence conservative talk radio which is oftentimes on AM radio stations.
The reality, of course, is that AM radio has been declining in popularity for decades, and now sharply as it's made redundant by digital streaming and downloads and modern infotainment systems in general. In reality, it's beyond time to phase out the terrible-sounding AM radio features in cars. Even the argument that AM radio bands could make emergency broadcasts more difficult to reach rural listeners' cars is getting weak in the face of satellite radio. Communication technology is moving fast and spreading out into the most rural areas of the US.
“It's not complicated to put in a radio system that allows you to have AM, FM, Sirius XM, or the ability to plug in your own music from your own phone,” Hannity incorrectly told Fox News Digital. “And I think people want more options, not less options. And this would be a direct hit politically on conservative talk radio in particular, which is what most people go to AM radio to listen to.”
However, the reality is that AM radio is mainly being phased out due to market forces. Even Ford is dropping AM radio from the new Mustang in its debut 2024 model year, which is not a car generally favored by extreme left-wing car buyers. If anything, muscle cars like the Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and Dodge Challenger are more popular with more traditional and, sometimes, politically conservative customers.
“People paid a lot of money for those signals, and they pay that money to, you know, the federal government [that] gives out these licenses,” he continued. “What's the point if they're going to take away a significant percentage of the population's ability to even get the station they would listen to the most while they're driving?” Hannity wondered.
Exactly, we say. Because it's not a significant enough percentage of the population to keep AM radio alive. Automakers sell cars and spend a lot of time and money researching and implementing the features that will attract customers. It's market forces at work, and market forces are something free-market conservatives tend to approve of.
However, that market force is moving against Hannity and the daily show he syndicates out to hundreds of AM radio stations across the US. With people like Hannity, capitalism and market forces shaping the world is a great thing until it affects their bottom line.
The bottom line here for Hannity is that most of his demographic is aging out, and it's the only demographic that cares for AM radio, let alone conservative talk radio. He can “feel” all he likes, but those are the cold, hard facts.
Just for the comedy value, let's end with another quote from Hannity's interview and talking about EVs: “This is all part of what I call the Biden New Green Deal, climate alarmist religious cult. They want to take away our gas stove, they want to take away our refrigerator, they want to take away a whole host of other things.”
Keyword: Conservative Radio Host Claims AM Radio Being Left Off New Cars Is A Political Conspiracy