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AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing | Ars Technica
(arstechnica.com)
this post was submitted on 02 May 2024
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I don't think I've ever heard an AM transmission in my life, is there a benefit relative to FM or digital radio?
Range is the biggest. KMOX in St Louis was known to reach Colorado from my understanding. There are/were a lot of Cardinal fans because of it in that area before they got the Rockies. I don't think they broadcast as strong now, not sure. FM will cut out in under 75 miles* unless you have a "good" antenna.
*Not sure the proper range.
And at night the way the signals bounce they can be heard for a thousand miles or more. Due to interference only some stations can run full power at night while most have to turn off or turn power way way down.
Occasionally it can be heard across continents even
In emergency situations the benefit is range. You can broadcast further and reach more areas with one station.
AM stations have to cut their power to like 10% (often even less!) at night, it's wild
https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/am-stations-at-night
some am stations go dark (off the air) at night, even. there's a 'daytimer' near where i am. it's weird.
I think the longer wavelengths of AM transmissions travel a lot farther, and are less prone to scattering, but that's about it. FM allows for more information density (you can broadcast in stereo, for example), and is less prone to the static that plagues AM radio. That's why AM is mostly talk stations, and FM tends to be mostly music.
The AM band is the strongest of the two. Some countries however have made AM illegal to use in consumer vehicles, because it is used by military and state.