Gordon Smith, President and CEO of NAB, has written a letter to Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America, requesting that the automaker reconsider the decision to remove AM radio from the new BMW i3.
Smith, in his letter, reinforced the noteworthy history of AM radio as well as what it still has to offer.
BMW had previously said that the new i3’s all-electric motor could cause interference with AM signals hence the decision to remove AM radio from the model. In response, Smith argued that BMW’s electric-car competitors have dealt with the same issue successfully so that their vehicles still carry AM radio.
In some overseas markets analogue listenership is on the decline as people now prefer to listen to digital radio platforms via their smartphone or an in-car listening device. However, in the UK digital radio switchover has been delayed due to slow uptake. According to TechCentral South Africa is in the process of introducing digital radio broadcasts using a standard known as DAB+. As with televisions’ digital migration, the move is inevitable and it is likely that digital will eventually replace the familiar FM and AM platforms.
