Radio silence Electric car firms ditch AM, the home of minority voices and rightwing blowhards
The Guardian|June 22, 2023
Charlie Kirk, radio host and founder of the rightwing American youth group Turning Point USA, believes that a conspiracy may be afoot. "Whether they're doing this intentionally or not, the consequence will be ... an all-out attack on AM radio," he told the listeners of his popular syndicated show.
Katie Thornton
Radio silence Electric car firms ditch AM, the home of minority voices and rightwing blowhards

In an appearance on Fox, the television and radio host Sean Hannity made a similar claim to his viewers: "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." Mark Levin, another longtime radio host, agreed. "They finally figured out how to attack conservative talk radio," he told his listeners in April.

What are they all so worried about? A minor manufacturing change announced by car companies including Volkswagen and Mazda: they will be removing AM radios from their forthcoming electric vehicles, citing technical problems. Tesla, BMW, Audi and Volvo have already dispensed with AM in their electric cars, because AM's already unpolished reception is subject to even more buzz, crackling and interference when installed near an electric motor.

Many on the right have been quick to declare the move political sabotage. The Texas senator Ted Cruz, while promoting a federal bill that would require automakers to install AM radios in new cars, claimed he smelled something fishy: "There's a reason big car companies were open to taking down AM radio... let's be clear: big business doesn't like things that are overwhelmingly conservative."

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