Comment Re: No one would listen to AM in an emergency (Score 1) 262
A replacement for AM broadcast radio would need to be as bulletproof, specifically meaning it is a distributed system that doesnâ(TM)t depend on infrastructure such as the internet that can be compromised. FM radio is a poor option due to its limited range of 20-50 miles in the best conditions. Shortwave has been dead in this country for almost a century (and used mainly AM mode anyhow for scheduled programming).
AM radio is far from bulletproof. Any EM noise makes it unusable. The auto makers want to kill it because it's so fragile, not because it's "bulletproof".
There is a spec for All-digital AM, which has the potential for AM range with the robustness to noise of a digital signal. However, I haven't found much info on it. It at least has the potential to be the bulletproof technology every one is after.