US automakers could soon be forced to include AM radio for free
US automakers could soon be forced to include AM radio for free
美国汽车制造商或将被强制要求免费提供 AM 收音机
It turns out that the one thing that can apparently bridge Washington’s partisan divide is AM radio. U.S. automakers may be forced to build AM radio into new vehicles within the next year. The House of Representatives, in a rare instance of bipartisan support, overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday that would require new cars, trucks, and SUVs to be built with AM radio at no additional charge to consumers.
事实证明，唯一能弥合华盛顿党派分歧的东西竟然是 AM 收音机。美国汽车制造商可能在明年内被迫将 AM 收音机内置于新车中。周三，众议院以罕见的跨党派支持，以压倒性多数通过了一项法案，要求新生产的轿车、卡车和 SUV 必须配备 AM 收音机，且不得向消费者收取额外费用。
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers to include AM radio in new passenger vehicles as standard equipment, will now head to the Senate. Until recently, proponents of AM radio have waged an unsuccessful lobbying effort for a mandate, arguing that it offers critical information during emergencies because its signal can travel long distances.
这项名为《每辆车配备 AM 收音机法案》（AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act）的法案，将指示美国国家公路交通安全管理局（NHTSA）要求汽车制造商将 AM 收音机作为新乘用车的标准配置。该法案目前已提交至参议院。在此之前，AM 收音机的支持者们曾多次游说要求强制安装，但均未成功。他们认为，由于 AM 信号传输距离远，它能在紧急情况下提供关键信息。
But a groundswell of support from Democrats and Republicans, the broadcast industry, emergency responder organizations, and even former administrators of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is pushing this legislation closer to becoming law. And there is reason to believe the Senate will follow the House’s lead on the bill, which was co-sponsored by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Earlier this year, the senators secured 60 co-sponsors for their version of the bill, a critical threshold to overcoming a filibuster.
然而，来自民主党和共和党、广播行业、应急响应组织，甚至是联邦紧急事务管理局（FEMA）前任局长们的广泛支持，正推动该法案离正式立法更近一步。有理由相信，参议院将会效仿众议院通过该法案。该法案由参议员 Ed Markey（民主党，马萨诸塞州）和 Ted Cruz（共和党，德克萨斯州）共同发起。今年早些时候，这两位参议员已为该法案争取到了 60 位共同提案人，这是克服“冗长辩论”（filibuster）的关键门槛。
Cruz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Markey hailed the decision in a joint statement Wednesday. “This vote sends a clear message to car manufacturers that AM Radio is a lifeline that must be protected in new vehicles. From emergency response to sports, entertainment, and news, AM radio is an essential communication tool for tens of millions of Americans. It is now time for the Senate to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and for this legislation to become law so AM radio remains a trusted and essential resource for commuters and communities across the country.”
参议院商业、科学和交通委员会主席 Cruz 与 Markey 在周三的一份联合声明中对这一决定表示赞赏。“这次投票向汽车制造商发出了明确信号：AM 收音机是一条必须在新车中得到保护的生命线。从应急响应到体育、娱乐和新闻，AM 收音机是数千万美国人不可或缺的通讯工具。现在是参议院通过《每辆车配备 AM 收音机法案》的时候了，让该法案成为法律，确保 AM 收音机继续作为全国通勤者和社区值得信赖的重要资源。”
A growing number of automakers, including BMW, Rivian, Tesla, and Volvo, have moved away from the century-old broadcast band in favor of software-defined vehicles that offer streaming services like TuneIn and SiriusXM. Ford had also removed AM radio from some vehicles but has since reversed course. Tesla couldn’t be reached for comment; Rivian declined to comment for this story.
越来越多的汽车制造商，包括宝马、Rivian、特斯拉和沃尔沃，已经放弃了这一拥有百年历史的广播频段，转而采用提供 TuneIn 和 SiriusXM 等流媒体服务的软件定义汽车。福特也曾从部分车型中移除了 AM 收音机，但随后改变了做法。特斯拉未回应置评请求；Rivian 则拒绝就此事发表评论。
EV makers have led the charge because the electromagnetic interference generated by electric motors can affect the frequencies used by AM radio. Automakers have argued that this interference degrades the AM signal and audio quality. Tesla doesn’t have AM receivers in the base versions of its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. Rivian’s new R2 SUV doesn’t have an FM or AM receiver; however, the vehicle model offers AM/FM radio through the digital radio platform iHeartRadio for free. The Rivian R1S and R1T models allow customers to access FM content digitally or via built‐in receiver.
电动汽车制造商带头取消 AM 收音机，是因为电动机产生的电磁干扰会影响 AM 收音机使用的频率。汽车制造商认为，这种干扰会降低 AM 信号和音频质量。特斯拉 Model 3 和 Model Y 的基础版车型均未配备 AM 接收器。Rivian 的新款 R2 SUV 也没有 FM 或 AM 接收器；不过，该车型通过数字广播平台 iHeartRadio 免费提供 AM/FM 收音功能。Rivian R1S 和 R1T 车型则允许客户通过数字方式或内置接收器收听 FM 内容。