Is AM radio going to come back in a new, evolved way?

It’s very possible. It’s also a lesson in the laws of media.

Marshall McLuhan and his son Eric McLuhan wrote a book called ‘Laws of Media’ that came out in 1988, after Marshall’s death. In it, they talk about the 4 laws of media as a tetrad- a four-part construct.

The tetrad consists of four questions.
What does the medium enhance?
What does the medium make obsolete?
What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
What does the medium reverse or flip into when pushed to extremes?

Specifically, number 2 and number 3 say that all new mediums make previous mediums obsolete. But in doing so, it simultaneously retrieves a medium that was previously obsolete. Think vinyl records now more popular than ever after being almost extinct by the Compact Disc and then Digital Streaming. Or physical book sales roaring back after their predicted death due to the Kindle and other digital readers.

AM radio, the original medium for radio, began in 1906, almost 120 years ago. And in the past 25 years or so, has been gradually dissapearing into memories and history books as a bygone era due to streaming media and the internet accessed by cell communications while in cars. Some car makers do not include it at all anymore.

Enter FCC, the Federal Communications Commission- chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel released a statement that said, “There is a clear public safety imperative here. Having AM radio available in our cars means we always have access to emergency alerts and key warnings while we are out on the road. Updating transportation should not mean sacrificing access to what can be lifesaving information. We stand ready to provide any necessary support and expertise to the Department of Transportation and Government Accountability Office as they may need.” Additionally, multiple former heads of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asking the government to step in and save AM radio.

And now, AM radio may be not only saved from total extinction but mandatory in cars moving forward. And if so, will this breathe new life back into AM radio, like vinyl records, and physical books? Potentially a new ‘retro’ way to broadcast podcasts and content? Will we see hipsters with portable ‘crystal radios’ on their ears walking down the street?

Time will tell, but I’m betting on the McLuhan Tetrad. It’s proven trustworthy over and over now for over 40 years.