One Man’s Opinion: I’m Still an AM Radio Fan

By Bill Crane

The “death” of AM radio was first foretold with the advent of television. The number of AM and Low Power AM Radio stations only grew. And again, as FM’s better fidelity and stereo sound eclipsed its older sibling, the death of AM frequencies was forecast – and then the birth of Talk Radio, and AM audiences only exploded.

The oldest AM radio stations hit their century mark in 2022, still broadcasting in the public interest, the backbone of the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), and still providing dozens of millions each year in free public service announcements public affairs programming in communities across the nation.

Radio waves themselves are incredibly amazing things. We can’t see, touch, or feel them, yet much of our world runs on electromagnetic radio waves. The smartphones we all live on are transmitted via high-frequency modulation (FM) radio waves. In 1906, Reginald Fessenden broadcast a violin playing “O Holy Night” from Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock, Massachusetts to ships off the coast at sea. His broadcasting frequency used Amplitude Modulation, later known as AM radio. The advent of vacuum tube receivers and transmissions in 1920 gave birth to radio stations and the radio industry.

Times and tastes change over time, and as new technologies come online, AM Radio has weathered a century of those. Radio and microwave frequencies, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth spectrum, and even the electromagnetic waves emanating from electric vehicles all crowd those once wide open spaces. But the airwaves of 2023 are also much more congest- ed, just like our highways.

Electric vehicles emit enough of their own electromagnetic waves to interrupt or degrade the signal quality of AM signals into receivers. And signal quality seems to be rapidly declining for AM stations above 1000 on the dial. For television, the industry moved UP the spectrum from NTSC and 525 lines of resolution to HDTV and 1080 lines of data per image per microsecond, refitting all of their transmission towers and receivers over a period of years and with a multi-billion private sector investment.

Unfortunately, with the electric vehicle sector leading the charge (pun intended), there is a more than a nascent plan and effort to end the placement of AM radio receivers in almost all new automobiles. In recent years, Georgia has experienced multiple hurricanes and significant tropical storms, taking out landline phones, wireless phone service, high-speed internet, and even broadband and fiber lines flooded underground. Through each of these natural disasters, only AM radio continued uninterrupted service with emergency updates, shelter locations, and directions on how to respond to the ongoing wind and flooding.

And though the pandemic did reverse or pause some commuting trends, millions of Americans still spend double-digit hour counts in their automobiles each week, with radio as their most constant companion. The cost of the transmitter is a small fraction of most any other auto component, and even with electric automobiles with concerns over transmission interference impacting performance, there are now multiple technologies available for capturing and delivering AM radio transmissions. During an average month, 82 million Americans, just under one in four, tune in to AM radio. Low-power local AM radio and smaller stations in smaller markets more frequently transmit in Latin languages or are aimed at minority audiences than their more expensive and less extensive FM peers. But unlike cable, high-speed internet, and even that smartphone in your palm, AM radio is delivered to all, free of cost other than access to a receiver or radio.

And in a nation more focused than ever on receiving content, there are more than 4,500 AM radio stations. Each of those stations and their advertisers provides employment and unique reach into every community they serve. As most of us spend several hours per day behind a wheel of some sort – at work, play, or hauling our kids to sports – this daily interaction is also a part of what keeps our public informed.

Former FCC and FEMA commissioners are urging Congress to intercede, mainly over public safety concerns, to keep AM radio receivers in every vehicle and dashboard. WABC in New York has begun a petition. Your signature will help: https://www.change.org/p/save-am-radio-a-partof-the-emergency-alert-system

Post your opposition to axing AM on social media, and sign the petition. Make your concerns and voices heard. Or, when that next big storm

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Getting to Know Fred Cephas: Gwinnett’s New Fire Chief

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

The Gwinnett Board of Commissioners recently approved a recommendation by County Administrator Glenn Stephens to appoint Fred Cephas as Gwinnett County Fire Chief. Russell Knick, who has served as chief since 2018, will move into a leadership position within the County Administrator’s Office.

“As a county employee, I fondly remember Chief Cephas’ work ethic and his ability to connect with colleagues and residents in our community,” said Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson. “He is truly a servant leader, and that is a trait we value when training successors for key roles in Gwinnett County.”

“With his military background and over twenty years of experience in Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, Fred brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role as chief,” said Stephens. “As deputy chief, he strengthened operations within the department and increased trust within the community, and I look forward to seeing where he leads the department in the future. At the same time, we are fortunate to retain Russell’s experience and leadership as he transitions into a new role.”

As a teenager, Cephas admired the hard work and dedication of firefighters in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and believes his life has come full circle. He found his passion to serve in 1996 when he joined the United States Air Force. After basic training, he was assigned to the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy where he trained as a Department of Defense Aircraft Rescue Firefighter. This assignment led him to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as a first responder. Following his military service, the veteran firefighter served the Winston-Salem Fire Department before launching his Gwinnett County career in 2001. He then rose through the ranks of the department, serving in various capacities including strategic planning, accreditation management, operations, and as a licensed polygraphist. Since 2020 he has served as second in command as deputy fire chief.

Serving in the field alongside first responders while they answered emergency calls during an arctic blast that swept the nation over the past holiday season counts as one of Cephas’ most memorable moments in Gwinnett. He cited the commitment, resilience, professionalism, and courage he witnesses as the reason he is proud to lead the department.

“I’m committed to serving others,” said Cephas, “and at its core, that’s what public service and public safety are all about. I am truly honored and humbled to continue to serve the county that I love, while understanding there is still more work to be done.”

The new fire chief’s priorities are continuing to work on retention and team building within Fire and Emergency Services and supporting other departments and agencies in the county government. His promotion is effective April 1st.

Cephas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from Shorter University. He is also a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett 2019.

Meet Olga Gorman

Continued from page 15 of Ukraine, but it is vital that the medical supplies reach the Ukrainian people as soon as possible, so if you can help even with a small donation, please visit www.helpingukraine.us.

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