EMPLOYEE AND A FAMILY MEMBER SERVED AS WTTW TRUSTEES.

>>> MORE THAN 40% OF ALL RADIO LISTENING IS DONE IN CARS.

SO IN MOST OF THE COMPANIES MANUFACTURING ELECTRIC VEHICLES STARTED DROPPING A H.A.M.

RADIO, IT WAS MAJOR PUSHBACK.

NOW, THERE'S AN EFFORT IN CONGRESS TO SAVE A H.A.M.

RADIO , AND FORD RECENTLY REVERSED COURSE AND IS ISSUING THE SOFTWARE UPDATE TO ITS LEXUS MODEL SO ITS CUSTOMERS CAN STILL LISTEN TO A.M. STATIONS.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF A.M. RADIO ARE MARY SANDBERG BOYLE, VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER AT WGN RADIO 7:20 A.M. , RUFUS WILLIAMS, THE MORNING HOST ON WCL AND RADIO 16.90 A.M., AND ARIANNA NETTLES, DIRECTOR OF AUDIO JOURNALISM PROGRAMMING AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM.

GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

MARY, LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP A.M. RADIO AVAILABLE?

>> IT'S VERY POPULAR.

IT IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ISSUE, AND A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.

IT IS THE WAY TO, WHEN CELL TOWERS ARE DOWN AND THE INTERNET IS DOWN, A.M. RADIO CAN STILL REACH MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, AND SO THAT MAKES IT, THAT RIGHT THERE IS IMPORTANT.

>> CERTAINLY IN THOSE DISASTERS AS WELL, THE IMPORTANCE OF RADIO.

>> SURE.

>> OF COURSE, SERVES AS CHICAGO'S BLACK COMMUNITY, WAS STARTED 60 YEARS AGO BY MELODY VAN COOPER'S FATHER.

SHE NOW RUNS BOTH THAT STATION AND THE LATINO STATION, WR LL A.M., UNDER THE MIDWAY BROADCASTING CORPORATION MANOR.

WE ALSO SPOKE WITH HER EARLIER TODAY.

>> I'M HEADING TO D.C.

RIGHT AFTER THIS CALL TO LOBBY CONGRESS TOMORROW.

I'M SITTING WITH SEVEN OR EIGHT CONGRESSPEOPLE , TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BAND .

AND THE INFORMATION THAT WE DELIVER TO CONSTITUENCIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY .

NOT JUST BLACK, NOT JUST LATINO.

>> RUFUS, YOU'RE, OF COURSE, MORNING HOST ON WCL AND.

TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE WOULD LOSE, WHAT WCL AND LISTENERS WOULD LOSE, WITHOUT ACCESS TO A.M. RADIO.

>> CONTENT, GOOD STORIES, AND RADIO IS HIGHLY LOCALIZED, AND ALL NATIONAL STORIES BEGIN SOMEPLACE.

THEY BEGIN LOCAL.

THIS IS WHERE IT IS.

THE NEED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REACH PEOPLE, NOT ONLY ON WZON IN CHICAGO, BUT A RURAL STATION SOMEPLACE ELSE, A.M. RADIO, A.M. STATIONS, ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

WE GIVE INFORMATION WITH HOW PEOPLE GET THROUGH THEIR DAY, IT HELPS PEOPLE GET THROUGH THEIR TRAFFIC, IT HELPS PEOPLE GET THROUGH EVERYTHING.

AND WE WOULD TALK RADIO, WHICH IS MOSTLY ON A.M. RADIO, CAN REALLY DELVE INTO ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR PEOPLE, IMPORTANT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, WHOEVER AND WHEREVER THEY ARE.

IT'S THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ASPECT OF WHAT A.M. RADIO DOES.

IT MAKES IT WORK FOR EVERYONE.

>> WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHY THE CAR COMPANIES TRIED TO DROP A.M. RADIO?

>> SO WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE BATTERY THAT POWERS THE MOTOR IN THESE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, IT CAUSES AN INTERFERENCE , A VERY LOUD NOISE THAT MAKES IT SO THAT YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THOSE A.M. STATIONS.

BUT INSTEAD OF, PERHAPS, FIXING IT, COMPANIES LIKE TESLA DECIDED TO JUST NOT INCLUDE A.M. RADIO AS AN OPTION FOR PEOPLE BUYING THOSE CARS, AND THEN OTHER ELECTRIC VEHICLE MAKERS JUST FOLLOWED SUIT.

>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY DO THAT?

>> WELL, I THINK THAT OFTENTIMES, A LOT OF OUR MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES ARE SOMETIMES IN A BUBBLE, AND THEY REALIZE THAT MAYBE PEOPLE IN THEIR CIRCLE , AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY TALK TO, MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE DIFFERENT LISTENING HABITS, BUT THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE IN TOUCH WITH THE ENTIRE OF OUR SOCIETY.

AND WE KNOW THAT A.M. IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, EVEN IN CHICAGO .

HAVE OF OUR RADIO LISTENERS STILL LISTEN TO A.M., OF COURSE.

BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE SAID BEFORE, IN RURAL AREAS, WERE ABLE TO , WHERE THAT'S REALLY THE MAIN SIGNAL THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO GET, BECAUSE A.M. IS TECHNOLOGICALLY EASIER TO TRANSMIT TO THEM.

>> THE CHALLENGE IS THE SENSIBILITY, TO THINK THAT THOSE WHO CAN MAKE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO HAVE A.M. RADIO IN THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLE, SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING MORE, USUALLY SOMETHING CAPITALISTIC AND COMPETITIVE, TO THEM NOT HAVING IT THERE, IS TO THINK THAT WHAT WE CAN DO, LOOK, WE CAN GO TO MARS AND ALL THESE OTHER PLACES, NOT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A.M. RADIO.

>> YOU THINK THEY'D BE ABLE TO DO BOTH.

>> YES, THEY ACTUALLY DID CREATE IT, UNTIL FORD, WHEN THEY WENT BACKWARDS, AND BACKTRACKED.

THEY SAID, YOU KNOW -- BUT WE'VE GOT THE SOFTWARE FOR.

OH, LOOK, WE FOUND A FIX, EVERYBODY.

SO THERE IS A BIPARTISAN BILL IN CONGRESS IS ALSO SUPPORTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, MARY.

COULD THAT SAVE A.M. RADIO, AND DO YOU THINK THAT A TEMPORARY SOLUTION, OR COULD IT SAVE A.M. FOR LIFE?

>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO SAVE IT FOR LIFE, IN THAT THEY VIOLATION OF THE NC STATE TO NOT HAVE THE A AND TRANSMITTING IN THE VEHICLE, AND THEY'RE HAVING TO THINK LONG-TERM ON THIS, BECAUSE FOR EVERY ONE A.M. TRANSMITTER , IT WOULD TAKE 14 FULL FM POWERED STATIONS TO COVER THE SAME COVERAGE, AND EVEN MORE CELL TOWERS.

SO THE EFFICIENCY OF A.M. BROADCAST , YOU KNOW, IS, IT'S MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE TO HAVE THAT IN THE VEHICLE THAN IT IS TO THINK WE'RE GOING TO MAKE UP FOR IT WITH CELL TOWERS.

>> AND TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, RUFUS, DO YOU THINK THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD YOUR AUDIENCE, COULD YOU REACH THE SAME AUDIENCE WITH YOUR SHOW, YOU KNOW, VIA INTERNET OR PODCAST COMPARED TO ON A.M. RADIO?

>> I THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LISTEN TO MY SHOW, AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS WHICH THE JUST THAT , VERY OFTEN, WHAT THEY USE AND HOW THEY GET INFORMATION IS HOW THEY GET INFORMATION.

THE OLDER SET IS NOT REALLY LOOKING TO FIND NEW WAYS OF GETTING INFORMATION.

I HAVE ONE LISTENER IN PARTICULAR WHO TALKS ABOUT THAT HE GOES AROUND AND LISTENS TO SO HE CAN LISTEN TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AS MARY MENTIONED EARLIER, THE SAFETY ISSUE IS REALLY ONE THAT CANNOT BE DISREGARDED.

IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW PEOPLE GET INFORMATION , AND SO OFTEN, WHEN THE FM FREQUENCY GOES OUT, WHEN THESE DISASTERS HIT, IT IS A.M. RADIO THAT'S ABLE TO STILL GET THROUGH , TO GET THROUGH WALLS, TO GET TO OTHER PLACES, TO REALLY CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SIGNAL.

SO WHETHER IT'S JUST LISTENING TO THE WONDERFUL PROGRAMMING THAT WE DO ON THE MORNING SHOW ON WZON, OR WHETHER IT'S REALLY GETTING THINGS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO YOUR SAFETY , A.M. RADIO HAS, IT'S CRITICAL IN THIS PROCESS.

>> AND JOURNALISTS COVERING DISASTERS, I THINK WE ALL KNOW, LIKE WHEN THE CELL TOWERS GO DOWN, I COVERED HURRICANE KATRINA, CELL TOWERS WERE DOWN.

RADIO WAS ALL THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME.

>> WELL, AND AS RUFUS SAID EARLIER, IT HELPS GIVE YOU CONTACTS.

YOU CAN GET ALERTS ON YOUR PHONE THAT IS THERE IS A DISASTER AND THERE'S A SHOOTING IN HIGHLAND PARK ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, AND THEN PEOPLE TURN TO THE RADIO TO ACTUALLY GET WHAT IS UNFOLDING HERE, WHAT SHOULD WE AVOID, ARE THEY FINDING THE PERSON, YOU KNOW, THE CONTEXT.

YOU CAN'T GET THAT FROM OTHER -- BUT ARIANNA, A LOT OF NICHE TALK PROGRAMMING.

A LOT OF IT IS INTERNET-BASED, SATELLITE RADIO.

YOU THINK THIS IS JUST PART OF THE EVOLUTION OF RADIOACTIVE WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT TRACK PLAYERS IN OUR CARS ANYMORE EITHER.

>> I THINK, CONVERSELY, UNLIKE THOSE WHERE PERHAPS WE JUST REPLACED THEM WITH STREAMING SERVICES , I DON'T THINK THAT RADIO CAN BE REPLACED.

AND YES, IT'S TRUE THAT WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE DOING PODCASTS AND ON-DEMAND RADIO LISTENING, FOR AT LEAST SOME OF THEIR NEWS, ABOUT 25%.

HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE IDEA OF , RIGHT NOW, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, YOU STILL PUT ON YOUR RADIO.

AND THAT'S REALLY TRUE FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETIMES A LACK OF REALIZING EQUITY OF IT ALL THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE LOST.

AND MAKING SURE THAT SAFETY AND INFORMATION AND NEWS IS FAIRLY DISTRIBUTED TO EVERYONE.

>> MARY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST HIT ON A MINUTE AGO, BUT I A.M. RADIO WERE TO GO AWAY, COULD WBO AND OR ANY RADIO STATION, FOR THAT MATTER, FIND A SPOT ON THE FM DIAL ?

HOW WOULD THAT EVEN WORK?

>> WELL, THEIR REACH IS JUST SO MUCH SMALLER, SO YOU COULD GET A SPOT.

ALSO, YOU CAN, YOU CAN STREAM RADIO.

YOU CAN ACCESS IT DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THE TECHNOLOGY OF GETTING IT THAT WAY IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S IN A VEHICLE THAT TAKES A A.M. SIGNAL FROM A TRANSMITTER.

ALSO, IT'S CUMBERSOME , RIGHT NOW, TO GET TO THOSE STREAMING PLATFORMS WHILE YOU'RE IN A VEHICLE, JUST LIKE ON TV AT HOME, IT'S -- TO GO TO THE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU.

SO IF THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DECIDE, IF I WANT TO BE ABLE TO JUST LISTEN TO THE RADIO, I NEED TO HAVE THE RADIO IN THE CAR.

I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE STEPS TO GO TO AN