“It’s a big surprise, honestly. Ford is a symbol for rural America,” said Shelly Butler, 62, a state legislative aide who lives in Coudersport, Potter County, and owns two Fords. “I don’t think they are looking out for rural America and they’re giving an opinion that they don’t matter anymore.”
As car manufacturers continue to offer a wider array of electric vehicles, AM radio has presented a unique problem. Electric motors appear to cause electromagnetic interference with AM radio’s reception. Many EVs, including Tesla, have already dropped the signal, butIn an email to The Inquirer, Ford spokeswoman Whitney Pineda said U.S. AM stations “are modernizing radio by offering internet streaming through mobile apps, FM, or digital options.
“Ford will continue to offer these alternatives for customers to hear their favorite AM radio music, news, and podcasts as this transition continues,” Pineda wrote.Not everyone in rural Pennsylvania is concerned about AM radio possibly going by the wayside. “I’m 37. I don’t listen to AM radio. I’m more streaming,” said Brandon West, owner of All Wheels Driven, a used car dealership in Wellsboro, Tioga County. “The vehicles the come into our shop for work, I’d say less than 1 or 2 percent are tuned to AM radio.”, said he hears that sentiment when he’s trying to sell advertising. The station’s been broadcasting out of the small town of 2,350 for 70 years.
“I just don’t know who’s listening anymore,” Lent said. “Young business owners don’t know what it is, and certainly don’t want it.”