Peter Behrens's Blog, page 97

St Petersburg Fl c.1964

 

Al Satterwhite photographs.  Surfers c. 1964, but no waves–it's Florida. 

Sadness and Static: the end of AM Radio?

Thanks to Matthew Sheehey for the heads-up on Peter Funt's piece Static and Sadness as AM Stations Fade in the WSJ:

"When I lived in Denver in the early 1970s, Sunday nights included an audio excursion to my hometown of New York—a trip only AM radio could provide. At 770 on the dial I listened to WABC, with its distinctive disc jockeys, rock music and “news at :25 and :55,” via a signal traveling more than 1,600 miles.

"This magic was possible only for a few hours when station KOB in Albuquerque, N.M., which shared the 770 frequency, shut down for maintenance. With the competing signal out of the way, WABC’s sound was able to travel far west—literally bouncing off the ionosphere.

"That’s a trick unique to AM (amplitude modulation) radiowaves. They are subject to static interference but are longer and can travel much farther than FM (frequency modulation) waves, which don’t move well through large obstacles, such as mountains. As children, many of us built crystal sets that pulled in AM signals from near and, with luck, far. As teens, AM transistor radios were constant companions, until we were old enough to drive and AM car radios provided the soundtracks of our lives.

:Cars have helped AM radio survive. “Drive time,” the hours in the morning and evening when people commute, is when AM stations, carrying primarily news and talk, make most of their money. So it is sad to see that some carmakers are giving up on AM, a move that could have the unintended consequence of hastening the medium’s demise.

"Several European car makers, including Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo, have stopped putting AM radios in certain models. Trendy EVs and hybrids have electrical systems that interfere with AM audio. But rather than moving a few parts around, or shielding the equipment better, manufacturers are cutting out AM.

"American automakers are taking a more cautious approach, but Tesla has already eliminated AM radios, and Ford plans to drop AM from its electric pickup trucks. It’s no small matter, since about 47 million Americans still listen to programming on the AM dial, according to Nielsen data.

"Many AM stations, such as all-news WINS in New York City, have added simulcasts on FM to retain their audience. Hundreds of stations are also available on the internet. But AM remains the medium of choice for certain types of broadcasts, notably conservative talk. According to Talkers Magazine, the most popular political voices on radio are the conservatives Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and Brian Kilmeade.

"AM signals travel farther at night than during the day when there is no interference from the sun’s rays. Truckers, shift workers and people living in remote areas have long supported overnight programs, many of which dwell on UFOs, the supernatural and all sorts of fantasies. Most popular by far is “Coast to Coast AM,” hosted by the smooth-talking George Noory.

"Early in my career I was a regular on a similar program originating at WMCA in New York and hosted by a character who called himself Long John Nebel. John favored conspiracy theories and chatter about space aliens. It was mostly nonsense—the kind you wouldn’t want to hear on a sleek FM signal. AM’s strange tales at night and rock music by day seemed to benefit from a touch of static, along with the notion that the broadcasts originated from faraway.

"I’m sure I’ll learn to live without AM radio, as I have with other outmoded media, such as CD players. But I once heard Long John Nebel muse about how radio waves never fully disappear; they’re out there somewhere for all time. Sounds good to me. "

Mr. Funt is author of “Self-Amused: A Tell-Some Memoir.”

2 Volvo 850s

You have seen this 1997 Volvo 850 wagon before. It's in reasonable shape for a 26 year old car. It's a five-speed manual, not very common in North America. Had work done last March, at Abe Auto in Cambridge, Mass.; and there were some issues back in December, up in Maine. Those were resolved at Independent Auto Volvo Service in Augusta, Maine and with deeper surgery, back at Abe Auto. 850s are a rare sight these days on the streets of Cambridge, where AL caught this sedan yesterday. There seem to be more Volvo 240s around than 850s, but the 240 was on the market for a long period.



 

1948 Pontiac Streamliner

           From Michael Moore, in California: "I got to see this 1948 Pontiac [!] Fleetline being tastefully upgraded at Express Auto Upholstery in Vallejo. The sign over the desk says I have five children; No Discounts A treat to see…thought you’d like it too.  I had only known there were Chevy Fleetlines..." (LATER CORRECTION from MM: Pontiacs, late Forties [looking VERY much like Bruce McCall illustrations in their ads], were not Fleetlines.  They came in two other flavors - Torpedos and, what I sent you, Streamliners.)AL: here's a Chevy Fleetline we caught in Cambridge a while back; and one that was for sale in Wiscasset, Maine. Our fave is this '46 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan in Aneroid, Saskatchewan. That car inspired an Alex Emond watercolor (below). 

1948 Pontiac Fleetline

           From Michael Moore, in California: "I got to see this 1948 Pontiac [!] Fleetline being tastefully upgraded at Express Auto Upholstery in Vallejo. The sign over the desk says I have five children; No Discounts A treat to see…thought you’d like it too.  I had only known there were Chevy Fleetlines..."AL: here's a Chevy Fleetline we caught in Cambridge a while back; and one that was for sale in Wiscasset, Maine. Our fave is this '46 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan in Aneroid, Saskatchewan. That car inspired an Alex Emond watercolor (below).

c. 1977 Chevrolet K-10. Black Canyon City, Arizona

 From Jonathan Welsh: "I think this sun-bleached workhorse is a 1977 model, give or take a year. I love how it shows its age without being rusty. Clearly hasn't lived in the Northeast. Still handsome."

Square and High

 

From Jonathan Welsh, in N.J. "Three guys in their 20s rolled up in this square-body with at least an 8-inch lift. It must seem like an ancient artifact to them, while for me it is a high school flashback. A classmate drove a similar would-be monster truck with a row of roof-mounted floodlights. Very cool in the mid-1980s. This one is running a newer LS-series engine but has not lost its past-perfect feel..."

AL's personal favorite Squares: the '75 Sierra; the '86 Custom Deluxe.

Yer Basic

 David Branch photo. Alpine, Texas. c 1980 Dodge Custom 300

The Analog Auto Experience: Mercedes Benz 240D; Lowell, Massachusetts

Not great shots, we know. Apologies. But AL was stunned to see a clean California car on the campus at UMass Lowell. Those look like European (French?) headlights. We posted an almost-identical 240D--yer basic Benz-- up in Maine a couple summers back. And an older 220D that was on the block at Hemmings a while ago. There seem to be a bunch of these for sale at Classic Cars. We posted on Lowell, Jack Kerouac, and P'tit Canada a while back. Here's a Top Gear piece on the rugged 240D

 

Keep the Lonely Places Lonely

Basha Burwell photo ©2023 Marfa, Texas.