Many thanks to SWling Post contributor Carlos Latuff, who writes:
Good morning, Thomas. I just translated this article from Chilean radio station “Canal 95”, published on February 26. Original in Spanish here: https://www.canal95.cl/magazine/apagon-redes-sociales-rinden-tributo-radio-pila
After the blackout, social media pays tribute to battery-operated radios
Social media users highlighted the importance of battery-operated radios as the only reliable source of information in emergencies, while critics pointed to the fragility of the current system.
After a large blackout left much of Chile without electricity last Tuesday, millions of people were affected and left without communication. All due the fact that the telecommunications and internet antennas service completely collapsed.
In this scenario, and in the absence of real-time information, social media users began to highlight the importance of having battery-powered radios to access news in emergencies such as, for example, the decision to declare a curfew.
“Will we have to go back to copper wire telephones? Cell phones ‘died’ in the emergency. Explanations are useless in the face of a serious incident. Earthquake, tsunami, flood, or power outage like yesterday. Totally incommunicado. Only the battery-operated radio worked ,” remarked the renowned journalist and radio personality, Sergio Campos.
Many also recalled that this device has been key during earthquakes and other disasters in the country, although there was no shortage of jokes.
“Serious question: does everyone really have a battery-operated radio?” asked one user of the X platform. “It’s always good to have one. My mother-in-law has one and it’s super old, but it works. And the radio too,” joked comedian Luis Slimming.
Although some users admitted not having a functional radio at home, implying that they had not previously considered it necessary due to the outdated technology, other users reinforced the importance of having one of these reliable devices that allow them to stay in touch.
The work of radio stations that continued to operate during the emergency was also highlighted. There was no shortage of criticism of telephone companies and the widespread use of smartphones that do not have integrated FM radio.
“I want to give a round of applause to Chilean radio stations. We would still be going around in circles if it weren’t for the fact that they continued to broadcast and report on what was happening. Every Chilean home should have a battery-operated radio ,” wrote @satoruswft .
It remains to be noted that Chile has historically faced natural events that disrupt basic services, but the current dependence on the Internet and cell phones has created a gap in preparation for blackouts.
So, keep this in mind: a battery-powered radio is still a must-have in an emergency.
Fairly long list of cell phones, including many Moto, Nokia, Xiaomi
whose modem chips contain FM radio circuits:
http://www.techrankup.com/en/smartphones-with-fm-radio/
But if you have read up on EMP from high altitude nuclear detonations, one should keep a Qodosen DX-286 and your old cell phone inside a earth grounded metal box.
MW and SW are essential in emergency situations. The whole cellular/broadband internet infrastructure is a house of cards when major disasters occur. People have no concept of preparedness and think portable battery powered MW/FM/SW receivers are outdated – what the hell do they know ? Nothing!
Part of the reason radio still has merit is because it is simple common denominator for distributing critical information. Of course that presumes the information is timely, useful, and accurate. We hope that is the case, but it doesn’t always happen that way.
Thankfully, radios have a thing called a tuning knob (or buttons) such that other radio stations can compete for more complete and timely information, assuming there isn’t any malicious jamming. The MW broadcast band is a nice mix of both local coverage during the day and good long distance night time coverage. This is a stark contrast to the VHF FM broadcast band which is mostly local and doesn’t work too well in mountainous regions.
I think MW AM broadcast radio still has a future. There will be attrition of radio stations, but the big powerhouse stations should remain. Now if only they had more attractive program material like those contract stations on SW…
Hello Jake. I’m planning to make a visit to UFRGS Radio AM transmitter ASAP, since it’s a matter of time until it will be replaced by a FM transmitter. Every record of the last AM transmissions in Brazil is now a historical record.
The Canal95 article is a reprint of the La CUARTA article written by Paulo Quinteros:
“Not even the best cell phone could beat…”: Social media pays tribute to battery-operated radio after the blackout
Article available here in Spanish:
https://www.lacuarta.com/tendencias/noticia/ni-el-mejor-celular-pudo-superar-redes-sociales-rinden-tributo-a-la-radio-a-pila-tras-el-apagon/GRFM2C7EHZD7NLOBUC7ALJAZLY/
It’s important to stress that the evolution of broadcasting technologies (FM then DAB+) requires a high density of transmitters close to listeners. The same applies to 4G and especially 5G telephony…
These transmitters can be put out of action by power failures, as in Chile, or by natural disasters (fires, floods, hurricanes, even earthquakes and tsunamis).
That’s why it’s so important to maintain radio transmitters that can be heard by disaster-stricken populations. Only AM transmitters (LW, MW and SW) offer this possibility.
As for battery-powered receivers, I think it’s better to buy an emergency radio with rechargeable, removable batteries…
Several emergency receivers have been presented on this site, for instance:
https://swling.com/blog/2024/06/xhdata-weather-radio-d-608wb/
https://swling.com/blog/tag/c-crane/
These multi-band radios offer more than just radio listening … Many models already exist …
This is a good testimony as to why radio needs to be transmitted in a way that’s as energy-efficient on the receiving side as possible. This is often brought up in the context of digitalization – the claim is that switching to digital saves energy. It does, but only on the transmitting side. It is the listener who has to pay for it. Digital receivers consume much more energy than their analogue counterparts. A simple IC-based AM/FM radio with no digital display (like the 90s world receivers) can last weeks on a pair of AA batteries, drawing single miliamps, but a digital receiver requires hundreds of times more – it won’t last a single day without AC power.
I asked Amazon for a “battery operated radio” and got 9,867 results. I’m not sure how credible this number is or what it represents, but perusal of the listing which resulted is formidable. Somebody is buying radios.
Google AI reports a total of 4,444 US AM radio stations in the US at the end of 2023, down only slightly from the 4,900 peak some years ago. Somebody is listening to radio.
If the institution of radio could be personified, perhaps it would say as Mark Twain once did, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Hey Bob, I believe that even with all the technological advances we have been witnessing in recent years, radio continues to resist because it is, above all, relevant, especially in the coming years with the worsening of climate change.
Supports the argument to continue AM radio in cars.
FM radio on a cell phone?? That’ll chew up the battery quick. In the USA, AM is king for emergency information. Out west there are many areas where FM is spotty to nonexistent, so locals rely on AM for emergencies. People are surprised to learn that some AM stations still play music. Long live AM. I’m 71 and still listen to it daily.
Hello Richard.
I have a Motorola cell phone with a native FM radio, meaning it doesn’t need an Internet connection, and I haven’t had any problems with the battery. In Brazil, radio stations have migrated from AM to FM, but this is not the case in neighboring countries like Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Unlike Japan and the United States, which have tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes, and earthquakes, in Brazil we don’t (yet) have an emergency system based on radio systems. At most, SMS sent by cell phone in cases of storms or rain with a tendency to flood. But I believe that more efficient early warning systems will be necessary since climate change is already responsible for notable cataclysms, such as the floods in Rio Grande do Sul in 2024. In any case, radio is, indisputably, a fundamental instrument when it comes to natural and even man-made disasters.
Well done, Carlos! Put a Gold Star on your chart!
Cheers, Jock
Muchas gracias, Jock.