{"id":28922,"date":"2017-10-27T07:15:54","date_gmt":"2017-10-27T11:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=28922"},"modified":"2017-10-27T07:15:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-27T11:15:54","slug":"nab-setting-the-record-straight-on-fm-radio-in-iphones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/nab-setting-the-record-straight-on-fm-radio-in-iphones\/","title":{"rendered":"NAB: “Setting the record straight on FM radio in iPhones”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Source: Contributor\u00a0Sam Matheny<\/a> via the\u00a0NAB Blog<\/a>)<\/p>\n

In recent months, the Southeast U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been pummeled by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.\u00a0 The wildfires in California have been equally devastating.\u00a0 These storms and fires have wreaked havoc on communications networks and challenged public safety officials\u2019 ability to get lifeline information to affected residents.<\/p>\n

At a time when many Americans have come to rely on their smartphones, massive cellular outages were suffered from\u00a0Texas<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Florida<\/a>\u00a0on an even greater scale than in\u00a0Superstorm Sandy<\/a>\u00a0five years ago, and California has also suffered\u00a0major outages<\/a>\u00a0in key locations.\u00a0 In Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, it may take weeks and even months to\u00a0fully restore cellular service<\/a>\u00a0because of the damage to the electric grid.\u00a0 This has been a painful reminder of the need for a redundant and pervasive communications infrastructure, especially in times of disaster and emergency.<\/p>\n

Radio, television, cellular, satellite, and other communications networks all have a role to play in a crisis.\u00a0 In the wake of these storms, a passionate discussion about activating FM radio in smartphones \u2013 and, specifically, Apple\u2019s iPhone \u2013 has emerged. This discussion was started by those most impacted by Irma when the\u00a0South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorialized<\/a>\u00a0on the issue and\u00a0Senator Bill Nelson<\/a>\u00a0of Florida called for activating FM chips in smartphones.\u00a0 FCC Chairman Ajit Pai also issued a\u00a0public statement<\/a>\u00a0calling for Apple to activate FM chips to promote public safety and FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel also\u00a0weighed in<\/a>\u00a0with her support.<\/p>\n

There has been a good bit of technical back and forth since these calls to \u201clight up the chip,\u201d and this is my effort to try and set the record straight.<\/p>\n

Here is the BLUF \u2013 Bottom Line Up Front<\/strong><\/p>\n

Apple has built and offered a wonderful FM app in their iPod Nano for many years.\u00a0 They know how to make FM work, and work well, in their mobile devices.\u00a0 Apple even wrote its own Nano app that allows the user to pause live radio and buffer up to 15 minutes of content.<\/p>\n

However, Apple has specifically chosen not to offer this functionality in their iPhone. Indeed, Apple has disabled FM chips despite the capability being available on the communications module within the iPhone.\u00a0 This means other app developers cannot offer FM apps either.<\/p>\n

Apple CEO Tim Cook hails from Mobile, Alabama and attended Auburn University. Mobile has been impacted by at least\u00a010 different hurricanes<\/a>\u00a0since 1969 and that was prior to Nate, which brought a nearly six-foot storm surge and flooding, so I have to believe Mr. Cook has a personal appreciation for the damage these storms can inflict.\u00a0 We invite him and Apple to reconsider activating FM radio in iPhones, and we stand ready to work together to enable this important service.[…]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Continue reading the full article on the NAB blog.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: Contributor\u00a0Sam Matheny via the\u00a0NAB Blog) In recent months, the Southeast U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have been pummeled by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.\u00a0 The wildfires in California have been equally devastating.\u00a0 These storms and fires have wreaked havoc on communications networks and challenged public safety officials\u2019 ability to get lifeline […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3781,3],"tags":[1384,1420,6590,6565,6566],"class_list":["post-28922","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fm","category-news","tag-fm-radio","tag-iphone","tag-iphone-fm-radio","tag-nab","tag-national-association-of-broadcasters"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-7wu","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":24230,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/activating-mobile-phone-fm-fcc-chairman-ajit-pais-remarks-at-nab-symposium\/","url_meta":{"origin":28922,"position":0},"title":"Activating mobile phone FM: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s remarks at NAB symposium","author":"Thomas","date":"February 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Aaron Kuhn, who shares the following: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's remarks at the North American Broadcasters Association's Future of Radio and Audio Symposium from today have been posted at http:\/\/transition.fcc.gov\/Daily_Releases\/Daily_Business\/2017\/db0216\/DOC-343529A1.pdf I found the most interesting info in the statement is only 44% of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FM"","block_context":{"text":"FM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/fm\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/FM-Radio-Smart-Phone.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":52088,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/nab-calls-on-us-am-fm-stations-to-cease-russian-programming\/","url_meta":{"origin":28922,"position":1},"title":"NAB calls on US AM\/FM stations to cease Russian programming","author":"Thomas","date":"March 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Zack Schindler, who shares the following stories all focused on US broadcasters receiving pressure from the NAB and their communities to halt broadcasts of Russian state-sponsored media like Russia Today and Sputnik: NAB Calls On Broadcasters To Cease Russian Programming (Radio and Television Business\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AM-Dial-Digital-Grundig-Mediumwave-MW.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AM-Dial-Digital-Grundig-Mediumwave-MW.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/AM-Dial-Digital-Grundig-Mediumwave-MW.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36692,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/03\/radio-world-bryan-broadcasting-asks-fcc-to-allow-all-digital-am\/","url_meta":{"origin":28922,"position":2},"title":"Radio World: Bryan Broadcasting Asks FCC to Allow All-Digital AM","author":"Thomas","date":"March 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Radio World via Ulis K3LU) A prominent advocate for the AM band is petitioning the FCC to allow stations to use all-digital transmissions in the United States. Bryan Broadcasting Corp. on Monday filed a petition for rulemaking asking the commission to initiate a proceeding to authorize the MA3 all-digital\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/WWFD-AM-HD-Sangean-HDR-14.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/WWFD-AM-HD-Sangean-HDR-14.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/WWFD-AM-HD-Sangean-HDR-14.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/WWFD-AM-HD-Sangean-HDR-14.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29073,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/nab-delivers-radios-to-hurricane-ravished-puerto-rico\/","url_meta":{"origin":28922,"position":3},"title":"NAB Delivers Radios to Hurricane-Ravished Puerto Rico","author":"Thomas","date":"November 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: NAB Blog via Richard Langley) https:\/\/youtu.be\/NtOpsVDnJzM I recently had the opportunity of a lifetime. I was asked by my employer \u2013 the National Association of Broadcasters \u2013 to travel to Puerto Rico to help distribute 10,000 battery-operated radios to people in hurricane-ravaged island and the Virgin Islands. The idea\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hurricane-Maria-Puerto-Rico.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hurricane-Maria-Puerto-Rico.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hurricane-Maria-Puerto-Rico.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hurricane-Maria-Puerto-Rico.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45843,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/10\/radio-waves-nab-and-drm-compete-for-us-digital-1937-radio-school-iphone-over-am-radio-and-war-of-the-waves\/","url_meta":{"origin":28922,"position":4},"title":"Radio Waves: NAB and DRM Compete for US Digital, 1937 Radio School, iPhone over AM Radio, and “War of the Waves”","author":"Thomas","date":"October 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s Radio Waves, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Dial.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Dial.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Dial.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28776,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/nab-and-other-broadcasters-donate-10000-shortwave-radios-to-puerto-rico\/","url_meta":{"origin":28922,"position":5},"title":"NAB and other broadcasters donate 10,000 shortwave radios to Puerto Rico","author":"Thomas","date":"October 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: AP) With no end in sight for the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, the radio industry is putting its best foot forward to help the folks on the ground. 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