EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – After car manufacturers like Volvo, Mazda and Volkswagen announced that they have already or have plans to remove AM radio from some their electric vehicles. Local AM radio host Steve Kaplowitz, reflects on this situation.

As the host of Sports Talk ESPN El Paso for over 20 years, Kaplowitz does not believe that the medium will disappear, rather it will just be consumed in a different format.

“Through digital technology, through app, through streaming devices people are able to consume our same product but they can listen to it in digital quality where they’re in the studio with us as opposed to them might hear the static in the background like traditional AM radios are,” said Kaplowitz.

Seeing the rise of digital media Sports Talk ESPN EL Paso is available on multiple media platforms. This allows the show to be more accessible to its listeners and a more reliable source.

“Let’s say you have a power loss at your transmitter signal, or you lose power, and something happens there you won’t have that same thing affect you when you’re listening digitally,” Kaplowitz said.

There was a bipartisan bill introduced to the Texas Senate on May 17 that would require automaker to keep AM radio in their vehicles. It’s titled the ‘AM for Every Vehicle Act’ that would make them maintain the medium without a separate or additional payment, fee or surcharge but has not yet been passed by the Senate.

However, with AM radio seemed to be transitioned away, Kaplowitz believes there are still listeners left.

“There’s plenty of cars on the road that have AM radios and a lot of my listeners who have been listening to this show for a long time will still wanna tell you they always like listening to the AM radio.”