The FCC and FM radios

A headline from earlier this week came from a FCC press release: Chairman Pai urges Apple to Activate FM chips to promote public safety.  The press release includes this statement from the chairman: 

”In recent years, I have repeatedly called on the wireless industry to activate the FM chips that are already installed in almost all smartphones sold in the United States.”

He continues to specifically call on Apple to reconsider their position, and activate these FM chips immediately to save lives in areas impacted by natural disasters. The press releases closes with this passionate plea to Apple: 

”As the Sun Sentinel of South Florida put it, ‘Do the right thing, Mr. Cook. Flip the switch. Lives depend on it.’”

This feels like a political deflection to me. Newer iPhones do not have FM ‘chips’ (at least since the iPhone 7). Those that include chips with integrated FM radios do not have the supporting circuits that would even allow the FM radio to work. No circuit, no antenna, no FM radio.  It’s really that simple. Perhaps I’m asking to much by suggesting that the chairman have someone on his staff do some fact checking before publishing nutty statements.