Lawmakers push to keep AM radio in new cars

Posted 10/8/24

Listen much to AM radio? Even if you don’t, you might be surprised, if not concerned, to learn that the resource is being eliminated by a number of auto manufacturers from new car stereos. BMW, …

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Lawmakers push to keep AM radio in new cars

Posted

Listen much to AM radio?
Even if you don’t, you might be surprised, if not concerned, to learn that the resource is being eliminated by a number of auto manufacturers from new car stereos.
BMW, Ford, Tesla, and Volkswagen, have already omitted AM radio options from certain models. Manufacturers cite in particular, electromagnetic interference in their new electric vehicles (EVs), for the move.
But on Capitol Hill, lawmakers are pushing back. Legislation may soon require AM Radio in every vehicle in an effort to ensure the 82 million Americans that still rely on AM radio have access to emergency information..

The “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” has bipartisan support. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted mid-September 45-2 to send the proposed Act to the full House for a vote.
As it awaits further action, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley recently joined 11 other Attorneys General in calling on Congress to pass the legislation.
“Hurricane Helene, like the severe weather we see in South Dakota, has demonstrated again the importance of AM Radio as a vital communication device that provides life-saving information to our citizens,” Jackley said.
“AM Radio is important in rural states like South Dakota where people can turn to for severe weather updates and emergency information along with local news and sports.”
Nearly 80 AM radio stations across the country are reported as Primary Entry Points for emergency alerts distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service. Those stations, alone, cover approximately 90% of the US population and are considered invaluable resources, especially in rural areas where FM radio and digital services may not always be available or reliable.
They are often used to ensure that state and federal agencies can quickly get life-saving information out across vast geographical areas.
If passed, the proposed law wouldn’t just mandate the inclusion of AM radios in vehicles—it would also impose penalties on automakers that don’t comply.
Besides Jackley, attorneys general from Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia are also pushing for the bill’s passage.