If the government can require safety belts in every vehicle to protect drivers, then it should also be able to require an AM receiver to ensure Americans can access emergency alerts. That is the idea behind legislation introduced Wednesday that would require carmakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in new vehicles at no additional charge. For car models that have already dropped the feature, until it can be brought back, the proposed AM for Every Vehicle Act would mandate a warning label alerting buyers what is missing be slapped on the window at the dealer showroom.
Members of Congress are also asking automakers to preserve AM radio's place in automobiles. Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH), Greg Pence (R-IN) and 100 of their bipartisan House colleagues sent individual letters Monday to Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, Mazda, Volvo, Tesla, Polestar, Rivian, GM and Mercedes-Benz urging them to maintain AM radio in all their vehicles.
Inside Radio writes: The new round of letters from Capitol Hill is the next step in a campaign started by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) who previously wrote to a wider set of automakers asking a series of specific questions about their plans for AM radio in their vehicles. Monday's letters addressed those that either responded that they would be removing AM or that didn't answer whether they intend to keep AM in their newer model cars.
The letters from lawmakers pose a series of questions to the manufacturers regarding their actions on AM removal. Letters reminded how the federal government has come to their aid, it asks automakers to "provide all federal loan, grant and tax incentives your company has received in the last 15 years."
"In the case of natural disasters – tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and other local emergencies – AM radio is a lifeline," the letter reads, in part. "It provides early warning, up-to-the minute local information needed to survive when these disasters strike, and ongoing, lifesaving information in their aftermath when the danger is often the greatest."
Citing FEMA, the letter says that 75 radio stations, most of which operate on the AM band and cover at least 90% of the U.S. population, have been hardened with backup communications equipment and generators "that allow them to continue broadcasting information to the public during and after an emergency. Most importantly, radio is free to all Americans, not requiring a subscription or a broadband connection," the letter adds.
The coordinated effort by lawmakers comes as AM broadcasters face a crisis. Eight automakers say they have yanked AM radio out of the dashboard for some of their models, mostly in the fast-growing electric vehicle segment, due to a combination of technical hurdles, a belief that AM content can be accessed through streaming, and their conclusion that whatever content AM once had a lock on can now be found elsewhere. Ford is removing AM receivers from the dashboard of all of their consumer vehicles; gas, diesel, and electric.
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt issued a statement Monday thanking Latta, Pence and the 100 signatories to the latest letter. "These legislators understand the critical role that AM radio plays in disseminating vital information to the public, particularly in times of emergency," LeGeyt said. "Tens of millions of Americans listen to AM radio each month for its local and diverse content and we applaud these lawmakers for their commitment to their constituents who depend on AM."
Some of the country's most lucrative radio stations are still on AM, mostly news and news/talk stations in big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta.
