As automakers begin dropping AM radio from new models, there’s a bipartisan push in Washington to preserve the century-old medium.
On Tuesday, a House committee will hold a hearing to question witnesses from the radio and auto manufacturing industries, as well as an emergency management official, about the value of keeping AM radio on the road as the 21st century is advancing.
What you need to know
- On Tuesday, a House committee will hold a hearing to question witnesses from the radio and auto manufacturing industry, as well as an emergency management official, about the value of keeping AM radio in cars as it moves forward. the 21st century
- Companies such as BMW, Mazda, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Polestar and Rivian have removed AM radio from their electric vehicles. Ford initially said it would no longer be included in any new vehicles, but backtracked after the bill was introduced in May.
- The problem, the auto companies have argued, is that the new batteries in electric cars interfere with AM transmissions and that emergency warning systems can reach people through a multitude of means.
- Lawmakers from both parties and houses of Congress have rallied behind the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which would require every new car to include AM radio at no additional cost.
The problem, the auto companies have argued, is that new batteries in electric cars interfere with AM transmissions and that emergency warning systems can reach people through a multitude of means.
“It’s alarming that some automakers are considering opting out of installing AM radios in new cars,” said the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. of New Jersey. ., in a statement announcing the hearing last month. “AM radio plays an essential role in our communities, especially during public emergencies when other alert systems that rely on the power grid and cell phone networks may not work.”
“Corporate penny pinching is no justification for undermining one of our nation’s most reliable public emergency communications networks, and requiring consumers to pay more money for a subscription service to receive AM radio is not an acceptable alternative Pallone continued.
The committee’s Republican chairwoman, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, echoed Pallone, calling AM radio a “key tool for our nation’s emergency communications infrastructure, especially when there are no other communication available”.
In a statement to Spectrum News in May, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, an industry trade group, argued that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s emergency warning system can reach people through FM radio, Internet-based radio, satellite radio and mobile phones. The Alliance’s vice president for security policy, Scott Schmidt, is expected to testify on Tuesday.
“The point is this: Whether AM radio is physically installed in vehicles in the future has no bearing on the various methods of delivering emergency communications that alert the public,” the group said, arguing that the Congress gave preferential treatment to a struggling industry. competition for listeners.
Lawmakers from both parties and houses of Congress have rallied behind the AM for Every Vehicle Act, which would require every new car to include AM radio at no additional cost.
In the House, 30 Republicans and 19 Democrats support the bill. And the Senate version, introduced by avowed progressive Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, has the support of five other Democrats and six Republicans, including conservatives like Sen. Ted Crux, R-Texas.
“Ed may be the most liberal senator in the entire United States Senate, I’m the most conservative senator in the United States Senate. It’s rare that Ed Markey and I are on a bill together,” Cruz said on a Fox podcast News last week. “If you watch during emergencies, whether it’s hurricanes, tornadoes or floods, AM radio is the most reliable means of communicating with people.”
A New Jersey State Police officer expected to testify Tuesday agrees. According to prepared testimony, Lt. Col. Christopher DeMaise, the commander of the New Jersey State Police Homeland Security Branch, will tell the committee that the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management “strongly supports” the bill for reasons of public safety.
“Over the past few years, the increase in severe weather events and wildfires has been concerning, not just in New Jersey, but across the country. At the same time, we’re also seeing an increase in cybercrime, active shooter incidents and terrorist threats,” DeMaise will say. “In the face of this growing threat surface, ‘warning and warning’ is the best tool we have to ensure the safety of our residents and to provide critical guidance before, during and after a disaster.”
DeMaise will also point out that, according to Nielsen Company research, one-third of AM radio users are 65 and older, a cohort that is less likely to use the Internet and smartphones. Rural communities and other underserved groups also depend on AM radio for important news and information.
“You have stations that focus on issues in the African-American community. You have stations that focus on issues in the Hispanic community. You have stations that focus on issues that affect Asian-American communities,” Cruz said on the podcast. “This diversity of opinion is good for the country.”
The attacks of September 11, 2001, and “Superstorm Sandy” of 2012 were cited in DeMaise’s prepared remarks as examples of when, with power outages and spotty Internet and cell service, AM radio provide a vital tool for communicating emergency information to millions of people. .
According to Markey’s office, companies including BMW, Mazda, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Polestar and Rivian have removed AM radio from their electric vehicles. Ford originally said it would no longer be included in any new vehicles, but backtracked after the bill was introduced in May.
The radio industry estimates that there are approximately 4,500 AM radio stations nationwide that are listened to by more than 80 million people each month.
