Keep AM Radio in Cars to Ensure Public Safety

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AM radio serves a vital role in our nation's emergency infrastructure as the backbone of the Emergency Alert System. When the power goes out and cell networks are down, the car radio is often the only way for people to get information, sometimes for days at a time.

• With tens of millions of weekly listeners¹, AM radio is also an extremely popular way for Americans to stay connected to both national and local news, sports and entertainment.
• AM radio is highly important to agricultural communities, providing weather updates, crop reports and other information to farmers and ranchers.
• AM stations also serve communities of color and underrepresented groups with in-language, religious and other community-oriented niche programming.

Despite this, certain automakers have removed AM radio as a feature on electric vehicles and signaled that they may remove AM radio from new models of internal combustion engine vehicles in the future.²

• Rightly, there has been a public outcry from members of Congress, Federal Communications Commission officials and former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrators about removing AM radio from vehicles.

"Experts at [FEMA]...have been clear: eliminating the AM radio will put public safety at risk."³

Broadcasters have been working with automakers to address concerns they may have, including utilizing a simple software upgrade that reduces noise and interference. We want to ensure Americans can continue to enjoy the local news, entertainment, public safety benefits and connection AM radio has to offer without sacrificing vehicle performance.

On January 29, 2025, Sens. Ted Cruz (TX) and Ed Markey (MA), introduced S. 315, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. S. 315 now has 58 additional co-sponsors, and on February 5, 2025, the Senate Commerce Committee swiftly advanced the bill via voice vote. Also on February 5, 2025, Reps. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Frank Pallone (NJ-6) introduced a companion bill, H.R. 979, in the House of Representatives. This House version of the bill - which now boasts 315 additional cosponsors - was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 17, 2025, by an overwhelming vote of 50 to 1.

More than 125 organizations, including the National Emergency Management Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, AARP, Native Public Media, SAG-AFTRA and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, have also endorsed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Their support underscores AM radio’s indispensable role in public safety and its importance to communities nationwide.

The bottom line:

Congress should enact the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to keep AM radio as a standard feature in all vehicles. It is vital to public safety and to the tens of millions of Americans who depend on AM radio.

¹ Nielsen; Westwood One, https://bit.ly/41LAP83
² Detroit Free Press, https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2023/04/01/ford-am-radio-commercial/70062845007/
³ Pete Gaynor, former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a recent op-ed.