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A moot bill that would require all new cars to be supplied with AM radios is expected to become law in the near future. Yesterday, Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass. ) revealed that the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” now has 60 U. S. senators, as well as 246 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, making its passage all but certain. If this were to happen, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would have to ensure that all new cars sold in the United States are stocked with AM radios, at no additional cost.
“Democrats and Republicans alike are listening to the millions of listeners, thousands of broadcasters, and countless emergency management officials who rely on AM radio in their vehicles. AM radio is a lifeline for others in all corners of America who need to get news, sporting events, and local updates in case of emergency. Our commonsense bill ensures that this basic and must-have tool is not lost on the dial, with a supermajority in filibuster evidence in the Senate, Congress temporarily passes it, and it passes,” he said. Senator Markey and fellow sponsor Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
About 82 million people still pay attention to AM radio, according to the National Association of Broadcasters which, as you can imagine, was quite pleased with Congressional for its industry.
“Broadcasters are grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support for the AM Radio Act for each and every vehicle in both houses of Congress,” said Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO of NAB. “This majority approval reaffirms the popularity of the legislators of the United States. Especially in emergency situations. NAB thanks the 307 members of Congress for the importance of maintaining universal access to this important means of public communication.
The explanation for why there is even a bill in Congress to make AM radios mandatory in all new cars is that some automakers have started to abandon this option, especially in electric cars. One of the main explanations for this is electromagnetic interference from electric motors. Instead of threatening lawsuits for poor sound quality, some automakers have to remove them.
But it’s not just an EV issue; Last year, we learned that the revised Ford Mustang coupe would also arrive without AM radio, which Ford explained to us because radio stations were modernizing “by offering broadcast through cellular apps, FM, digital and satellite radio features,” and would continue to offer those other audio features in their vehicles.
Reacting to congressional questions, eight automakers told a Senate committee they were abandoning additive manufacturing: BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo. This “undermines the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s formula of providing the public with critical public protection information,” Sen. Markey’s office said last year, and proponents of the law see AM radio’s role as a platform for sending emergency alerts to the public as the primary explanation for its need.
But critics of the bill, adding the Consumer Technology Association, are not satisfied with that argument. In October 2023, FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission conducted a nationwide verification of the emergency alert system. According to the CTA, which surveyed 800 U. S. adults, of the 95% of U. S. adults who listened to the check, only 6% did so by radio, and only 1% by AM radio specifically. Instead, 92% won the alert sent to their smartphone.
“Requiring the installation of analog AM radios in cars is an unnecessary action that would affect the range, power and costability of electric vehicles at a critical time of accelerated adoption,” said Albert Gore, CEO of ZETA, A Blank Vehicle. advocacy organization that opposes the AM radio requirement. designs that meet customer preferences, rather than pushing an express communication system technology,” Gore said in a statement.
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