A coalition of 16 public officials from Kentucky is the latest to call for Capitol Hill to advance the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. The group, which includes mayors, first responders, and lawmakers, agrees public safety should not be compromised for convenience.
The group’s joint letter, sent June 23, urges Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) to bring the bill up for a vote before the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which he chairs. The letter underscores how AM radio remains essential for delivering emergency alerts across rural and urban communities, especially during power outages and natural disasters.
The Kentucky coalition joins a wide bredth of bipartisan support for the bill, which counts FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the NAB, 12 state attorneys general, FEMA officials, and senior leaders from the New York Police Department and Fire Department of New York among its many backers.
The letter cites the deadly Kentucky tornado outbreak in December 2021, which saw a single EF-4 tornado travel more than 150 miles through the western and south-central parts of the state. Rep. Guthrie previously referenced those storms and radio’s role in saving lives when addressing the NAB State Leadership Conference in March and expressing his support for the AM Act.
In an accompanying op-ed published by Kentucky Today, one signee, Hart County Sheriff Jeff Wilson, detailed his experience with disaster response and emphasized that AM radio has consistently been the Commonwealth’s most dependable communications platform during weather emergencies.
“Unlike cell networks or internet platforms, AM signals don’t depend on power grids or broadband infrastructure,” Wilson wrote. “That is why the federal, state, and local governments intentionally built the National Public Warning System and Emergency Alert System around AM radio.”
Electric vehicle manufacturers have begun removing AM radio from new cars, citing engine interference with signal reception. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would require carmakers to maintain AM access in all new vehicles, gas or electric, and address any interference issues.
Wilson also challenged the notion that fixing interference issues is a costly burden. “Given how much the carmakers – some of the wealthiest companies in the world – receive in subsidies from Washington every year, asking that they address this pressing public safety matter really shouldn’t be too much to ask.”
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act now has 255 House co-sponsors, surpassing the 218 needed for passage, even without yet passing out of committee. In the Senate, it has already cleared the Commerce Committee and has reached the 61 co-sponsors required to overcome a filibuster.
Those of is who want to see car makers mandated to carry AM had better hurry on this. Mobile phones service is starting to become satellite-driven. Unfortunately this will make terrestrial based options like AM irrelevant.
No communication options are more dependable than satellite, and the service is two-way.
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