In December, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to all the big automakers, urging them to keep AM radio in electric vehicles. The auto industry has now responded and does not offer any guarantees.
Markey wrote in December to all the major automakers, including, Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, BMW, and Kia.
The Senator asked for an update and account of where AM radio receivers stand in the eyes of automakers and asked them to inform him of any plans to discontinue access to AM in new cars.
Markey’s letter to automakers emphasized the safety applications of AM radio during extreme situations. The letter focused on the important emergency alerting capacities of AM radio.
“A phase-out of broadcast AM in new vehicles could pose a significant communication problem during emergencies,” the Senator wrote. “Given AM radio’s importance for emergency communications and continued consumer demand, I urge your company to maintain the feature in its new vehicles,” he wrote.
The auto industry response comes from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and appears to be a clear non-endorsement of AM radio. The letter makes no indication of the automaker’s desire to keep AM radio an element of the modern dashboard.
The response from the auto industry focuses on utilizing “emerging technologies” for emergency alerting, including wireless emergency alerts through mobile phones.
“The public is moving away from radio and broadcast/cable television as the primary channels for news and information,” the organization said as it quoted the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System.
The concern from Markey and others comes in when the technology we are all so used to in 2023, fails or experiences a cyber attack. Technology that allows for mass communication, such as AM radio can step in under those circumstances.
NAB Senior Vice President of Communications Alex Siciliano told Radio World the statement from Alliance for Automotive Innovation was a disappointing one.
“We appreciate that the industry is being responsive to Sen. Markey as many policymakers have voiced concerns about removing AM radio from newly manufactured vehicles,” said Siciliano. “We have engaged in an ongoing and productive dialogue with the alliance since this letter was written in December, and we’ll continue to facilitate this dialogue between key stakeholders. As the backbone of the nation’s Emergency Alert System (EAS), AM radio plays a critical role in informing Americans and keeping them safe when disaster strikes.
“We know automakers do not want to alienate the nearly 48 million American who listen to AM radio each week, and we’ll continue fighting to keep this important service in cars,” he said.