From small and rural markets to major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta, AM stations are among the most popular for news, sports, entertainment and weather. Over 80 million people in the U.S. listen to AM radio each month, according to Nielsen.
AM radio also plays a vital role in connecting Black, Asian and Hispanic communities with stations that serve these audiences with niche and in-language programming.
With its unique ability to reach a wide geographic area, AM radio offers many Americans struggling with poor, or non-existent, cellular and broadband coverage a chance to stay connected.
Despite this, some auto manufacturers have begun discontinuing AM radio from the dashboard. Instead, they would shift the cost to car buyers, who would need to use cellular data to stream AM stations. Congress is considering legislation that would ensure Americans who depend on AM radio each month for news, entertainment and critical safety information can continue to have access to this reliable communications medium.
Take action now – tell your members of Congress to help keep AM radio in the car! Learn more about what you can do to keep AM radio in the car.
Should cars still have AM radios? Congress might require them (Marketplace.org, Nov. 4, 2024)
Europe Shairs in US Broadcasters' Battle to Save In-Car Radio (RadioInk.com, June 20, 2024)
Report: Radio Remains Crucial Component of the Dashboard (InsideRadio.com, June 12, 2024)
As Telecommunications Outages Abound, Congress Must Act (RealClearPolicy.com, February 26, 2024)
Your Phone has Nothing on AM Radio (The Atlantic, February 21, 2024)
Hawaii Puts AM Radio to Work on Maui (Radio World, August 22, 2023)
Op-Ed: We won't let these cars kill the AM radio star (Fox News, June 9, 2023)
Keep AM Radio in Cars, for Safety's Sake (Chicago Sun Times, June 6, 2023)
AM Radio Fights Back After Getting the Boot From Tesla and Other EVs (Bloomberg, June 6, 2023)
Ford will include AM radio in 2024 models, reversing decision (The Washington Post, May 23, 2023)
Rural Broadcast Voices Speak Up for AM (Radio Ink, May 5, 2023)
Farm Broadcasters Ask Stabenow for Help to Protect AM Radio (InsideRadio.com, May 4, 2023)
Save AM Radio, Rural Broadcasters Urge Lawmaker (Law360.com, May 4, 2023)
NAFB Expresses AM Radio Concerns to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Radio Online, May 4, 2023)
NAB Effort to Keep AM Radio in Cars is Making Noise in Washington (InsideRadio.com, May 3, 2023)
Former VP Mike Pence Joins Battle to Save AM Radio in Autos (RFDTV, April 21, 2023)
Buttigieg Finally Makes Statement About AM Radio (Radio Ink, April 19, 2023)
EV makers jeopardize emergency alert system by removing AM radio (The Seattle Times, April 13, 2023)
Rising number of electric vehicles putting the brakes on AM radio (KITV4, April 10, 2023)
Electric cars threaten Chicago's AM radio stations (Axios, April 2, 2023)
Ford to drop AM radio in new models, except commercial vehicles (Detroit Free Press, April 1, 2023)
Cutting AM from EVs is just the beginning, ag radio owners say (AgWeek, March 22, 2023)
Electric Cars are Ditching AM Radio - A Critical Safety Tool (Axios, March 13, 2023)
Who Benefits By Removing AM From Cars? (RadioWorld.com, March 13, 2023)
Car Companies Vary Wildly in Their Comments About AM (RadioWorld.com, March 9, 2023)
NAB's LeGeyt Says AM Radio in Cars Still Matters (RadioWorld.com, March 9, 2023)
NAB Urges Automakers to Keep AM Radio in Electric Vehicles (InsideRadio.com, March 9, 2023)
AM Station Owner Challenges EV Makers to Solve AM Interference Issue (March 2, 2023)
FCC Commissioner Echoes Ex-FEMA Heads on AM Radio (RBR.com, Feb. 27, 2023)
Every Car Should Have an AM Radio (Jalopnik.com, Feb. 27, 2023)
EV Makers are Eliminating AM Radio, Infringing on Iconic Medium (Forbes, Jan. 31, 2023)
Tell your members of Congress why you want to keep AM radio in cars.
Take Action Now »
What does AM stand for? Can AM signals go around and over mountains?
AM radio is an integral part of America’s emergency alert infrastructure.
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