NAB Urges Automakers To Keep AM Radio In Electric Vehicles.

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Story by Inside Radio

The National Association of Broadcasters and radio station owners have been meeting with auto industry leaders in an effort to preserve AM radio in the car. The discussions come as some automakers, including Ford, Tesla, BMW and Audi, have removed AM radio receivers from their electric vehicles due to interference caused by electric motors. “We want to work collaboratively to ensure cars keep listeners’ favorite local AM radio stations at their fingertips,” NAB President & CEO Curtis LeGeyt writes in a blog post.

Entitled “Preserving AM Radio in Cars Keeps Americans Safe,” the post traces the legacy radio band’s 100-year role in American life, from broadcasting FDR’s fireside chats to reporting on global conflicts and natural disasters. “Local AM stations have also been the source of entertainment and connection to our communities, providing pioneering sitcoms and serials, religious services, presidential addresses, talk shows and ballgame,” LeGeyt says in the post. “And perhaps most importantly, when tragedy strikes AM radio serves as the backbone of the Emergency Alert System, informing Americans of impending danger and directing people to safety.”

His essay points to the ability of AM radio signals to “reach a wide geographic area” and help Americans to stay connected when they have poor, or non-existent, cellular, and broadband coverage. “The car is often the only source of power and news for many in times of emergency,” it says.

But as the auto industry moves from the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles, AM radios are no longer present in some new models. “AM listeners, radio stations, policymakers and emergency managers are rightly sounding the alarm bells,” LeGeyt writes.

In December 2022, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) wrote a letter to 20 EV makers asking them to detail their plans for AM radio in their vehicles. In response, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major car makers in the U.S., told Markey that it is committed to maintaining access to safety alerts.

And in February, seven former FEMA officials sent a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg petitioning the government to seek assurances from automakers to maintain AM radios in EVs, arguing that the band is vital to the federal National Public Warning System. Meanwhile, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington released a letter supporting the former FEMA directors.

To combat interference on the AM dial in electric vehicles without sacrificing vehicle performance, LeGeyt notes that some automakers in the U.S. and around the world have used a software upgrade that reduces noise and interference. “There are also nascent technologies that deliver clearer, more reliable signals free of interference while also enabling broadcasters to offer additional content channels for listeners,” he notes, such as HD Radio in the U.S. and DAB in the U.K. “Broadcasters are committed to providing a more dynamic, uniform listening experience that takes full advantage of infotainment displays in modern vehicles.”

As dashboards continue to change with larger screens and more sophisticated technology, LeGeyt says local radio stations are taking steps to evolve with them and to keep AM radio as a standard feature in new vehicles. “We urge automakers to work with us to ensure drivers and passengers can continue to enjoy the local news, entertainment and companionship AM radio has to offer,” he concludes.

Read LeGeyt’s entire blog post HERE.