Home Login RADIO ONLINE RSS Facebook
Find Radio Online
AM FM HD

Advertisement

Rep. Gottheimer Seeks to Preserve AM Radio in Vehicles


U.S. Congress
U.S. Congress

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) unveiled the steps Tuesday he's taking to ensure all vehicles continue to have AM radio, including writing letters to all major electric vehicle manufacturers "urging them to reconsider their decision to discontinue AM radio in their cars and trucks and to include the public safety tool as a stock feature."

The letter reads, in part:

"During Hurricane Sandy, AM radio was used to broadcast emergency updates and evacuation orders to people who were affected by the storm. It was also used to spread critical information about relief efforts and post-storm recovery efforts. The importance of AM radio during these large-scale emergencies cannot be underestimated, saving lives and keeping our communities informed.

"As more individuals switch to EVs and given the crucial role that AM radio plays in emergency management situations, I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision and include AM radio as a stock feature in your EVs. Doing so would demonstrate your commitment to the safety and well-being of all Americans, especially during times of crisis."

Rep. Gottheimer is also calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to "add AM radio to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to require that all automakers, including EV manufacturers, include AM radio as a stock feature in their vehicles. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are the minimum safety standards that a manufacturer must meet when making a vehicle -- including requirements related to airbags, brakes, seatbelts, tires, controls and displays."

Rep. Gottheimer also pointed to earlier Tesla models, along with EVs from other manufacturers, that have very good AM reception saying, "if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas."

Before his election to Congress, Gottheimer served as Senior Counselor to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and has worked closely in developing the latest iteration of the emergency alert system.

In response to the actions announced by Rep. Gottheimer, NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said, "NAB thanks Rep. Gottheimer for his leadership in taking action to help preserve AM radio's vital role in the car. AM radio not only serves as the backbone of the nation's Emergency Alert System that keeps Americans safe when disaster strikes, but local stations also provide important news and information, sports coverage, weather and community affairs programming. Local radio has a critical place in the auto dashboard and broadcasters remain committed to collaborating with auto manufacturers to ensure America's 47 million AM radio listeners can easily access this essential service."

New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA) Executive Director Jordan Walton said, "There are plenty of business and economic reasons to preserve AM radio, but public safety, using the publicly owned airwaves our stations have been lucky enough to license for 100 years, is the best reason."

The New Jersey Broadcasters Association made the issue of AM receivers being eliminated in EVs its top priority when the association called on members of the New Jersey Congressional delegation in Washington, DC earlier this month. The NJBA will continue to work with Rep. Gottheimer and other members of Congress helping to lead the charge to save AM radio.

Advertisement

Latest Radio Stories

21 Members of Congress Added as LRFA Cosponsors
U.S. Congress
U.S. Congress
Twenty-one members of the House of Representatives and two senators have added their support to a resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations. The Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA), More

iHM Bans ChatGPT Use to Protect Intellectual Property
iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia
In an internal iHeartMedia memo sent to staff, Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman and President/COO and CFO Rich Bressler are warning employees not to use ChatGPT or any other artificial intelligence services on company devices. It also asks that staffers not More

Audacy Inks EVP/COO Susan Larkin to New Agreement
Susan Larkin
Susan Larkin
During its annual meeting of shareholders, Audacy's board of directors renewed one executive's contract while a board member has left the company. Executive VP/COO Susan Larkin has signed a new deal keeping with Audacy through at least May 4, 2026, More
Advertisement

Texas Radio Hall of Fame Nominations Open June 1
Texas Radio Hall of Fame
Texas Radio Hall of Fame
Nominations for the Texas Radio Hall of Fame's 2023 Induction Class may be submitted beginning at noon on June 1. The nominations portal will be accessible to voting members at TRHOF.net through Friday, June 30. More

Top 25 Podcasts Reach 45% of Weekly Podcast Listeners
Edison Research
Edison Research
When advertisers look at the podcasting space, they are met with the reality of a world filled with hundreds of thousands of shows, many of which have loyal audiences. All across the spectrum there are effective podcasts targeting niche audiences More

Townsquare/Billings Names Stewart as Director of Content
Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart
Townsquare Media/Billings, MT names Bill "Stu" Stewart as its new Director of Content for its five-station cluster there, effective immediately. He formerly served as PD/morning host of iHeartMedia Country KASH-FM (KASH Country) and CHR More

Return to Menu

Advertisement

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Radio news and headlines delivered right to your e-mail box -- and it's free.

Advertisement

Advertisement