Automakers want to get rid of AM radio

By Kim Komando

June 6, 2024

When I was growing up, my dad worked for United Airlines, and I traveled a lot. I would always sneak a portable AM radio in my backpack, and as the plane crisscrossed the country, I would tune into various stations along the way. Never would I have imagined what that little hobby would become for me.

While FM radio listening is huge, AM radio is still massively important. When hurricanes knock FM stations off the air, AM stations are often more resilient.

AM radio is so crucial that FEMA is installing emergency studios, transmitters and generators at 77 mostly AM radio stations nationwide to maintain communications in the event of the worst (with special thanks to all ham radio operators!).

The car companies making decisions

You need to know several automakers told a Senate committee they’ll nix (or have already nixed) AM radios in all their vehicles. This includes BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, Porsche and Mercedes.

Ford has since reversed its decision (at least temporarily) after considerable negative feedback. Ford says no one listens to AM radio anymore. Huh?

Know the numbers

Every day in America, at least 4,185 AM radio stations broadcast news, talk shows, sports and other important programming. AM radio draws an audience of 82.3 million people — more than one in three American radio listeners — each month.

Get this: 57% of AM radio listeners tune into news/talk stations, the very outlets that carry breaking local news. Plus, in rural areas where FM radio signals are iffy, people rely on AM to stay plugged in.

Thanks to its long broadcast range, listeners can still tune into an AM station, regardless of where they are. Think about that the next time you’re road-tripping off the grid. So, why remove AM radios?

The REAL reason

Electromagnetic interference in electric vehicles. Because the electric motors in EVs throw off harmful static, AM radio quality suffers in an EV to the point where it’s unstable and unlistenable.

Car manufacturers simply do not want to pay for the necessary research to develop AM radios that work in ALL vehicles, EVs or gas.

Don’t touch that dial

So, Congress has stepped in. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2024 has the bipartisan support of 60 U.S. Senators and 251 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.

If it becomes law, all new cars would be required to have working AM radio, free of charge. That’s right, no pesky subscription fees. The bill now has a supermajority (read: the “magic number” to be filibuster-proof) in the Senate and a simple majority in the House, meaning it’s likely to become law. Fingers crossed.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) wants any vehicle without an AM radio to display a safety warning on a window sticker. He says that it should read, “Warning: No AM Radio. Vehicle Unsafe in Certain Emergencies.” See an example sticker here.

What’s next? It still needs to be scheduled for a vote. Want to do your part to keep AM radio alive? 

1. Sign this petition to voice your opinion to legislators. 
2. Text “AM” to 52886.

🤝 We need to get behind this effort. Tell your family and friends, or share this article with them now.

Tags: American, automakers, broadcast, car, cars, charge, companies, Congress, electric vehicles, emergency, family, feedback, Ford, free, friends, interference, law, numbers, research, rural areas, safety, shows, subscriptions, support, Tesla, text, warning, work