In closely divided Washington, D.C., there is at least one issue Republicans and Democrats agree on: protecting AM Radio. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is behind the AM For Every Vehicle Act, which would mandate AM Radio in all new vehicles as a federal safety standard. The legislation comes in response to several automakers planning to discontinue AM in new electric vehicles, citing interference from EV batteries. Ford went a step further and pledged to pull AM from all new vehicles going forward, until reversing course last month. Still, other automakers have been non-committal about the future of AM in their cars.
At a House hearing this week, House Communications Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) said reports of AM's demise are greatly exaggerated. "Over 45 million Americans tune into AM radio each month," Latta said in his opening statement. "They rely on it for local news, weather, sports, and emergency alerts."
Latta got support from Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), who told the hearing he learned of the value of AM during Superstorm Sandy a decade ago. "Some of my constituents went days without power, internet and telephone connections, and a number of them relied on broadcast AM radio stations to get up-to-the-minute information, like where to get water, gas and groceries," said Pallone. "And in some cases their best source for AM radio was their vehicle."
While the support for saving AM in cars is bipartisan, some Republicans have argued the removal of AM is a direct attack on conservative talk radio, which dominates the AM dial.
Regardless of their reasons, support for AM is nearly universal among broadcasting groups and organizations, from the FCC to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Latta points out that even after decades of technological innovations, AM remains one of our most powerful communications tools. "Its unique frequency characteristics allow signals to travel far and wide, overcoming geographical barriers, and reaching both urban and remote areas," he said.
That certainly holds true for KTRH, which served all of Southeast Texas with its 50,000-watt signal during events like Tropical Storm Allison, Hurricanes Ike and Harvey, and the winter freeze of 2021.