Across Local Media, Broadcasters Evangelize AM Radio’s Role In Cars.

State broadcaster associations are using local media outlets to help galvanize support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Among several recent examples, Chad Mahoney, President of the Missouri Broadcasters Association (MBA), appeared on News-Press & Gazette’s “ABC 17” KMIZ-TV Columbia during a news segment discussing the merits of the bill, which has bipartisan support in Congress.

“AM radio is the backbone of the emergency alert system in the United States," Mahoney said in the TV news segment. "So in many cases, it's those AM radio stations that are receiving the emergency alert first, and then it filters down to the rest of the stations."

He believes automakers are removing the radio signal to monetize the dashboard.

“So one way to do that is to offer subscription-based entertainment, music and information through the dashboard. AM radio, of course, is free and over the air and would get in the way of that model,” Mahoney said.

The association has been huddling with Missouri lawmakers to push for passage of the bill, which would require all vehicles to have AM radio receivers.

"We encourage people who may be watching this and are concerned about the AM radio coming out of their vehicles to reach out to their members of Congress and have them go to their leadership to take this bill to the floor for a vote," Mahoney told KMIZ reporter Sutton Parker. "It's so popular; we know it's going to pass, but we have to get it to the floor."

Meanwhile, Will Payne, President & CEO of the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, wrote an op-ed for The Oklahoman driving home many of the same points. Under the headline, “AM radio is key in emergencies. Congress should pass bill,” Payne pointed out that the issue is something of an outlier in Washington, a rarity that both sides of the aisle agree on. That’s because it addresses the important issue of public safety.

“The debate over AM radio is often framed as a battle between old technology and new technology. That’s the wrong lens,” he writes. “The real issue is whether Americans should lose access to a communications system that has proven its value during emergencies simply because some automakers have decided it no longer fits their business priorities.”

‘Matter Of Life And Death’

More than just another dashboard feature, Payne reminds that AM radio provides critical and timely info during severe weather events. Extreme weather is something Oklahomans know all too well. “Tornadoes, wildfires and ice storms remind us every year how quickly communications can become a matter of life and death. During those moments, people need reliable access to trusted local information,” he continues in the opinion piece.

While cellular and internet networks are “remarkably capable, they are not infallible,” Payne notes, prone to power outages and network congestion during extreme weather. But high-powered AM radio stations “can cover vast geographic areas and continue broadcasting during emergencies when other systems fail. FEMA and emergency management officials have long emphasized the importance of maintaining multiple communications pathways rather than relying on a single technology,” he writes.

While AM radio audiences have shrunk over the years, Payne says emergency infrastructure shouldn’t be judged based solely by how often it’s used. “We may not think about smoke detectors, tornado sirens or emergency generators every day, either. Their value becomes evident when conditions are at their worst,” he adds.

Radio execs and personalities across the U.S. also discussed the legislation on their own airwaves. These efforts come on the heels of emergency officials joining broadcasters on Capitol Hill to lobby for the bill’s passage.

Broadcasters from 31 states traveled to Washington last week for what the National Association of Broadcasters hopes will be its final push for passage of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, meeting with lawmakers to stress AM radio’s role in delivering emergency alerts and local information.

The Capitol Hill fly-in brought together broadcasters, state broadcast association leaders and representatives from organizations including AARP, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and local emergency management agencies. Their message to lawmakers: move the bipartisan bill to the president’s desk while there is still time on the legislative calendar.

“We are grateful to our congressional champions who have led this bipartisan effort every step of the way,” NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt said. “Congress has everything it needs to act. It is time to finish the job and send this bill to the president's desk.”