Latta, 101 Other House Members Urge Automakers Keep AM Receivers in Electric Vehicles
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, and 101 other House members wrote Ford and nine other automakers Monday urging them not to remove AM radio receivers from electric vehicles. Latta and the other House members sent the letters to…
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automakers that previously responded to a December inquiry from Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., that they would be removing AM receivers and to those that didn’t respond. The other automakers are BMW, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo. Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., pressed the Federal Emergency Management Agency last week on how removal of AM receivers would affect the emergency alert system (see 2305110068). “AM radio has more than 45 million listeners each month, and our constituents rely heavily on it for emergency alerts and local news, information, and weather” forecasts, Latta and the other lawmakers said in the Monday letters. “For rural Americans, the importance of having access to AM radio in their car or truck is particularly important. When Internet connectivity and cell phone service is limited or unavailable, these residents do not have as many options to access emergency information as those living in more densely populated areas. AM radio stations are often our constituents’ ‘go to’ source for information in times of crisis. We cannot deprive them of that free, life-saving resource.” The lawmakers want the automakers to respond by May 26. NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt said the House members "understand the critical role that AM radio plays in disseminating vital information to the public, particularly in times of emergency. Tens of millions of Americans listen to AM radio each month for its local and diverse content and we applaud these lawmakers for their commitment to their constituents who depend on AM."