Why Congress Wants to Put AM Radio Back in Your Car

Congress Is Trying to Save a Dinosaur. Maybe It’s the One That Matters

When news broke that Congress was considering a law to mandate AM radios in all new cars, the response on social media was swift and mocking. “Next up: reviving Blockbuster.” “Congress finally taking action—in 1987.” “Can’t wait for mandatory beepers in Teslas.”

We’ll admit it. We laughed too.

The bill in question is the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, a bipartisan proposal that would require all new vehicles sold in the U.S. to include AM radio receivers at no additional cost. Versions of the bill have been introduced in both the Senate and the House, with Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) as sponsors.

Supporters argue that AM radio is critical for emergency communications—for tornadoes, hurricanes, cyber-attacks, or widespread outages—when cell towers, wifi, and satellites might be offline. High-power AM stations equipped with backup generators can broadcast across hundreds of miles, and even penetrate remote and mountainous regions.

But many remain skeptical.

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The Backlash and the Case Against AM

Critics from the automotive and tech industries argue that preserving AM radio is a policy mistake, rooted more in nostalgia than necessity.

They argue that AM is outdated and underused, especially compared to streaming and satellite services. Automakers such as Tesla, BMW, Mazda, Volvo, and Ford have already removed AM receivers from some of their electric models, citing that electromagnetic interference from high-voltage EV components renders reception unreliable. Shielding the components and filtering the interference, they say, would add unnecessary costs for a feature few drivers even notice.

But industry figures and safety advocates disagree. Shielding cables, adding filters, and grounding the chassis are well-understood engineering fixes. And the cost, approximately tens of dollars per vehicle, is negligible in the context of modern car design.

Some manufacturers also argue that modern dashboards are already cluttered, leaving little room for what they see as legacy technology. However, AM receivers are now software-integrated and space-efficient, unlike the bulky analog dials of the past. Compared to the sprawling infotainment screens, biometric systems, and voice-assist tech now standard in most new vehicles, an AM chip takes up almost no space at all.

There are also concerns, especially among libertarians and conservatives, about federal overreach. Should the government really be dictating what features automakers must include in an age where consumers have so many digital options?

Industry groups further argue that most Americans now get their news, weather alerts, and entertainment through smartphones, satellite radio, and streaming apps. In a world full of push notifications, GPS-enabled warnings, and real-time digital alerts, they ask: Who really tunes in to AM radio anymore?

To many, this sounds like nostalgia disguised as policy.

That’s exactly how we felt, until we dug deeper.

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The Realization That Changed Our Thinking

We assumed AM radio was nearly extinct, just a relic of a bygone era. So we looked into usage numbers, and what we found surprised us.

According to Nielsen, 82% of Americans still listen to AM/FM radio each week. That’s more than podcasts, more than streaming. Radio remains the most widely used audio medium in the country. Even AM alone attracts approximately 82 million listeners each month, with a focus on news, talk, and public safety content.

And we realized, radio is all around us: in shops, workplaces, cars. It’s invisible, but it’s still there.

We were missing what was hiding in plain noise.

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AM Radio in Emergencies: Still a Lifeline

Smartphones and apps are great, until they’re not. Large-scale disasters such as hurricanes, cyber-attacks, solar storms, and EMPs can knock out cell towers, GPS, internet, and cloud systems. Digital fails on the worst days; AM radio doesn’t.

AM signals carry for hundreds of miles, especially at night. Many of the nation’s 77 Primary Entry Point (PEP) stations are AM-based, with hardened infrastructure and backup power, making them FEMA’s backbone in a crisis.

Former FEMA heads Pete Gaynor and James Lee Witt said it best:

“No app, no streaming service, no satellite system comes close to matching AM radio’s ability to function in a crisis.”

Chief Joey Webb Sr., President of the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs, echoed the point after Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck:

“When the power is out and cell service is down, AM radio becomes a critical lifeline to our communities and the emergency responders who serve them… This would be a dangerous decision” to remove it from new vehicles.

Critics argue that you can simply use apps like FEMA or NOAA Weather. However, those fail first during power outages or solar flares, exactly when people need them most. AM broadcasts directly from the tower to the receiver, with no intermediary systems.

And while FM and HD Radio exist, they have shorter range, especially in rough terrain, and require a stable power grid. AM is the only fan that still spins when the breaker is flipped.

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The Gaps That Make the System Fragile

Even if AM can save us in a crisis, why bother if it doesn’t reach everyone?

“Silent zones”, common in rural, mountainous, and tribal areas, still have long stretches with no AM signal. The bill mandates receivers, but doesn’t expand coverage. It offers no funding for new towers or FM translators to reach terrain-shielded communities. It doesn’t include any support for expanding broadcast access to the 206 counties without a local news outlet. And while thousands of stations remain on air, many have stopped producing local content altogether. Only about two-thirds of AM and FM stations offer local news, and that number is shrinking.

Meanwhile, over 3,300 newspapers have closed since 2005, 127 just last year alone. That means thousands of communities are without local coverage. The ecosystem of local information is collapsing.

AM revival could reverse that.

Displaced journalists—reporters, editors, photographers—could find a new platform. Many still live in these communities. They know the terrain. They want to tell the stories. By transforming AM radio into a locally anchored, community-driven outlet, they could return to doing what they do best.

And there’s another important detail: even privately owned AM stations are federally required to carry Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages. That means we already have a legal infrastructure for public information; now we just need to use it.

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A Community-Driven Future If We Do It Right

If AM radio is to survive not as a curiosity, but as a civic tool, it needs more than a dashboard button. It needs purpose.

That purpose could come from within our communities. Imagine high school media students producing weekly local news roundups, school board summaries, or interviews with town officials. Public libraries could broadcast daily bulletins about programs, job postings, or emergency services. College journalism students could provide live emergency updates in collaboration with local responders. Elder residents could record oral histories, while younger voices review books, host trivia shows, or talk about the high school soccer game. Municipalities or school boards could broadcast community meetings.

These aren’t pipe dreams. With modest equipment and smart partnerships, schools and libraries could become content hubs anchoring a local broadcast network that is part public safety system, part civic engagement engine.

To get there, we need more than creativity. We need integration. AM receivers should be tied to the national IPAWS alert system, enabling vehicles to tune in automatically and display dashboard warnings. We also need public education efforts so that people under 40 even remember that AM exists and understand what it can do in a crisis.

Finally, to ensure that AM doesn’t become a partisan echo chamber, we need clear guidelines. This is about public service broadcasting—verified facts, local news, and emergency information. No endorsements. No partisan spin. Just trust and truth.

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Not Nostalgia, But Resilience

This bill isn’t a throwback. It’s an opportunity, an opportunity to protect Americans in disaster, rebuild local journalism, and strengthen community trust.

AM radio might feel old, but so do fire extinguishers, life rafts, and first aid kits. We keep them around for a reason.

Technology isn’t the point; resilience is.

With thoughtful integration, public schooling, infrastructure investment, and local partnerships, we can turn AM radio from an ignored relic into a national lifeline.

Not nostalgia. Not noise. A lifeline, and one we may need sooner than we think.

Bibliography:

• Bilirakis, Gus, and Frank Pallone. “Bilirakis and Pallone Re‑Introduce the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.” Office of Rep. Gus Bilirakis, April 3, 2025. https://bilirakis.house.gov/media/press-releases/bilirakis-and-pallone-re-introduce-am-radio-for-every-vehicle-act

• Carr, Ajit Pai. “Carr Applauds Senate Commerce AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Passage.” FCC, February 5, 2025.

• Congress.gov. S. 1669 — AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023. 118th Congress. Introduced May 17, 2023. Accessed June 2025.

• Congress.gov. S. 315 — AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Introduced January 29, 2025. Accessed June 2025.

• Congress.gov. H.R. 979 — AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Introduced February 5, 2025. Accessed June 2025.

• Gaynor, Pete, and James Lee Witt. “Protect America’s Emergency Alerting Systems.” MyJournalCourier.com, March 11, 2025.

• “Senators Markey and Cruz Reintroduce Bill to Keep AM Radio in New Vehicles.” Office of Senator Markey, January 29, 2025.

• “Keep AM Radio in Cars to Ensure Public Safety.” National Association of Broadcasters, August 2024.

• Nielsen. Audio Today 2024 Report, cited by NAB. August 2024.

• “Pallone Reintroduces AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.” Office of Rep. Pallone, April 2025.

• Cameron Coats. “Majority of US House Coalesces Behind AM Radio Bill.” RBR.com, June 22, 2025.

• U.S. Congressional Budget Office. S. 315: CBO Cost Estimate. April 2025.

• “House Committee Approves Bill Requiring New Cars to Have AM Radio.” The Verge, September 18, 2024.

• “AM Radio’s Legacy—and Its Safety Potential.” The Washington Post, February 6, 2024.

• “Coming Soon: An AM Radio Mandate.” Wall Street Journal, May 2024.