Congress may mandate AM radios in every car, for safety and security
Although most people may not know it, AM radio also serves as the backbone of the nation’s Emergency Alert System. National Association of Broadcasters photo
A bipartisan collaboration to bolster critical communication resources during natural disasters is gaining momentum in Congress after lessons learned during the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina last year.
Called the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025, Senate Bill 315 mandates that all new passenger motor vehicles manufactured or sold in the United States must include AM radio receivers as standard equipment.
At least eight manufacturers, namely Ford and Tesla, have recently began phasing out AM radios in electric vehicles, falsely claiming the cost of insulating electrical cables to prevent the motors from affecting the audio signals is too high.
Other manufacturers who have already attempted to force drivers to pay for a monthly “subscription” for heated seats, driving assist or parallel parking have threatened to follow the same model for AM radios.
The bill forbids automakers from charging for access to AM radio signals on equipment drivers already own.
Most manufacturers would have to comply within two years; however, smaller companies that manufacture fewer than 40,000 vehicles a year would have four years to comply. In the meantime, any vehicles manufactured or sold in the U.S. without AM radios would have to include clear labeling to inform buyers.
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Introduced by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) on Jan. 29, the bill currently has 33 Republican co-sponsors, including North Carolina’s Sen. Ted Budd, and 18 Democratic co-sponsors as well as the Senate’s two independents, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Angus King (I-ME). The bill passed the Senate Commerce Committee Feb. 5.
That same day, Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) introduced the House version of the bill, with 42 Republican and 38 Democrat co-sponsors. North Carolina support comes from Republicans Richard Hudson and Addison McDowell, along with Democrat Deborah Ross. Rep., Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson), whose district took the brunt of the damage from Helene, wasn’t listed as a sponsor and didn’t respond to an interview request from The Smoky Mountain News.
According to the National Association of Broadcasters, the bill has been endorsed by the National Emergency Management Association, the American Farm Bureau Federation, AARP, Native Public Media, SAG-AFTRA, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the National Urban League, National Religious Broadcasters and seven former FEMA leaders.
Similar bills garnered strong support in the last Congress, but their provisions didn’t make it into the late chaotic effort last December to pass a stopgap funding bill that will keep the federal government operating through March 14.
The congressional effort is about more than just ensuring consumers have access to high-quality entertainment, music, news and religious broadcasting in the car from the nation’s network of more than 6,000 AM radio broadcasters — it’s about public safety and national security.
Shortly after the full brunt of Helene hit Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024, widespread internet outages and cellular network disruptions rendered even basic communication nearly impossible for most people.
The outages not only hindered emergency responders from coordinating with citizens and each other during dangerous conditions but also made it difficult for news organizations, including The Smoky Mountain News, to update websites or social media — though many residents wouldn’t have been able to access the information anyway.
Canton’s WPTL 920 AM went completely off the air, prompting a heroic effort by Haywood County workers to remove fallen trees blocking the road to Chambers Mountain, where the FM translator for Canton-based WPTL is located. Their work eventually restored power, allowing the longtime local favorite station to resume broadcasting crucial updates for Haywood County after two days offline.
The station’s owner, Terryll Evans, is a member of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters board and spent much of last week in Washington, D.C. — along with nearly 600 other broadcasters — explaining to members of Congress the importance of the bill.
“AM radio is essential. It is necessary to have it in cars. And as I explained to them, when Helene came through Western North Carolina, everybody lost cell service,” Evans said. “We didn’t have internet; we didn’t have power, and of course this is the means that people use to get information out. They’d go sit in their cars and turn their cars on, and we were the voice that gave the listeners all the information that they needed.”
And although most people may not know it, AM radio also serves as the backbone of the nation’s Emergency Alert System. The primary purpose of the EAS, which in 1997 replaced the Cold War-era Emergency Broadcast System instituted in 1963, is to make it possible for the president of the United States to address Americans on just 10 minutes’ notice.
Across the country, 77 stations that serve 90% of the population serve as “primary entry points,” the majority of them AM stations. In times of extreme weather or other natural disasters, primary entry points receive information directly from federal agencies like FEMA and NOAA and then transmit it to other radio and television stations.
But the EAS system also plays an important role in national security, as it’s somewhat more resilient in the face of cyber attacks and terror attacks than other forms of communication. Many or most primary entry points are also hardened to withstand electromagnetic pulses that can accompany a nuclear burst.
“Broadcasters from North Carolina and across the country were in Washington last week to ensure lawmakers understand what’s at stake for AM radio,” said Curtis LeGeyt, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. “When cell networks and the internet fail, radio remains a critical lifeline, just as it did during Hurricane Helene, keeping communities informed when they need it most. AM radio delivers real-time updates that save lives, and it’s essential that policymakers protect this vital service for the people who rely on it.”
Despite not being listed as co-sponsors of the bill, several elected officials from North Carolina seemed supportive, according to Evans. Edwards and Sen. Thom Tillis were enthusiastic, said Evans, who was also encouraged by the response given by Rep. Greg Murphy (R-Pitt) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-Watauga). Evans said she hadn’t received any negative feedback about the bill at all.
In Asheville, iHeartMedia stations WWNC 570 AM and 99.9 FM Kiss Country were the only news stations able to remain on the air throughout the storm.
Going well beyond their usual broadcast duties, Eddie and Amanda Foxx, along with Tank Spencer and Mark Starling, took live calls on-air, gathering contact details from those in need and connecting them with volunteers who’d called in expressing willingness to provide supplies, remove debris or conduct welfare checks as flooding tore through counties in WWNC’s broadcast range.
“It became more of a point of human connection, above and beyond just information,” said Starling, whose 25-year career in broadcasting included nearly two decades in Florida and perhaps two dozen hurricanes, tropical storms or other extreme weather events. “I think people just needed to hear another voice on the other end of the phone that was that was able to keep them calm and assure them that, you know what, we’re all going through the exact same thing, and we’re all going to be okay one way or the other.”
Their efforts caught the attention of national television outlets and prominent figures, including CBS and Dr. Phil. Spencer and Starling found themselves stranded at the station for days.
“I’ll be honest with you, it actually was before we even got into Helene itself, I think [Sept. 26] probably 8:30 or 9 p.m., when we started to really get some phone calls about the roads were already closed in certain places because of flooding,” Starling said. “We kind of realized this is going to be more than just the day-and-a-half or two-day storm coverage.”
Starling remained at the station for two weeks, experiencing moments of both hope and heartbreak. He reunited with his wife live on-air, but also took a call from a man describing severe flooding in his home. Tragically, the man was later swept away, along with his wife and their seven-year-old grandson.
The call still haunts Starling, but he said if a storm like Helene happens again, he won’t hesitate to do it all again.
“Absolutely, 100%,” he said. “Because it’s my job, and because It’s my home, and because these are my neighbors.”
