The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) released a report highlighting AM radio’s value as a valuable public safety platform.
The report comes as Congress considers the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would prevent plans by auto manufacturers to remove AM radio from new cars. The NAB report stated that AM radio serves local communities during emergencies through the dissemination of emergency alert signals and by providing a reliable source of trusted news.
The report also detailed how AM radio also connects diverse communities with programming in multiple languages and serves as a lifeline in rural America where cellular and broadband access can be unreliable. There are nearly 4,500 AM radio stations operating today.
“When disaster strikes, AM radio has proven time and again its invaluable role as a source of factual, authoritative, up-to-the-minute information that saves lives,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “It is also a home to a diversity of programming that is often unavailable on other mediums and particularly important to otherwise underserved communities. It is critical that Congress address the need for AM radio capability in vehicles to ensure Americans can turn to local AM stations when they need them the most.”
