Hurricane Helene Illuminates the Logic of AM Radio in Cars — and Congress Seems To Be Getting the Message

‘Free, over-the-air radio is critically important to our nation’s emergency communications infrastructure,’ says a backer of legislation to save AM. - DEAN KARAYANI

With overwhelming bipartisan support, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act is speeding toward passage...when a disaster like Hurricane Helene cuts off other means of communication...

The legislation has been gaining momentum since Ford, Tesla, and others found that AM reception interferes with EVs...

The digital revolution has driven radios from homes, and most of those that remain require power or run on batteries that are among the first items to disappear from shelves in a crisis. 

An automobile’s radio, however, runs as long as there’s fuel in the tank or an EV has charge...