AM radio is the backbone of the American public warning system. Radio broadcasters can reach more people through AM radio than any other medium. With vehicle manufacturers looking to do away from AM radio in electric vehicles, groups such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have started to speak up on the issue.
While some car manufacturers have tried to come up with compromises, such as portable radios, FEMA’s Manny Centeno says the organization has stayed firm saying radio needs to be included in the vehicle. He outlines just how important AM radio is for public safety.
“So the NPWS, National Public Warning System, is made up of over 77 radio stations, located around the country spread around the country,” said Centeno. “We reach 90% of the US population with those 77 facilities, most of which are AM stations. Alright, so we’re not ready to give up on AM now or in the future at all.”
As a federal agency, Centeno said FEMA has been advocating to keep AM radio in cars as a public safety and national security concern.
Automobile companies looking to do away with AM radio point to electric vehicle interference as the main proponent of this move. NAB’s Shawn Donilon said they need more evidence that electric vehicles are what is creating interference.
“Our engineering team went out and formally tested a range of EVs and even sitting in the passenger seat, they were not picking up major interference. So I think it’s an open question, but one worth continuing to study,” said Donilon. “If it’s not the EV itself, I think we can theorize that higher powered products- things like charging stations or even remote charging or wireless charging vehicles- certainly have a much greater potential for impacting and creating an appearance that the FCC should look at.”
A report from the Center for Automotive Research released earlier this month says fixing the electromagnetic interference on the AM signal in EVs could cost $3.8 billion over seven years.
Listen to WRAM’s Interview with FEMA’s Manny Centeno:
