Helene Devastation Shows Life-Saving Power of Radio

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and attorneys general from 11 other states have signed onto letter that urges Congress to force automakers to install AM radios in new vehicles.

Major automakers have begun ditching AM radio access in some models, but Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says Hurricane Helene shows the life-saving power of AM radio and the people who work in those radio stations.

According to a posting at KIWA, Bird and the other attorneys general say AM radio stations are the backbone of our nation’s Emergency Alert System and become the primary line of communication when electricity is out and cell phones and landline phone lines aren’t working. Bird says Congress needs to prioritize AM radio and pass a bill that ensures a receiver that can receive AM radio is standard equipment in all new vehicles.

The attorneys general from the states of Florida and South Carolina that are dealing with Hurricane Helene’s aftermath signed onto the AM radio pitch, as did attorneys general from Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. 

The letter calls on Congress to prioritize the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would mandate that car manufacturers include AM radios in new vehicles, recognizing it as a life-saving communication tool. AM radio's broader signal reach, compared to FM, allows it to cover vast distances, ensuring citizens can receive emergency alerts even when modern communication systems are down.

Radios were first installed in cars in the 1920s. By 1940, 20% of the cars in the US had a radio. FM signals were added to dashboard radios in the 1950s.