WV Joins Multistate Coalition Urging Congress to Protect AM Radio Access

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a multistate coalition urging Congress to pass the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2024. The destruction and life-threatening conditions just witnessed during Hurricane Helene have proven that bipartisan protections for AM radios in vehicles are critical—as electric vehicles and other new vehicles are being manufactured without the vital communication devices.

“The public warning system relies on AM stations to warn people of an impending emergency—as we all know, when nearly everything else quits working, you can rely on AM radio to function when it’s needed the most,” Attorney General Morrisey said, joining in writing that “AM radio is the constant support network that provides life-saving information to our citizens.”

“During emergencies, it is vitally important that federal, state, and local officials be able to deliver emergency warnings and other information to their citizens. AM radio signals travel greater distances as compared to FM, and citizens can receive information via AM radio even when phone lines, electricity, and cell phones are inoperable… Nearly 80 AM radio stations across the country are Primary Entry Points for emergency alerts distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Weather Service.  Those stations, alone, cover approximately 90% of the US population and ensure that state and federal agencies can quickly, dependably, and economically distribute life-saving information across vast geographical areas,” the coalition of 12 attorneys general wrote.

Knowing this information, the coalition has concerns regarding reports of car manufacturers not including AM radios in cars. In fact, in a letter from last year, seven former leaders of FEMA described the removal of AM radios from cars as a “grave threat to future local, state, and federal disaster response and relief efforts.”

The attorneys general urge Congress to “prioritize the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and to support the protections of this vital communications network.”

Attorney General Morrisey joined the Iowa- and Florida-led letter with Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

While WVMR is not a Primary Entry Point station, we are a proud member the Emergency Alert System for Virginia and West Virginia.

October 3, 2024

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader

United States Senate

The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House

United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Minority Leader

United States Senate

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries
Minority Leader

United States House of Representatives

Re: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2024
Dear All:

As many of our States continue to suffer devastating effects from Hurricane Helene, we,
Attorneys General of twelve States, write to express our support for the AM Radio for
Every Vehicle Act. The Act—which would require automobile manufacturers to include
access to AM radio in new motor vehicles—protects an important part of our nation’s
communications network that is a vital resource for emergency preparedness and public
safety. Many of us have long been vocal supporters of this important communications
medium,1 so we are pleased to see robust bipartisan support for the AM Radio for Every
Vehicle Act.

Each of our States experience natural disasters and other public safety emergencies. While

those disasters vary across our many communities—from hurricanes in Florida to

tornadoes in Iowa—AM radio is the constant support network that provides life-saving

information to our citizens. During emergencies, it is vitally important that federal, state,

and local officials be able to deliver emergency warnings and other information to their

citizens.

AM radio signals travel greater distances as compared to FM, and citizens can

receive information via AM radio even when phone lines, electricity, and cell phones are

inoperable. In fact, during Hurricane Helene, local radio became a “lifeline for hard-hit

North Carolina communities” after “communications across the region [were] severed.”2

AM radio stations are the backbone of our nation’s Emergency Alert System. Nearly 80

AM radio stations across the country are Primary Entry Points for emergency alerts

distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National

Weather Service.3 Those stations, alone, cover approximately 90% of the US population

and ensure that state and federal agencies can quickly, dependably, and economically

distribute life-saving information across vast geographical areas.

And AM radio is a vital source of free and readily accessible information for millions of

Americans. According to the National Association of Broadcasters, about 47 million

Americans listen to AM radio every week.5 AM radio provides free sports broadcasts, local

news and weather reports, and important political commentary to large swaths of America.

Rural America, too, greatly benefits from access to AM radio where broadband or cellular

access is sparse or unreliable.6 That is particularly true for our farmers and ranchers who

often rely on AM radio for important weather and crop updates, as well as entertainment

in remote areas.

That is why we were concerned to hear reports of car manufacturers deciding to stop

including AM radios in automobiles. 7 As seven former leaders of the FEMA explained in

a recent letter, removing AM radios from cars is a “grave threat to future local, state, and

federal disaster response and relief efforts.

Considering the essential role AM radios play in the safety and well-being of Americans

across the country, we urge you to prioritize the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act and to

support the protection of this vital communications network.