Do you listen to AM radio? KS lawmakers push to save it

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Kansas lawmakers in Washington have joined the push to keep AM radio in cars.

Some carmakers have chosen not to put AM radio in their new cars, saying they are installing more modern options, like internet streaming. They have also said AM sounds staticky in electric vehicles.

But millions of people still listen to AM radio. In rural areas, it might be their only radio option. The National Association of Farm Broadcasters found that two-thirds of farmers use AM to get important agricultural news.

Nielsen’s “Audio Today,” released last June, says one in three American radio listeners use AM stations each month, primarily while in the car.

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On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas announced he had joined his colleagues to co-sponsor the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

The bill would require all new motor vehicles to have devices that can receive AM stations. The devices must be standard equipment, and they must be in American-made vehicles and imported ones.

“AM radios connect rural communities with news, sports, weather and much more,” Moran said in a news release. “In parts of the country with limited connectivity, AM radios are often the only means to notify residents of tornadoes, snow storms and other dangerous weather. This legislation will help make certain new vehicles are equipped with an AM radio so that folks in every corner of the country can stay connected to broadcasting and local updates during emergencies.”

Sen. Roger Marshall and the four Kansas representatives in Congress already supported the act.

Moran says the Senate bill is co-sponsored by at least 60 senators. The House bill has at least 245 co-sponsors.

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