AARP: AM Radio Crucial for America’s Seniors, Rural Communities

Last week it was FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and former NYPD Chiefs; now AARP has voiced strong support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, urging Congress to swiftly pass the bipartisan legislation to protect the most vulnerable during emergencies.

In a letter addressed to Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), AARP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Bill Sweeney emphasized AM radio’s critical role in emergency communications and its significance for older Americans.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate that automakers keep AM broadcast radio in all new vehicles at no additional cost. With more than 100 million Americans age 50 and older, Sweeney writes, “Older adults are also overrepresented in rural areas where wireless and broadband connections are limited or nonexistent. AM radio connects millions of older rural residents to their communities through targeted programming, including the latest local news and weather.”

Citing a 2023 letter from seven former FEMA administrators, AARP pointed to AM radio’s role as a linchpin in the National Public Warning System. 77 AM stations are Primary Entry Points, equipped with backup generators and emergency communication equipment, ensuring uninterrupted broadcasts reaching more than 90% of the US population during disasters.

AARP pledged to work with lawmakers to ensure the bill’s passage. “Thank you again for your leadership in sponsoring this critical legislation to ensure that AM radio remains in vehicles,” Sweeney concluded.

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, led by Sens. Cruz and Sen. Markey, cleared the Senate Commerce Committee and was reintroduced in the House by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) on February 5. The bill has already secured 47 Senate cosponsors.

FCC Chairman Carr publicly spoke in favor of the bill for the first time, saying, commenting, “Millions of Americans depend on the value of AM radio and the local news that AM broadcasters offer in communities across the country. Just last week, I visited parts of North Carolina that had been hit hard by Hurricane Helene, and I heard firsthand the stories of people that could only access lifesaving information in the days following the storm by tuning their radios to the AM band.”

In the previous Congress, the bill advanced with strong bipartisan support, earning a 45-2 committee vote and endorsements from over 250 House members and 125 organizations, but was never scheduled for a final vote.