Not so long ago, radio “was still called broadcasting and cost a lot of money,” and now it is in danger of simply disappearing. At least it won’t fit in cars. However, the role of radio is much more than just entertainment. The US Office of Disaster Management staff noted that this is the best source of news in case of danger.
Alarm bells have rung after a growing number of automakers removed AM radios from their electric models. Because the electromagnetic interference of electric vehicles causes a lot of confusion in the reception of AM broadcast stations’ signals. While in Europe, where the majority uses the FM frequency, this news does not cause much excitement, on the other side of the Atlantic the situation is different.
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In the United States, 47 million people listen to AM radio every day. Canceling from cars can be a serious problem, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA officials have written to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and several congressional committees, urging them to formally require automakers to immediately return AM radios.
Members of the US Disaster Management Agency maintain that AM plays a central role in the national public interest warning system, which notifies residents during natural disasters and severe weather conditions and operates even when other systems fail and there is no internet connection.
Source: fleetmagazine.com