Despite the rise of digital media and streaming services, maintaining AM radio in vehicles remains important for providing reliable and accessible news, emergency alerts, and entertainment for drivers and passengers.
During a conversation with Gabriela Teissier from Univision Los Angeles, NAB President, and CEO Curtis LeGeyt emphasized the ongoing significance of the radio industry by highlighting that around 82 million Americans had listened to AM radio in the past month. LeGeyt further stressed the importance of industry leaders reminding the public and automakers about the enduring value of radio.
“Those are staggering statistics, and that is an audience penetration that any one of the streaming services would bend over backward to get,” said LeGeyt. “This idea that AM radio has lost relevance, I think, shows how focused we are on what may be coming next, and the new shiny object, and maybe a lack of appreciation for what’s going on around us and how our neighbors, our family are still consuming their media.”
LeGeyt also pointed out the irreplaceable role that AM radio plays in the Emergency Alerting System. As he notes, while many people rely on their cell phones during times of crisis, the AM stations often serve as the backbone of the emergency alerting system and provide critical information to communities in need.
“AM radio is fulfilling an irreplaceable role in the Emergency Alerting System. For those of us walking around with a cell phone, it is easy to say in the disaster, ‘Well, listen, I got an alert on my phone. But what does that alert say? ‘Tune into your local media’. And those AM stations are the backbone for the emergency alerting that goes through the broadcast system,” he added.
Eight of the 20 companies surveyed have removed Broadcast AM radio from electric vehicles, including BMW, Ford, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
