CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey joined a multistate effort pushing back against some manufacturers’ decisions to scrap AM radios from new electric vehicles.
“This is absurd, to say the least,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “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.”
The Attorney General joined 15 other states in a letter to trade associations—Electric Drive Transportation Association and the Zero Emission Transportation Association—representing electric car manufacturers, raising concerns that some of their members’ business decisions are detrimental to the safety and well-being of the public.
The coalition also noted that AM radio provides free sports broadcasts, local news and weather reports, as well as important political commentary to large swaths of America.
This especially holds true for those who live in rural communities where broadband or cellular access is sparse or unreliable.
According to the National Association of Broadcasters, approximately 47 million Americans listen to AM radio every week—signals still travel farther than FM, making it a vital lifeline for people during natural disasters such as hurricanes and fires.
“Nearly 80 AM radio stations across the country are Primary Entry Points for emergency alerts distributed by FEMA and the National Weather Service,” the coalition wrote. “These stations alone cover 90% of the U.S. population and ensure that state and federal agencies can quickly, dependably and cheaply distribute life-saving information across vast geographical areas.”
Attorney General Morrisey joined the Florida-led letter with Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia.
Read a copy of the letter at: https://bit.ly/3NOp8c6.
