Former Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate is urging Americans to add a radio to their emergency supplies. But Fugate also called on Apple to activate the FM chip in U.S. iPhones, since many Americans may not heed this warning.
In a recent Tampa Bay Times article, Fugate wrote, “I strongly urge Apple to do the right thing and equip iPhones with FM radio capability. In the meantime, have that radio ready.”
[Read: FCC Chairman Calls on Apple to Turn on FM Reception in iPhones]
In the article, Fugate cited his own experience during Hurricane Irma, when a battery-powered radio was his “only news source,” and he also noted that the NextRadio app and smartphone radio listening were important lifelines during the 2017 hurricane season. In fact, Fugate wrote, NextRadio “had more than eight times more listeners on the Sunday before the storm hit than the previous week.”
Fugate’s voice joins that of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who also indicated that he believes Apple should turn on the FM chip, although he does not support a mandate.
