The campaign to keep AM radio in electric vehicles and other new cars is getting support from Mike Pence. The former vice president voices part of a PSA airing on WABC Radio in New York City.
John Catsimatidis, owner of Red Apple Media, which owns WABC Radio, is leading the “Save AM Radio” campaign. In reaching out to political contacts who might help support his call to protect AM radio, Catsimatidis asked Pence to voice the spot.
In the one-minute spot, Pence calls AM talk radio “a meeting place for the American people” and says “making sure that these new electric vehicles include FM and AM, as well as all the other new technology, I think is a real priority for the free flow of information in America.”
WABC Radio is also airing a second spot without the former vice president.
Both spots end with a call for listeners to contact their federal representatives and point to an online petition site. Catsimatidis hopes other stations will carry the PSAs.
During NAB Show 2023, Catsimatidis has been meeting with members of the FCC and Federal Emergency Management Agency, making his point that AM radio is a critical part of the nation’s emergency response network.
“The automotive industry is doing a huge disservice to Americans by even considering the removal of AM radio from cars,” stated Catsimatidis. “They are putting the safety of Americans at peril by putting profits before people. Americans deserve better.”
Auto manufacturers have stated that electric vehicle motors generate electromagnetic interference that affects AM radio frequencies. In March 2023, Ford announced it would not install AM radio in gas- or electric-powered 2024 models.
“I am urging all AM and FM radio stations, the NAB, the RAB, and state broadcast associations to band together and bring common sense to Ford and other auto manufactures,” Catsimatidis stated.
