| Bill Requiring AM Radio in Cars Rolls Forward | Bipartisan Consensus Emerges:
AM Band Constitutes an
Irreplaceable Safety Net |  | | WASHINGTON, DC – The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted Wednesday September 17th to move the “AM In Every Vehicle Act” one step closer to full House approval. The vote was 50 yea and only 1 nay. Under the legislation, automakers would be required to provide AM receivers in all cars or potentially face fines. | “AM radio remains an essential lifeline”
…Curtis LeGeyt
National Association of Broadcasters’ President | The bill’s popularity “demonstrates a deep understanding that AM radio remains an essential lifeline for emergency alerts, local news and community connection,” according to National Association of Broadcasters’ President Curtis LeGeyt. High profile groups including the National Emergency Management Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, Native Public Media, AARP, and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters are voicing their support as well. The Senate’s version of the bill (S. 315) cleared committee already and its list of supporters is 61. The decision on whether and when to bring it up for a vote remains with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), not one of the backers of the bill. The House version of the bill (H. R. 979) currently has the support of 297 members—well above the 218 threshold required.
The proposed legislation continues to grow in bipartisan support with lawmakers back from their districts after meetings with constituents. Since September 1, new reps onboard include Patrick Ryan (D-NY), Nicholas Begich (R-AK), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Shomari Figures (D-AL), Robert Onder (R-MO), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Russ Fulcher (R-IN), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Adam Smith (D-WA), Barry Moore (R-AL), Herbert Conaway (D-NJ), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), George Latimer (D-NY), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Morgan Griffith (R-VA). You can show your support to lawmakers here. | “First Responders Depend on AM Radio”
... Chief Joey Webb Sr.
International Fire Chiefs Association |
| Emergency Advisory Stations
New Entries, Changes & Upgrades | Avon Grove Regional Emergency Mgmt, PA
Information Station Audio System Upgrade | Box Elder County, UT
New RadioSAFE Station for a Total of 7 Stations | Bridger Teton National Forest, WY
RadioSTAT Audio Systems Upgrade | Chino Hills, CA
FCC License & Frequency Acquisition | Clearfield & Layton, UT
Information Station Location Addition | Cranford Township, NJ
ALERT AM Audio Systems Upgrade | Eastvale, CA
New RadioSTAT Station | Joint Air Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
ALERT AM Systems Audio & Signage Upgrade | Jurupa Valley, CA
RadioSTAT Station Relocation | Los Alamos County, NM
ALERT AM Antenna System Upgrade | Lyndhurst Borough, NJ
ALERT AM Audio Systems Upgrade | Mackinac Bridge Authority, MI
Information Station Antenna Upgrade | Manville Borough, NJ
ALERT AM Audio Systems Upgrade | Maui County, HI
RadioSTAT System Audio & Signage Upgrade | Monrovia, CA
FCC License & Frequency Acquisition | Montecito Fire Protection District, CA
ALERT AM Audio System Upgrade | Rancho Palos Verde, CA
FCC License & Frequency Acquisition | Redmond, WA
ALERT AM Audio Upgrade & StreamCAST Addition | Riverside County (San Jacinto Mountains), CA
3 New RadioSAFE Stations | San Bernardino County (Mount Baldy), CA
RadioSTAT Antenna System Upgrade | Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park, CA
RadioSTAT Portable Station Addition | Temecula, CA
ALERT AM System StreamCAST Addition | | University of Southern California, Santa Barbara Information Station Audio System Upgrade | | See Information Radio Stations across the USA. |
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|  | | Photo by Kort Waddell, Restless Natives Productions | | Will "AI-Generated" Safety Alerts Be Accepted or Dismissed as "Artificial?" | | Is the public willing to put their faith in AI-created messages advising immediate action? Some safety managers are not so sure. | LOS ANGELES, CA – With the LA wildfires still burning brightly in their rear-view mirrors, many SoCal communities are adding or upgrading their Emergency Advisory Radio Stations. Why radio? Why now? The answer just may be “trust.” It was not lost on local residents the stories of neighbors who were receiving inaccurate or mistimed text alerts which, if obeyed, could have led them right into harm’s way.
The LAX Airport in Los Angeles was the first to embrace the TIS (low power radio) service when it was introduced in the 1970s and many area communities seized the opportunity to leverage the technology to inform residents in emergencies. Now more so, California cities and counties are revisiting the medium for its ability to deliver believable “real voice” messages directly to citizens in “real-time.” (See the many California entries in the list, lower left.)
A recent study commissioned by iHeart Media underscores the public’s unease and outright distrust of “Artificial Intelligence” as it relates to communications. 90% insist it’s important to know that the programming they watch and listen to is created by real people; 86% say nearness to people makes them feel safer, pointing out that despite their ease of use, smartphones and digital devices often hinder those human interactions. Important to emergency managers: 90% told the survey that trust cannot be replicated by AI.
Where are these opinions most prevalent? The study points out it's high income areas – like Southern California. |
|  | | South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden (right) and Game, Fish & Parks Secy Kevin Robling (left) speak at the press conference that followed the Roundup. | | Radio: Very Much at Home on the Range | | South Dakota Governor Rhoden Rode in the Buffalo Roundup and Greeted Bison Faithful On-Air | | CUSTER, SD – Information Station Specialists lit up a portable EventCAST Radio System at the 60th annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on September 26th. State officials provided the service to better inform the stampede of attendees that crowd into Southwest South Dakota each September to view the Western classic. |  | | 2025 Buffalo Roundup | Imagine 30,000 visitors navigating two-lane roads in the early morning hours to a pair of parking lots on the prairie, all to view a spectacle that begins at dawn and is done by dinnertime. The service provided information about parking, traffic, departure timing and event activities, all calibrated to minimize wait times as spectators filed into and out of the lots.
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden was among the participants this year, and even lent his voice to some of the broadcast messages. The service on 1700 AM also featured minute-to-minute live description and commentary by South Dakota Public Broadcast announcers and guests, as well as a live news conference that included Governor, the Superintendent of Game Fish & Parks and the park manager.
Did it go off without a hitch? No. Before the day even got started the EventCAST antenna was toppled mysteriously. Park personnel surmise that it may have been a belligerent bison telling the world that he did not care for AM radio? Thankfully it was all up and running by 4 am for the opening.
In the past the Roundup event has produced some pretty gnarly traffic jams, but this year the State employed EventCAST to help herd the two-legged attendees in and out safely. Hear Governor Rhoden's roundup broadcast message. |
| | Boston Pirate Required to Hand Over Some Treasure |  BOSTON, MA – The Pirates are in Pittsburgh, right? It depends on what you mean. “Radio pirates,” individuals who broadcast illegally without a FCC license, have been popping up on the AM dial for decades.
Recently, the FCC has found a fresh faced skallywag in the Boston area, squatting on two AM frequencies – 1620 and 1640 – and issued him a weighty fine of $60,000. The FCC states that the operator’s unauthorized broadcasts “significantly increased the likelihood of interference to lawfully operating stations.”
The signal on AM 1620 was located by FCC direction finders in Mattapan, MA, while the 1640 AM was found operating in Brockton, MA – both broadcasting a program originating from “Radio Energy Boston.”
Will the operator be required to walk the plank? No, but he does have a 30-day notice to pay up. As an “inducement,” the Commission could impose the maximum statutory fine of $122,661 for every day of illegal broadcasting. Since this pirate has been on the air since 2022, $60,000 might suddenly appear a mere pittance. |
| | Coming Soon: Documentary to Detail Importance of AM Band for Homeland Security |  | In August, Information Station Specialist’s Bill Baker sat down with a documentary crew for the production “Wavelength” to discuss the crucial need to keep AM radio accessible to everyone. The hour-long feature will include interviews with safety officials, broadcasters and members of the general public, all driving home the point that our nation’s interest in keeping AM viable cannot be overestimated.
Stay tuned. The Source will have more on this production in the near future. |
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