AM radio law opposed by tech and auto industries is close to passing

Emergency communication & resilience

• Many see AM as a uniquely robust “last resort” channel: long range, simple receivers (even crystal radios with no power), and decades of existing infrastructure.
• Advocates argue it still works when cell networks, internet, and much of the power grid fail, and is valuable in disasters (earthquakes, storms, wildfires, avalanches).
• Skeptics counter that most real-world emergencies today are handled via cell alerts, NOAA Weather Radio, and FM/EAS; AM only rarely matters and its role is overstated.
• Some worry more about the reliability of staffing at stations: automation and consolidation mean nobody may be present to break in with local alerts.

Cars vs. portable radios

• One camp: mandating AM in cars is a low-cost way to guarantee near‑universal receivers, since most adults have access to a vehicle.
• Opposing view: a car is not always accessible or safe in a disaster; better to subsidize or encourage cheap portable/wind‑up radios or home receivers.
• Middle-ground suggestions: include a portable AM set with each car instead of building it into the dash.

EV interference & electromagnetic pollution

• A major theme: EV motor inverters and switching power supplies generate strong RF noise in the AM band.
• Some claim this bill will indirectly force automakers to clean up emissions to preserve AM reception, reducing spectrum pollution that already harms AM, shortwave, and ham radio.
• Others respond that the bill doesn’t actually set EMI limits; manufacturers could comply with poor, nearly unusable AM implementations (“malicious compliance”).

Technical arguments: AM vs FM/other systems

• AM’s advantages cited: lower frequency → larger coverage area, usable under marginal SNR, can sometimes propagate hundreds or thousands of km (esp. at night).
• Counters: for planned emergency coverage you assume only line‑of‑sight is reliable; in that regime FM and AM reach are similar, and AM’s extra skywave reach is irrelevant noise.
• Some highlight that “AM” debates conflate modulation with band; the range comes mainly from frequency, not amplitude modulation itself.
• Alternative systems suggested: NOAA Weather Radio on VHF, digital modes (DRM, HD Radio, ham digital), satellite radio, and more direct functional requirements like “must receive EAS from ≥X miles” rather than “must have AM.”

Politics, industry, and cost

• Many view the bill as cheap safety infrastructure; estimates of incremental cost per car are very low.
• Others see it as a protectionist subsidy for legacy broadcasters (especially talk radio) and a distraction from designing better, band‑agnostic emergency systems.