AM radio: Valuable emergency broadcast system

Re: “Don’t let EVs kill vital AM radio” [July 25, Opinion]:

I learn Tom Philp’s informative Op-Ed on forcing automotive producers to maintain AM radios in electrical automobiles. Nonetheless, it left off one vital facet of AM broadcasting.

I’m a ham radio operator and focus my volunteer hours on emergency communications. I used to be additionally the designated novice radio operator tasked to help the town of Redmond to program its AM 1650 broadcast radio, which can be utilized to broadcast emergency or blue-sky info to residents as the necessity arises. Programs like these are used throughout the nation to tell drivers of street or bridge closures, development or avalanche detours, storm warnings and extra.

I owned a 2017 Tesla that originally got here with an AM radio (which labored wonderful) but it surely was subsequently eliminated after a {hardware} “replace.” My present 2023 Tesla remains to be lacking an AM receiver. As a ham, I’m aware of radio frequency shielding and it’s not that tough to halt interference on the supply.

I encourage Congress to pressure producers to place AM radios in automobiles and proceed funding for native and roadside emergency AM radio broadcast methods. What the nation wants is extra receivers and extra public consciousness of those crucial methods — not much less.

William Vaughn, Redmond