Ford Reverses Course and Pledges to Install AM Radio in New Vehicles After All, as Controversy Over Booting It From Car Dials Grows

variety.com:

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic In response to public and political pressure, the Ford Motor Company has announced that it will keep installing AM radio in new vehicles after all.

Previously, the manufacturer had been on record as saying there was no compelling need to maintain the AM band in any of its forthcoming models — a stance that other carmakers had taken with electric cars but not extended as a policy to all vehicles.

That had made Ford particularly a target amid growing controversy over the increasing move to eliminate AM and new congressional legislation designed to make it mandatory in all new models.

Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, announced the reversal in a social media statement. “After speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as a part of the emergency alert system, we’ve decided to include it on all 2024 vehicles,” Farley wrote. “For any owners of Ford EVs without AM broadcast capability, we’ll offer a software update.