Twenty years ago, one of the nation’s most devastating storms hit Louisiana, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the lessons learned were evoked by 23 former and current Pelican State officials in an Aug. 20 letter to Louisiana House Republicans, Speaker J. Michael Johnson and Majority Leader Stephen J. Scalise, the two most powerful men in the House:
As the anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Ida approach on August 23 and 29, respectively, we, the undersigned current and former public officials and first responders of the great State of Louisiana, ask you to schedule the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act for a vote in the United States House of Representatives and urge its passage before the end of the year.
As you know, AM radio is an significant part of our public warning systems. While there are many communication platforms to deliver public warnings and significant information, AM radio is unique, both in its geographic reach and its ability to remain on and available when other systems, such as cellular and internet, fail during disasters.
The letter particularly appealed to the sentiments of Johnson and Scalise in their hometowns: “Those who were on the ground in Louisiana during and after those fateful storms know the important role AM ​​radio plays in keeping Louisiana’s citizens safe and informed – then and now.”
Two decades have passed since Katrina. Louisiana politicians, including @ltgrusselhonoreprovoked the wrath of this storm when they signed a letter demanding @SpeakerJohnson and @SteveScaliseGOP to advance the AM radio for every vehicle bill – currently blocked in Congress. pic.twitter.com/JVuE0CgTig
— ReporterMcCabe (@ReporterMcCabe) 30 August 2024
As a tribute to WWL-AM, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an Instagram post highlighting the station’s humanitarian efforts during Katrina.
“In 2005, WWL-AM was the only local radio station still on the air when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. They continued broadcasting despite a collapsed phone system, downed power lines, and damage to the studio while the storm raged outside.” the FCC published.
In his opinion article of August 29, “Russel Honoré: AM radios were the backbone of the Katrina response. This law will keep them in cars“, the general summed up his opinion:
During Katrina, AM radios were critical to our ability to save thousands of lives and bring order and peace back to Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. During that disaster, they were often the only method of communication that didn’t fail for tens of thousands of storm victims.
Despite the numerous collapsed power grids and telephone lines along the Gulf Coast, AM radio continued to function perfectly because its long wavelengths allowed it to travel greater distances without interference than most other signals.
Another signatory of the letter, Benny Rouselle, who was mayor of Plaquemines during and after Katrina, told WGNO that his coastal community relies on AM radio in these challenging days.
“Immediately after Katrina, everything was quiet, dead, even the birds. There was no sound anywhere, but AM radio helped us reconnect with people and provided the communication we needed to move forward,” Rouselle said.
“If we get into a devastating situation again where all the cell towers are down, communications are down and we have no AM radio, it would be like driving a car at midnight without headlights,” he said.
The AM radio in every vehicle law is a bill created in response to the trend of auto manufacturers banning AM radios from their recent cars. Eight automakers sent letters to Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward J. Markeythe sponsor of his chamber’s bill, and informed him that they would be removing AM radio from their recent models.
In the Senate, 60 other co-signers support Markey – a majority that can prevent a filibuster and is only five votes brief of preventing a veto.
Read my interview with Markey’s main sponsor, Republican Senator from Texas Ted Cruz:
The RedState Interview: Cruz explains why he’s fighting to save AM radio
The original House bill had 259 co-signatories – far more than the 217 votes needed for a majority in the 432-member House and the 218 signatures needed for a discharge motion that forces a floor vote. But that bill was replaced by a recent bill after some technical changes. Rep. Gus Bilirakisthe Chair of the Subcommittee on Innovation, Data and Trade of the Committee on Energy and Trade.
My RedState colleague Christopher Arps also wrote about the bill’s progress in his article:
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is supposed to save the AM radio station and taxpayers’ money
With Bilirakis’ support, the bill was approved by the subcommittee and is now before the full committee.
If no action is taken on the bills, they will expire at the end of this session in January.
