Study: 96% of Americans Want Car Radios
Research firm Critical Mass Insights says its recent study indicates that 96% of Americans say having a built-in AM/FM radio is important when purchasing a new car, and 98% say it’s important that radio remains easy to find on the dashboard. Critical Mass Insights says that its findings “cut across every demographic group surveyed, with consumers ages 18 to 74 overwhelmingly agreeing that access to radio is essential – even among those who don’t
regularly listen to AM or FM.” Company SVP of research Elizabeth Falke states, “The bottom line here is just how much people value having easy access to both AM and FM radio in their cars. Consumers want radio for a variety of different reasons that are largely unique to local radio – everything from discovering what new music matters to weather updates, the latest sports reports and local news and events.” As the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 makes its way through congress, Falke says its important that manufacturers understand the absence of radio would also influence new car purchasing decisions. The study found that 96% of Americans would miss radio if it were removed and 89% say the lack of a radio would likely keep them from buying that vehicle. She concludes, “This research is crucial for car manufacturers as we see that, immediately, half of consumers wouldn’t even look at buying a car without a radio. The ease and simplicity of radio is embedded in the lives of drivers consuming various forms of audio in their cars.”
There are media and there are media. There are platforms and there are platforms. Not all cultural artifacts are equal in terms of their utilitarian versus cultural value. Damn the tone-deaf corporate bean counters who are ripping the heart out of the spirit that gives humanity its life force! Marketplace obsolescence should not solely be determined by profit and loss. With all due respect to the idea of public service, what about the concept of loyalty? Shame on the automobile industry! Not only is it turning its back on the needs of millions of people, it is in the process of betraying one of its historic partners in not only commerce – but romance and glory. In other words, the automobile industry owes the radio industry a huge debt. The relationship between cars and radios goes a century deep and has been nothing less than a two-way street. Yes, auto industry, don’t be so hasty to save a few bucks by rushing AM (and then FM) radio out the door. You might just find in the long run that “radio” outlasts the private “car” as a fixture of human activity.