Management Agency (PEMA) and the National Weather Service; and
WHEREAS, FEMA relies on AM radio stations to ensure that the
President can communicate to Americans when major public safety
or national security events occur and has invested tens of
millions of dollars to "harden" these radio stations to
withstand "All Hazards," including chemical, biological,
radiological, high-altitude electro-magnetic pulse and nuclear
attacks; and
WHEREAS, According to FEMA, these hardened stations provide
the nation's "last resort mass communications capabilities under
all conditions"; and
WHEREAS, FEMA further states, "In the aftermath of a
national, catastrophic event ... broadcast radio may be the most
effective method [of transmitting crucial information to the
public] since it is possible that terrestrial Internet Protocol
networks and other pathways could be inoperable, especially at
'last mile' delivery to the public"; and
WHEREAS, When power goes out and the Internet goes down,
radio remains the most resilient form of communication,
especially in vehicles during power outages; and
WHEREAS, AM radio uniquely can reach listeners in a wide
geographic area and is available in urban and rural areas,
regardless of Internet access and without paid subscriptions;
and
WHEREAS, AM radio plays a vital role in serving minority,
non-English-speaking and other underrepresented communities with
free, in-language and religious programming; and
WHEREAS, AM radio is highly important to rural and farming
communities, providing weather updates, crop reports and other
information to farmers and ranchers; and
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