On Friday, a bipartisan group of 60 House lawmakers sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski encouraging the adoption of FM radio tuners in mobile phones. In the letter, they outlined why radio's emergency alert system (EAS) is "a proven, reliable service," which is why the FCC and DHS should "consider extending American's access to radio EAS information via mobile phone handsets."

"There are well over 700 million cell phones with FM radios globally. Currently, only a handful of FM radio enabled cell phones are in the U.S. Market," reads the letter. "There is no excuse for American consumers' access to advanced technology to lag behind that available worldwide. Accordingly, we would encourage both DHS and FCC to consider extending Americans' access to radio EAS information via mobile phone handsets. Everyone involved, including the American public and public safety officials, as well as the mobile phone and broadcasting industries, stands to benefit."

The letter was signed by Reps. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Greg Walden (R-OR), Joseph Cao (R-LA), Laura Richardson (D-CA), Howard Coble (R-NC), Henry Brown (R-SC), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Randy Neugebauer (R-TX), Mark Souder (R-IN), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Ted Poe (R-TX), Michael Michaud (D-ME), Dan Burton (R-IN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), John Mica (R-FL), Steve Austria (R-OH), Heath Shuler (D-NC), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Aaron Schock (R-IL), Jo Bonner (R-AL), Tom Cole (R-OK), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Mike Turner (R-OH), Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Tom Price (R-GA), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Michael D. Rogers (R-AL), Phil Hare (D-IL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Todd Platts (R-PA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Parker Griffith (D-AL), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Charlie Dent (R-PA), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Artur Davis (D-AL), Geoff Davis (R-KY), Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Mike McCaul (R-TX), Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC), Mike Arcuri (D-NY), Bobby Bright (D-AL), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Phil Roe (R-TN), Bart Gordon (D-TN), Candice Miller (R-MI), Baron Hill (D-IN), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Paul Broun (R-GA), Leonard Boswell (D-IA), John Culberson (R-TX), Pete Olson (R-TX), Sam Graves (R-MO), Mike Quigley (D-IL), and Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO).