AT&T’s 2016 lineup of Android devices will be required to have their internal FM chips active before the company will sell them in their stores. AT&T is requesting all manufactures of Android devices begin activating the chip that already exists in every smartphone so AT&T can provide FM service to its users. Emmis Communications, owners of NextRadio and TagStation, are promoting a new FM app that will allow users to listen to local FM radio and local emergency alerts. Both Sprint and AT&T are confirmed to be on board with this initiative.

“This is a big milestone for the radio industry and shows working together and supporting this initiative is paying off,” wrote the NextRadio and TagStation team in an email acquired by radio news website RadioWorld.

There are really no metrics that say whether users want FM reception on their mobile devices or not and it’s likely that most won’t even notice. There are also those who will see this move as added bloatware to their mobile device taking up more of their space.

Today marks a new beginning in mobile technology with the agreement by a global iconic brand, AT&T, to light up the FM receiver chips in all of its future Android smartphones,” the National Association of Broadcasters said in a statement that applauded AT&T’s decision to release such a request to smartphone manufacturers.

We’re not certain FM radio reception is really necessary other than to accommodate one company’s desire to move an app. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Facebook and Twitter.