Bipartisan Support Grows for Keeping AM Radio in Cars

WASHINGTON — Though it has yet to be scheduled for a vote in the current Congress, momentum continues to build behind legislation that would force automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in new vehicles at no additional charge to consumers.

At present, the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has 238 co-sponsors in the House, and 61 in the Senate.

The bill was originally introduced in 2023, after eight of the world’s 20 leading vehicle manufacturers, including VW, BMW, Volvo, Mazda and Tesla, announced plans to remove AM radios from their cars and trucks.

They explained the move as part of the nation’s transition from fuel-powered vehicles to new models powered only by electricity.

Simply put, they claimed electromagnetic noise from electric vehicles can disrupt the reception of AM signals, making the radios essentially worthless.

But the original sponsors of the bill, including Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., dismissed the claim as ridiculous.

“What’s really happening here is manufacturers are discontinuing AM radio in their vehicles because it costs a few bucks to add an adapter and make it work,” he said during a Zoom call with reporters shortly after the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act was introduced.

Soon afterwards, the Ford Motor Company reversed course, saying it would keep AM radio in its vehicles for the foreseeable future.

Since then, however, the House Republican leadership has been all but silent on the bill’s fate.

Proponents of the bill back it for a variety of reasons. 

Much of the support from Democrats appears to be based on public safety concerns. Republicans, meanwhile, fear the demise of AM radio will spell the demise of conservative talk radio.

“What you’re seeing is a coming together of a bipartisan, bicameral coalition to save AM radio because AM radio is our source for news and for weather and sports and entertainment, and it is our emergency alert system,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., the lead sponsor of the bill in the senate, during a conference call two years ago.

Victoria Bonney, spokeswoman for Rep. Frank Pallone, the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, confirmed the continued support for the bill in an email to The Well News on Wednesday.

“With 238 co-sponsors, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act clearly has strong bipartisan support. But as of right now, the bill hasn’t had any committee action this Congress,” she said.

“Last Congress, it advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, but unfortunately never received a floor vote, which made it ineligible for the streamlined process used for some bills this year,” Bonney said of the bill’s history.

“We haven’t heard anything definitive from the Republican majority about a path forward in this Congress. But we’re continuing to support the effort,” she said.

“Access to AM radio remains a critical public safety issue, especially for rural communities, first responders, and local broadcasters across New Jersey,” Bonney added.

The bill, as originally introduced, would: 

• Direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a rule that requires automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their vehicles without a separate or additional payment, fee, or surcharge. 
• Require any automaker that sells vehicles without access to AM broadcast radio before the effective date of the NHTSA rule to clearly disclose to consumers that the vehicle lacks access to AM broadcast radio, and;
• Direct the Government Accountability Office to study whether alternative communication systems could fully replicate the reach and effectiveness of AM broadcast radio for alerting the public to emergencies.

The one place AM radio still has a strong toe-hold in the media landscape is rural America.

A big reason for this is its longer transmission range, especially at night, added to the fact it is less impacted by physical barriers like structures or mountains.

Today that reach is challenged by satellite radio, but AM radio continues to have a very distinct advantage in America’s heartland — it is hyper-local, where satellite radio is not.

In fact in many communities, small local AM stations have taken the place of local newspapers, providing loyal listeners with reliable access to local emergency information, weather alerts, agricultural news, and high school and regional college sports broadcasts.

Nearly 46 million people live in rural America, and recent studies, including a new one by Edison Research — which monitors Americans’ listening habits — suggest they do as much as half of their radio listening in their cars, trucks or other vehicles.

In light of such statistics, it is not surprising industry groups like the National Association of Broadcasters, are keen to keep hope alive for the bill and see it get its day on the House and Senate floor.

“NAB is keeping the pressure on,” Grace Whaley, senior spokeswoman for the association, assured The Well News via email this week.

“While Congress has been consumed by other legislative priorities, like the ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act remains overwhelming and bipartisan — as evidenced by the 230+ cosponsors in the House and 60+ cosponsors in the Senate,” she said.

“We’ve already seen more than 800,000 listeners contact their lawmakers, and over 125 organizations — from AARP to SAG-AFTRA — are supporting this effort. With strong momentum and enough votes to pass, we’re focused on turning that support into final action,” Whaley added.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and on X @DanMcCue