The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote later this month on legislation that would require automakers to include AM radio reception in new vehicles sold in the United States.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has scheduled a standalone vote on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act for the week of September 14, according to the National Association of Broadcasters.
The legislation, introduced as House Resolution 979 and Senate Bill 315, would require new vehicles, including electric models, to include the ability to receive AM radio broadcasts as standard equipment.
The measure is led by Representative Gus Bilirakis, Representative Frank Pallone, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Ed Markey and has tepid bipartisan support. Combined co-sponsorship in the House and Senate had surpassed 370 lawmakers by late July.
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt welcomed the scheduled vote, saying broadcasters view AM radio as an important source of emergency information, news and community programming.
“Now is the time to finish the job,” LeGeyt said in a statement released Thursday evening.
The proposal grew out of decisions by some automakers to remove AM receivers from newer vehicles, particularly electric models, where manufacturers have cited electromagnetic interference that can degrade AM reception.
Broadcasters and their trade groups have argued that removing AM radio could limit access to emergency information, particularly in rural areas and during disasters when other communications systems may be unavailable.
The proposal has faced opposition from technology and automotive industry groups.
The Consumer Technology Association has argued that requiring AM reception will add costs for manufacturers and could complicate electric vehicle design because of interference issues. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation has separately argued that emergency information already reach drivers through other systems, including wireless alerts, satellite radio and Internet-based audio services, which have stronger reach and use compared to AM radio.
Critics have also questioned whether the federal government should mandate a specific audio technology as in-car listening increasingly shifts toward streaming and other digital platforms.
