US House passes bill requiring free AM radio in new vehicles

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed, with strong bipartisan support, legislation that would require new cars, trucks and SUVs to come equipped with AM radio at no additional cost to buyers. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate that automakers include AM radio as standard equipment in new passenger vehicles. The bill now heads to the Senate.

Supporters of AM radio have long pushed for such a mandate, arguing the technology provides critical information during emergencies because its signal can travel long distances. The push has drawn support from both Democrats and Republicans, the broadcast industry, emergency responder organizations, and former officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Senate momentum

The Senate version of the bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Earlier this year, the two secured 60 co-sponsors — the threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. In a joint statement Wednesday, the senators said the House vote sends a clear message that AM radio is a lifeline that must be protected in new vehicles, calling it an essential tool for tens of millions of Americans for emergency response, sports, entertainment and news.

Automakers' shift away from AM

A growing number of automakers have moved away from the decades-old AM broadcast band in favor of software-defined systems and streaming services such as TuneIn and SiriusXM. Electric vehicle makers have been at the forefront of this shift, since electromagnetic interference from electric motors can degrade AM signal and audio quality. Automakers including BMW, Rivian, Tesla and Volvo no longer include traditional AM receivers in their vehicles. Ford had also dropped AM radio from some models but later reversed that decision.