US House advances bill to mandate AM radio in new vehicles
The bipartisan measure would require AM radio as standard equipment in new cars, trucks and SUVs at no extra cost, but still needs Senate approval and presidential assent.
The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that would require automakers to include AM radio in new cars, trucks and SUVs at no additional cost to consumers.
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make AM radio standard equipment in new passenger vehicles. The bill now moves to the Senate and has not become law.
Supporters argue AM radio remains important for emergency information because its signal can travel long distances. The measure has backing from Democrats and Republicans, the broadcast industry, emergency responder organisations and former Federal Emergency Management Agency administrators, according to TechCrunch.
The Senate version was co-sponsored by Democrats Ed Markey and Republicans Ted Cruz, and reportedly has 60 co-sponsors — a threshold relevant to overcoming a filibuster. Senate passage, however, remains outstanding.
The legislation comes as some automakers move away from built-in AM receivers in favour of streaming and digital services. BMW, Rivian, Tesla and Volvo are among those cited as having shifted away from the broadcast band, while Ford reversed an earlier decision to remove AM radio from some vehicles.
Electric-vehicle manufacturers have also cited electromagnetic interference from electric motors as a factor that can degrade AM audio quality. Tesla’s base Model 3 and Model Y vehicles do not have AM receivers, while Rivian’s R2 SUV offers AM/FM radio through the digital iHeartRadio platform.
