Broadcasters See Hope As Opponents Dig In Against Permanent DST.

Daylight saving time will end on Sunday, Nov. 1 this year, the earliest date allowed. The clock change’s impact on daytime-only stations and full-power status for many AMs has been cast into jeopardy, as efforts to end DST have gained support in Washington. But in what may be a positive indicator for broadcasters, supporters of the clock change practice are standing firm even in the face of an increasingly frustrated President.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who last year sidelined an earlier push, vows he will filibuster any attempt pass legislation when Congress returns for its lame duck session.

“No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time,” Cotton writes in a social media post. “Once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter. Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”

The move has put Cotton at odds with President Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants to see the pending The Sunshine Protection Act (S.29/ H.R.139) become law. It would make daylight saving time the permanent standard time year-round. ⁠Trump — who is also the owner of a Florida golf club — posted Cotton’s personal cell phone number on social media last weekend and urged followers to call the Senator and share their support.“Nobody wants to spend their precious time running all over the place, turning clocks back twice a year and, having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning,” Trump wrote, while also sharing a letter sent to him by the PGA. In it, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp says permanent DST would help the tour and broadcasters alike since it would allow for live TV coverage of the finishing holes without the need for “awkward” lighting situations in late rounds.

Some television sports producers might agree, but the larger impact on radio has led the National Association of Broadcasters to oppose the Sunshine Protection Act. It would mean that for most of the country the sun would not rise until after 8am during the winter months — and in some cases past 9am — when morning drivetime is over.

It is not just daytime-only signals that will be impacted. Scores of AMs operate at either reduced power or with directional signals after dark. That has raised concerns of broadcasters who say the morning daypart is when most of their revenue is made. Some of the listening and billing losses may be offset by the clock changes that would give AMs more time on the air or at stronger power during afternoon drive, when some stations need to power down before 5pm during the winter months. But with radio typically pulling in more advertising during the morning hours, just how much of that loss would be recouped isn’t clear.

The House passed the bill by a 308-117 margin in July, but with Cotton’s expected filibuster it remains in doubt whether there are 60 votes to clear that hurdle. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) tells The Hill that he believes Cotton may be speaking for a lot of other Senators.

“I think there’s more opposition to it than the President realizes,” Wicker says. “There’s some real safety concerns, particularly in the more northern and rural states where children get on the school bus at very early hours.”

Yet Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) says he will push to bring his bill to the Senate floor for a vote when lawmakers return after the election. While it would presumably benefit Florida businesses during the winter months, Scott says the bill would simply allow each state to decide whether it wants to permanently adopt daylight saving time.

For now, DST will come to an end in the wee hours of Nov. 1, as clocks return to standard time through March 14, 2027.