Radio Industry Push Pays Off As AM Bill Powers Toward House Floor.

From meeting with lawmakers in Washington to cornering them at public events back in their districts, the radio industry’s effort to build support for a bill that will require AM radio in every passenger vehicle has been among its biggest ground operations in years. The latest tally shows 304 House members support the legislation, with only two bills — one supporting veterans with disabilities, another commemorating the 1980 U.S. Winter Olympic “Miracle on Ice” hockey team — having more cosponsors. So, when the House Commerce Committee voted this week to scale back the scope of the proposal from a 10-year requirement to eight years, many were left wondering why there was a need for what was billed as a “compromise” with so many members of Congress on their side.

The compromise, it turns out, was needed to get a commitment from House Republican leadership to bring the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979) to the floor for a vote. Inside Radio has learned that Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), in particular, has been opposed to the 10-year requirement. Not only is he said to be uncomfortable with mandates, but Scalise has also had close ties to the automotive industry, which has been opposed to the proposal. In recent weeks, insiders say he suggested a five-year timeframe instead, but ultimately agreed to eight years as the number of House members onboard the bill continued to surge.

“You’ve got to find common ground amongst the members of the legislature, the Congress, but also stakeholders,” sponsor Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) explained. “To get this on the floor of the House as soon as possible, and passed out of the House, we agreed to the eight years.”

The shorter timeline isn’t sitting well with everyone. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) didn’t hold back his frustration. “I’m not happy,” he told his colleagues, scoffing, “I’m glad that all the weather experts have determined that after eight years, we’ll have no more storms where we need AM radio.”

The 50-1 vote in the Commerce Committee on Wednesday teed the AM bill up for a vote on the full House floor. There is not yet any specific schedule for when that could occur, and the timeline may run into the looming government shutdown battle in Congress. “We urge House and Senate leadership to move swiftly to pass this bill and preserve this vital service for the American public,” NAB President Curtis LeGeyt said following the vote.

Another Compromise Coming?

The Senate version of the bill (S. 315) has already cleared committee, and its list of supporters remains at a filibuster-proof 61. But unlike the House version, it still calls for a 10-year requirement that passenger vehicles come equipped with AM radio. Insiders say Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Edward Markey (D-MA) have not yet signaled they are willing to scale back their bill to match the House version. It could mean that two different bills with two different timelines are passed in each chamber, with a compromise worked out between them during the reconciliation process.

If the House version is what ultimately becomes law, Bilirakis said that there are other changes to the bill that may wind up having the AM mandate in place for roughly as long as if the 10-year timeframe were maintained. That is because the amended version will require the Department of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles. But that process would need to be completed in two years or less under the revised legislation, as opposed to the two-to-three-year timeframe included in the Senate version. “The fact that they have to deliver on the rulemaking sooner will help matters,” Bilirakis said.

Other provisions in the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act remain the same. If carmakers don’t add AM they would be required to put a warning label on vehicles. They could also face potential fines. The proposal would also 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 auto industry says 99% of the 286 million vehicles on the road today in the U.S. have AM radio, including 90% of new cars. Even so, opponents have seized on a prediction from the Center for Automotive Research that mandating AM will cost carmakers $3.8 billion in the years to come.

But supporters say not unlike the price of a seatbelt, AM radio is keeping drivers safe. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR), whose district covers 70,000 square miles says there is no question cars need it. “AM radio is essential to my district,” he said this week. “People listen to it still, because many times that’s all they really have to listen to.”