A third-quarter spike in advocacy from automakers and broadcasters tracked with the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act’s advance through the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with carmakers’ influence visible in a late change to the bill. Federal disclosures show General Motors leading Q3 spend at $4.96 million, followed by Toyota Motor North America at $1.6 million, American Honda Motor Co. at $910,000, and Tesla at $340,000—filed as the EV maker moved to drop FM from select models after previously removing AM across its lineup.
The policy consequence was a compressed enforcement sunset: an amendment shortened the act’s mandate from ten to eight years, setting the Department of Transportation’s rulemaking authority to lapse in 2033 unless Congress renews it. Automakers have argued for flexibility to accommodate evolving EV design standards and cost-benefit tradeoffs, while signaling openness to alternatives that preserve emergency information without permanently locking in receiver requirements.
Broadcasters mounted a parallel push to safeguard free, over-the-air access in dashboards. NAB reported more than $2.5 million in federal lobbying during Q3 and engaged firms including OnMessage Public Strategies, The Smith-Free Group, Klein/Johnson Group, and HillNorth LLC. Beyond the AM mandate, NAB filings show continued advocacy on broadcast deregulation, modernization of the Emergency Alert System, and opposition to expanded music performance royalties.
Individual companies also invested: iHeartMedia disclosed over $1.2 million across eight engagements; Salem Media Group reported $30,000 tied to related issues. Broadcasters’ core message centers on public safety—arguing AM’s propagation, redundancy, and license-free access are critical when cellular networks fail—paired with consumer choice concerns as some automakers pivot to streaming-only infotainment.
With a potential floor vote looming before year’s end, filings suggest both sides will keep pressure on leadership. Expect broadcasters to amplify emergency communications and community-service narratives, while automakers emphasize technology neutrality, the declining inclusion of legacy tuners in EV architectures, and the costs of component mandates amid supply-chain and weight-efficiency constraints. The narrowed sunset signals a tentative compromise—preserving a near-term safety backstop for AM while keeping Congress positioned to revisit broadcast requirements as in-vehicle platforms evolve through the 2030 horizon.