Bill Will Require Cars to Be Sold With Free AM Radios

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is seeking to require automakers to keep AM radios in vehicles without an added charge, introducing the "AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023."

The legislation has bicameral support as automakers are potentially removing AM radios from new vehicles or charging for them to be installed. Of the 20 automakers that received a letter last year from Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., eight had removed AM radio from electric vehicles, according to Markey.

"Each day, millions of Americans turn to AM radio to stay up to date on life in their community, engage on the issues they care about, or to be simply entertained during rush hour," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. "AM radio is a critical bulwark for democracy, providing a platform for alternative viewpoints and the ability for elected officials to share our efforts with our constituents.

"Congress should act swiftly to pass this bill so Americans retain access to news, music, talk, and emergency alerts on the public airwaves. I'm glad to work with Sen. Markey on this bipartisan legislation to ensure carmakers do not limit Texans' access to radio in their vehicles."

Conservatives have criticized automakers' removal of free AM radios as an attack on conservative talk shows, which tend to be more readily available on AM versus FM.

Markey's bipartisan bill is co-signed by 13 lawmakers in the Senate and the House, including four Sens. J.D. Vance; R-Ohio; Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; Deb Fischer, R-Neb.; and Cruz.

The bill would protect AM radio:

Require, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), automakers to keep free AM radios in vehicles.
Require automakers that sell vehicles without the AM radios before the law is in place to disclose to consumers the car does not have an AM radio.
Direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study if alternative systems can provide free AM radio capabilities, particularly with regard to public emergency announcements.

"For decades, free AM broadcast radio has been an essential tool in emergencies, a crucial part of our diverse media ecosystem, and an irreplaceable source for news, weather, sports, and entertainment for tens of millions of listeners," Markey wrote in a statement. "Carmakers shouldn't tune out AM radio in new vehicles or put it behind a costly digital paywall. I am proud to introduce the AM for Every Vehicle Act to ensure that this resilient and popular communication tool does not become a relic of the past."

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., went after Tesla CEO Elon Musk in his statement, pitching the new legislative proposal.

"I would think that if Elon Musk has enough money to buy Twitter and send rockets to space, he can afford to include AM radio in his Teslas," Gottheimer wrote. "Instead, Elon Musk and Tesla and other car manufacturers are putting public safety and emergency response at risk.

"The importance of AM radio during large-scale emergencies cannot be underestimated, and it has, without a doubt and without interruption, saved lives and kept our communities informed.

"When the cell phone runs out, the internet gets cut off, or the television doesn't work because of no electricity or power to your house, you can still turn on your AM radio. I'm proud to introduce the bipartisan AM for Every Vehicle Act in the House to ensure that all auto manufacturers include AM radio in their vehicles to protect public safety."