AM Radio in Vehicle Dashboards

The effort to secure a place for AM radio in vehicle dashboards is moving forward in Congress.

But to ensure it is brought to the full House floor for a vote, supporters have agreed to a compromise that would sunset the requirement two years earlier.

Rather than mandating the service in passenger cars for 10 years, the House Commerce Committee agreed last week to amend the bill to require AM for just eight years.

The move came with objections from several supporters of radio, but also a recognition that the compromise was needed to advance the bill.

The Committee did just that, voting 50-1 to advance the legislation to the full House for final approval.

The proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979) will, if passed, require the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles.

If they don’t, carmakers could be fined. Before the effective date of the rule, manufacturers who do not include AM would be required to put a warning label on vehicles. And carmakers would be prohibited from charging extra for AM.