With time turning against the AM For Every Vehicle Act, automaker spending on Capitol Hill surged in Q1 as manufacturers hope for inaction on the bill. General Motors, Ford, Honda, Tesla, and Rivian heaped combined millions against mandating AM radio for in-car safety.
After a muted several months, those who would wish AM radio removed from American cars, trucks, and SUVs have mounted a heightened attack, knowing that even with a vast majority of bipartisan support, the AM Act will have to completely restart if it is not voted on by December.
General Motors jumped from the tenth-highest corporate spender in Q4 2023 to the second-largest in Q1, second only to Meta. The automaker spent $4,700,000 on its in-house lobbying efforts – the second most the automaker has spent on Q1 lobbying in the past 15 years, second to only last year. AM in particular was assigned to a team of five.
GM also reported spending an additional $250,000 split between seven outside lobbying firms: Lincoln Park Group, BL Partners Group, Fierce Government Relations, Polaris-Hutton Group, Missy Edwards Strategies, DS2 Group, LLC, and Ricchetti Incorporated. Each reported that money had been earmarked for anti-AM solicitation.
Ford, which tried to remove AM from its vehicles last year, also raised its lobbying spend to $1,420,354. The company also hired two separate firms to lobby on its behalf to the tune of $50,000 and $60,000.
Honda followed with $551,000 in lobbying, as Tesla spent $280,000 in-house and $30,000 with Pioneer Public Affairs. The Elon-Musk-led electric vehicle maker has already reported $20,000 in Q2 lobbying, which included the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
Finally, niche EV maker Rivian spent a reported $40,000.
In turn, the National Association of Broadcasters is intensifying its efforts to secure its passage before the 118th Congress adjourns. The NAB’s latest “Depend on AM” PSAs stress the critical role of AM radio in vehicles for news, public safety, community connectivity, and entertainment. The NAB urges Americans to press their representatives for an immediate vote, emphasizing, “AM radio is too important to let this moment pass us by.”
