Time is ticking for AM radio on Capitol Hill and automakers continue to spend big in their attempt to ensure the clock keeps running. Led by General Motors, five car manufacturers shelled out millions in Q2 lobbying against a mandate to keep AM radio in the dashboard.
Second-quarter totals tied to shunting the AM for Every Vehicle Act stood at $7,063,142 – comparable to automakers’ $7,401,354 Q1 funneling.
Spending $2.69 million on its in-house efforts, GM hired an additional nine lobbying firms to the tune of a combined $280,000. Those lobbyists include Missy Edwards Strategies, LLC, Polaris-Hutton Group, LLC, Lincoln Park Group, LLC, Tower 19, BL Partners Group, LLC, Ricchetti Incorporated, DS2 Group, LLC, and Fierce Government Relations.
While GM’s lobbying made a marked drop from nearly $5 million in Q1, they still put up enough money to rank them the thirteenth-highest spender on congressional lobbying among all corporations.
Toyota had the next highest lobbying spend for the quarter, with $1.91 million reported by the company’s own team. The Daschle Group and Invariant, LLC were also hired for $50,000 and $90,000, respectively.
Honda spent $1.11 million on its own behalf, with Ford spending $663,142 in-house and $110,000 combined on Avoq, LLC and Alpine Group Partners, LLC. Tesla also reported $160,000 worth of lobbying.
Delays have become the name of the game as AM radio’s in-car future hangs in the balance. The US House of Representatives voted to start its August recess a week early on Friday, leaving the bill stuck in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce until September 9 at the earliest, after the last minute cancelation of a full markup in June.
If not passed by December 20, the bill will require complete reintroduction in the next session of Congress.
The National Association of Broadcasters continues to push for the bill, emphasizing AM radio’s importance for news and safety in their “Depend on AM” campaign. The bill, championed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) enjoys bipartisan support despite the opposition.
The NAB has released new PSAs asking radio listeners to contact their member of Congress by texting AM to 52886, urging them to support legislation that ensures AM radio remains in cars. Get them for your station here.
My 65 year old neighbor: “Hey, I read this story about AM radio. What’s going on?”
Me: The fight in Congress to keep in cars?
My 65 year old neighbor: “Yeah, I think. Is AM radio still a thing?”
Me: No, but a very small minority who do have wasted radio’s dwindling political capital.
Neighbor: “Okay. I didn’t think so. The las/t time I listened to AM radio was when I listened to the Cardinals play baseball back in the 90’s.”
Oy Vey.