Following its Wednesday vote on FCC nominee Olivia Trusty, the Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance a piece of legislation divisive to many broadcasters. But opponents of the proposed change get a reprieve, thanks to a technicality.
The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, which would allow states to make daylight saving time permanent, has been a point of longstanding contention for the AM radio industry. While the effort to “lock the clock” has drawn bipartisan support in recent years, the push has become more politically charged since President Donald Trump signaled his intention to eliminate the biannual time change in December.
Many AM radio operators and advocates, including the National Religious Broadcasters, have warned that permanent daylight saving time would have a serious impact on AM stations, particularly during winter mornings when delayed sunrises would require many to operate at reduced power during critical early drive-time hours.
Under current FCC regulations, AM stations must lower their transmission power before sunrise to avoid interference. A move to permanent daylight saving time would push sunrise past 8:00a in parts of the country, significantly shrinking morning reach. For AM stations that rely on drive-time listenership for both community service and advertising revenue, this change could be financially damaging.
To address similar concerns from various lawmakers and advocacy groups, the vote incorporated an amendment from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) delaying implementation for two years, giving states time to decide whether to adopt daylight saving or standard time permanently.
Yet, while the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 was approved by the committee 16-12, the bill ran into a procedural issue, as committee rules require 15 members to be physically present for a vote. Only ten were present by the time of the vote on Wednesday morning, with the other yeas coming by proxy.
As such, the vote will need to be repeated at a later markup session.
