As the House heads into its traditional August recess, US House Speaker Mike Johnson is speaking out for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, drawing on his own history as a talk radio host in Louisiana to argue local broadcasting is worth fighting to protect.
On a recent episode of NAB’s Airtime podcast, Johnson (R-LA) said, “It is an important thing for the community. It draws people together. And of course, there’s real services that come from that as well. Local information. I mean, in Hurricane Alley, where I live in, Tornado Alley, we have lots of natural disasters, and people go to local broadcasts to get the updates on that safety for their families.”
Speaker Johnson, who had been on the air in Shreveport, added, “So many benefits that come from it. And if we lose that, then we lose a very important part of what makes us this great country. And so we advocate for local broadcasting and AM radio strongly in Congress, and we’ve got to keep that going. It’s important for all the reasons we know.”
The House has already broken for its traditional August recess, and won’t return to Washington until a four-day session beginning August 31. The Senate, meanwhile, stays in session through the first week of August but doesn’t come back until September 14, meaning the two chambers won’t be in Washington together again until mid-September at the earliest.
From there, the runway narrows further: both chambers plan to spend nearly all of October and the first week of November away from Washington ahead of the midterm elections on November 3, and the Senate is scheduled to adjourn for the year on December 18, with the House departing a day earlier.
That timeline matters because the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, now doubled into the House’s Motor Vehicle Modernization Act as part of a broader surface transportation package, must clear both chambers and be signed into law before the 119th Congress ends. If it doesn’t, the bill dies, and supporters would need to reintroduce it and rebuild its cosponsor list in the next Congress.
The bill’s House companion cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a 48-1 vote in May, and the Senate version has advanced through the Senate Commerce Committee. Combined, the legislation counts more than 370 House and Senate cosponsors.
The Airtime episode also featured Beasley Media Group Tampa Market Manager Ron deCastro, who walked through the station group’s year-round hurricane preparation, from testing equipment and generator fuel to holding regular planning meetings with the engineering team.
Beasley Media Group Tampa Market Manager Ron deCastro said, “Well, I think my priority when any emergency happens, whether it’s weather or not, is two things. In short, our listeners are getting information in a timely and accurate manner, and make sure my staff is safe.”
DeCastro pointed to Classic Hits outlet Q105 (WRBQ) as a recent example of that lifeline in action.
Beasley Media Group Tampa Market Manager Ron deCastro added, “We had a young lady who had a small family and she called in that she couldn’t find fuel. And we had listeners just immediately jump in. And this was with MJ again in the morning, telling her where she could go in her community to get fuel. And it was just really amazing. This just underscores how important local radio is to communities.”
The NAB has released PSAs in English and Spanish asking radio listeners to contact their members of Congress by texting AM to 39179, urging them to support legislation that ensures AM radio remains in cars. Get them for your station here.
