Automakers Spend $7M in Q2 to Block AM Radio Act

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, July 30, 2024

U.S. Congress

The battle to preserve AM radio in cars intensifies on Capitol Hill as automakers continue to invest heavily to keep it alive. General Motors (GM) is leading the charge, with five car manufacturers collectively spending a whopping $7 million in the second quarter to oppose a mandate requiring AM radio in vehicle dashboards. In Q2, the total expenditure for lobbying against the AM for Every Vehicle Act was $7,063,142, a figure close to the $7,401,354 spent in Q1.

GM, allocating $2.69 million to its in-house efforts, also enlisted nine additional lobbying firms at a combined cost of $280,000. These firms 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.

Despite a drop from nearly $5 million in Q1, GM's lobbying efforts ranked them as the thirteenth-highest spender on congressional lobbying among all corporations. Toyota followed with the second-highest lobbying spend for the quarter, reporting $1.91 million through its own team, and additionally hiring The Daschle Group and Invariant for $50,000 and $90,000, respectively.

Honda reported spending $1.11 million, while Ford spent $663,142 in-house and an additional $110,000 on Avoq, LLC and Alpine Group Partners, LLC. Tesla also reported $160,000 in lobbying expenses.

The future of AM radio in cars remains uncertain as the US House of Representatives started its August recess a week early, leaving the bill stalled in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce until at least September 9. A full markup scheduled for June was canceled at the last minute.

If the bill is not passed by December 20, it will need to be reintroduced in the next session of Congress.