Proposed Sunshine Protection Act Would Disrupt Radio

The Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday approved a 2025 version of the Sunshine Protection Act, but lacked enough votes for immediate advancement, requiring further hearings.

Introduced multiple times in Congress, the act would require making daylight saving time permanent by establishing DST as the year-round standard time, meaning later sunrises and sunsets during the four months currently under standard time, providing more evening sunlight.

First introduced in 2018 by then-Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), inspired by a Florida bill. It was reintroduced in 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 by Rubio, Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL).

While the act would make DST the permanent standard time with states exempt from DST (e.g., Hawaii, most of Arizona) able to choose standard time. It aims to end the "spring forward" and "fall back" practice, which supporters argue is outdated and disruptive.

Bipartisan Supporters include Rick Scott, Patty Murray (D-WA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and others. They cite public frustration with clock changes, potential economic benefits, and more evening sunlight for outdoor activities. A 2023 YouGov poll showed 62% of Americans want to stop clock changes, with half supporting permanent DST.

Opponents counter citing health and safety experts, including the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, argue permanent standard time aligns better with circadian rhythms, benefiting health, safety, and schools. Concerns include darker winter mornings, posing risks for children heading to school.

Posts on X reflect mixed sentiment, with some supporting permanent DST for more evening light and others favoring standard time for health reasons.

Impact On Radio

No specific studies directly address permanent DST's impact on radio broadcasting.  But there would be shifts in Listener Habits:

• Morning and Evening Commutes: Permanent DST would mean later sunrises in winter (e.g., sunrise after 8 AM in some regions) and later sunsets. This could shift peak commuting times, affecting when people listen to radio during drive-time slots (typically 6-9 AM and 4-7 PM). Stations might need to adjust programming schedules to align with new commuting patterns. One unlikely groups against this idea is National Religious Broadcasters. Why? Because a reduction of morning daylight means more time on reduced power for AM radio stations.

• Evening Listening: Extended evening daylight could increase outdoor activities, potentially reducing evening radio listenership as people spend more time outside rather than indoors with radios or streaming devices.
• Morning Shows: With darker mornings, listeners may wake up later or feel less engaged early in the day, prompting stations to tweak morning show formats or timing to maintain audience engagement.
• Seasonal Content: Radio stations often tailor content to seasonal events or daylight-driven activities (e.g., summer playlists or winter holiday programming). Year-round DST could blur these distinctions, requiring more flexible programming strategies.
• Audience Measurement: Radio ratings depend on listener data, which could shift with new daily routines under permanent DST. Advertisers may demand updated metrics to reflect these changes, affecting ad rates and revenue.
• Retail and Event Ads: Extended evening daylight could boost ads for outdoor events, retail, or dining, as businesses capitalize on longer evenings. Radio stations might see increased demand for evening ad slots.
• Broadcast Scheduling: Stations synchronized with network programming or satellite feeds might face challenges if national schedules don't align with local time perceptions under permanent DST. This could require renegotiating syndication agreements.
• Energy Costs: Later sunsets might reduce lighting costs for studios but could increase energy use for evening broadcasts if staff work later hours.
• Regional Variations: The impact would vary by geography. Northern regions with extreme daylight shifts (e.g., Alaska or the Upper Midwest) might see more pronounced effects on listener behavior than southern regions with milder changes (e.g., Florida or Texas).

The U.S. tried year-round DST during World War I (1918) and from 1974–1975 (Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act), but both were repealed due to public backlash, particularly over dark winter mornings.

For more details, check https://www.congress.gov for bill texts (S.29 or H.R.139).