Broadcasters received “very promising news” at the Forecast 2026 conference on November 12, 2025, that the bipartisan AM for Every Vehicle Act of 2025 is gaining traction to mandate AM radio in all new U.S. vehicles, a move seen as critical for emergency alerts and rural access.
Held at the Harvard Club in New York, the panel—moderated by Radio Ink’s Cameron Coats and featuring Cox Media Group’s Alysia Long—delivered real-time updates on the bill (S. 315/H.R. 843), reintroduced in February by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
The legislation would require the Department of Transportation, in coordination with the FCC and FEMA, to finalize rules within one year to keep AM receivers standard in passenger vehicles at no extra cost to consumers.
Long emphasized AM’s unmatched role in disaster response—unaffected by cell network failures—and its reach to over 20% of rural Americans without broadband. She warned that without action, AM’s presence in vehicles could vanish by 2030, threatening 80 million weekly listeners and $1.5 billion in annual ad revenue.
Eight major automakers, including Ford, GM, and Volkswagen, have already removed or plan to drop AM from EVs due to signal interference from high-voltage batteries. The Consumer Technology Association opposes the mandate, calling AM outdated and warning of innovation setbacks and potential price hikes.
Despite resistance, the bill has cleared Senate committee and could advance in the lame-duck session, possibly bundled with infrastructure or defense legislation. A GAO study on alternatives like satellite alerts is due in 2026.NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt framed the stakes at Forecast: “Lose AM in cars, and we lose the battle for broadcast’s soul.”