A new public service announcement campaign from the National Association of Broadcasters voices appreciation for members of Congress who have publicly pledged support for an AM Radio vehicle mandate.
The “thank you” spots are available right now for radio stations in the U.S. to air in :30 second format. Stations can download in MP3 spots specific to the congressional districts within their state. NAB also offers scripts as PDFs for on-air talent to read at their own stations.
The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979) would require the secretary of transportation to mandate that AM radio be made free and easily accessible to consumers in all new vehicles, including electric models.
According to NAB, the spots highlight grassroots and bipartisan support for the legislation. But they also urge congressional leadership to finally get the bill to a floor vote and bring it to the president’s desk.
“Listeners across the country are speaking up because they depend on AM radio for trusted news and lifesaving emergency information, and members of Congress are responding,” Grace Whaley, NAB’s director of communications and social media, told us.
Whaley said that the momentum is reflected in strong bipartisan support in both chambers, as well as from President Trump, who spoke about the issue on Hugh Hewitt’s Salem Radio Network show in January.
“A lot of people don’t know about that, but it’s actually a very big subject,” Trump told Hewitt. “We’re going to be doing something on that.”
According to Radio Ink, the bill carries more than 375 co-sponsors across the Senate and House of Representatives. It still awaits a floor vote from House and Senate leadership, in the second year of the current congressional cycle.
Radio Ink also noted the strategic timing of the release of the thank you spots just prior to the NAB State Leadership Conference, which is to convene in Washington on March 3.
