The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) today is announcing a multi-faceted advertising campaign opposing the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, a proposed federal mandate requiring that all new vehicles be equipped with analog AM radios.
The campaign kicked off last week with ads in Punchbowl News’ The Daily Punch podcast from Monday through Friday.
“There are real challenges facing America in 2024,” the Punchbowl ad stated. “Remember that $34 trillion national debt? So you’d think that’s what Congress is focused on. Wrong! They want to mandate AM radios in all new cars. Yes, really! Instead of focusing on real issues, Congress is trying to mandate a century-old technology that few people use. It’s time for Congress to focus on things that matter. Stop the AM radio mandate.”
CTA’s ad campaign is timed to coincide with this week’s annual DC lobbying fly-in of the National Association of Broadcasters(NAB), the special-interest group that has spent over $3 million dollars trying to force Americans to use their outdated technology.
“As our new ads point out, a federal mandate that every automobile comes equipped with an AM radio in 2024 and beyond is like mandating fax machines on the International Space Station,” said CTA CEO Gary Shapiro. “This unnecessary mandate would increase prices for consumers, further delay a transition to electric vehicles, and make a mockery of Americans’ freedom of choice.”
CTA last year released research showing that only 1 percent of American adults received the nationwide Oct. 4 test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) via AM radio, while 95 percent received it on their mobile phones. The survey results discredited a main talking point of broadcasters: that AM radio is the backbone of the EAS.
CTA has also met with dozens of congressional offices with their coalition partners at the Zero Emissions Transportation Association (ZETA), the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, and TechNet over the past week.
To view ads included in CTA’s campaign, and for more details on CTA’s opposition to the legislation, visit CTA.tech/AMradio.