(By Justin Sasso) I came into this world as the subject of an AM radio contest. Radio has been the heartbeat of my life – I’ve only ever worked in the industry – which makes the failure of the AM for Every Vehicle Act this year all the more heartbreaking.
Yes, we had more than half of Congress supporting the Act. Yes, over 800,000 listeners emailed and called Washington, DC to advocate for us. And still, it wasn’t enough.
For me, it’s not just professional disappointment – it’s deeply personal.
As the President and CEO of the Colorado Broadcasters Association, I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and head back to DC for another round of advocacy. But as an AM radio station owner, this fight carries extra weight. I want AM radio to thrive. I want it to remain a vital part of the automobile dashboard.
However, I’ve struggled with our side’s central argument: mandating another industry to act. We pride ourselves on being a free-market, capitalist economy, where government interference in private enterprise is supposed to be minimal. That said, regulation has its place.
In broadcasting, the Federal Communications Commission regulates the publicly owned airwaves, ensuring a civilized and efficient spectrum. This regulation, though not voluntary, has been necessary to manage limited resources and meet public needs – such as emergency alerts.
The automobile industry also operates within a regulated framework, largely for consumer safety and infrastructure compatibility. But let’s not forget, automakers made a critical choice when they accepted government bailouts. By taking taxpayer money, they forfeited their claim to operate as a purely free-market business. That taxpayer cash came with strings attached – strings that should give us, the public, a say.
And here we are. Automakers now argue they shouldn’t be forced to keep AM radio – a top audio choice for two-thirds of Americans – in dashboards. Yet, these same manufacturers eagerly took our money when their industry was on the brink of collapse.
This fight isn’t just about AM radio’s survival. It’s about ensuring access to free, reliable communication in emergencies and protecting a public good that has served citizens for decades.
Make no mistake: this isn’t just an AM problem. It’s a radio problem. If AM is pushed out, FM will follow. Automakers will remove these “freebies” to make way for subscription-based alternatives—WiFi-dependent services they can charge consumers for. The automakers already profit from satellite radio and mobile interfaces like CarPlay, so why not monetize traditional radio, too?
While broadcasters might see retransmission fees as a potential silver lining, the greater issue is the public good radio represents. Radio remains one of the few free, universally accessible platforms for information, entertainment, and emergency alerts.
Losing radio in the dashboard hurts more than just broadcasters. It jeopardizes the farmers, agricultural communities, minority voices, and underserved populations who rely on AM radio for news, cultural programming, and connection. It hurts taxpayers who bailed out the auto industry, only to lose access to free, over-the-air radio in times of crisis – or when they simply need a voice in the car that doesn’t require a credit card.
At its core, this fight is about maintaining something special: a direct, free line of communication to the public. Radio may no longer hold the glamour it once did, as the rise of podcasts and online media has diluted its unique appeal. But its role in serving communities, especially during emergencies, remains irreplaceable.
Every day, I fight for all broadcasters and for everyone who still relies on AM radio for connection, safety, and a little bit of companionship on the open road. But at the end of the day, I’m also fighting for one broadcaster in a rural farm town in Colorado.