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AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Blocked & Will Not Pass This Year



Despite overwhelming support for the AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act in both the House (270 cosponsors) and Senate (62 cosponsors), the bill will not be included in the larger end of session “Continuing Resolution.”  The “Continuing Resolution” is a “must pass” bill that is needed to fund the federal government.  Both Republicans and Democrats agree with the basic bill, the issue was whether additional items will be attached to the legislation, such a supplemental disaster relief funding. 

 

The reason for blocking the legislation is not entirely clear.  At the last minute, the recording industry was trying to derail the bill.  The recording industry wanted to block the bill in order to gain leverage for the imposition of a Congressionally mandated performance fee.  The recording industry, which had been silent through the entire legislative process, surfaced last week.

 

AM radio is the cornerstone of the EAS service in New York.  It is outrageous that the bill should be blocked just so foreign owned recording companies can squeeze more money from local radio stations.  In fact, the Local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes imposing a performance fee, has 229 cosponsors in the House.

 

We are not giving up, and will start the process all over again.  We are already working with NAB on developing a new legislative strategy.  It is now crystal clear that the largely foreign owned recording industry does not care about the American people.  It is willing to sacrifice providing live saving emergency alerts on AM radio in order to squeeze more money from a free, local, over the air radio stations.

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