US automakers could soon be forced to include AM radio for free

It turns out that the one thing that can apparently bridge Washington’s partisan divide is AM radio. U.S. automakers may be forced to build AM radio into new vehicles within the next year.

The House of Representatives, in a rare instance of bipartisan support, overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday that would require new cars, trucks, and SUVs to be built with AM radio at no additional charge to consumers. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act , which would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers to include AM radio in new passenger vehicles as standard equipment, will now head to the Senate.