Two existential battles before radio remain as the industry works to not only keep AM radio in vehicles but to hold a proposed on-air music royalty at bay. That Washington battlefield resulted in the most spending by the National Association of Broadcasters on lobbying since before the pandemic last year.
An Inside Radio review of federal disclosure filings shows the NAB spent $11.92 million on lobbying efforts during 2024, an 8% increase versus the prior year. The efforts continue a recovery of the trade group’s spending in Washington after the pandemic cut the total by a quarter. While last year’s spending was the most in five years, it remained below the $12.91 million spent by the NAB on lobbying in pre-pandemic 2019.
“NAB continues to invest in advocacy efforts that protect the future of free and local radio, ensuring policymakers understand its vital role in communities nationwide. Whether it’s standing against a harmful performance royalty, preserving AM’s critical role in the automobile, or fighting outdated ownership rules that disadvantage local stations, our work in Washington delivers real results,” NAB spokesman Alex Siciliano said.
The money was well spent, he explains, considering last year the NAB rallied lawmakers to build strong bipartisan support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, while a majority of the House of Representatives was also on record opposing a performance tax. “This underscores the broad recognition of local radio’s essential role,” Siciliano continued. “We will continue to fight for policies that support local stations, their listeners, and the critical services they provide.”
The NAB spent $3.09 million during the fourth quarter, according to disclosure filings. That was the most spent in a single quarter since the start of 2019. It came as the lame duck session offered not only an opportunity to get the bill requiring AM in cars across the finish line, but the risk that the performance royalty measure would gain traction during the waning days of the congressional session.
Among individual radio groups, the industry again got the most support from iHeartMedia. Disclosure filings show radio’s largest group spent $4.47 million during 2024. That was a 20% increase from the prior year. The company lobbied on many of the same issues as the NAB, with filings showing iHeartMedia was also dedicating resources to issues involving Emergency Alert System updates, proposed foreign sponsorship identification rules, FM booster rules, and proposals to require disclosures when AI is used in political ads.
Other broadcasters that invested in lobbying last year include TelevisaUnivision. The largest Spanish-language broadcast owner spent $690,000 on Washington lobbying last year before terminating its D.C. efforts in late September. Hubbard Broadcasting invested $120,000 and Cox Enterprises, which holds a minority stake in Cox Media Group, spent a total of $240,000, although that was typically not focused on broadcast radio issues.
NPR Doubles Lobbying Spending
On the non-commercial side, disclosure filings reveal NPR spent $500,000 during the year. That was double what it allocated to lobbying in 2023. The uptick comes as NPR has faced continued pressure from congressional Republicans and President Trump’s push forward with efforts to end taxpayer funding of public media.
Among digital audio companies, Spotify spent $1.6 million during 2024. That included $440,000 during the fourth quarter, which was the most the streamer has spent in a single quarter yet on Washington lobbying. The company’s filing says the focus was related to privacy, digital advertising, and artificial intelligence issues.
Music Industry Spending Also Rises
Radio’s royalties fight is far from over with a bill reintroduced last month, and it’s not just radio that is spending more, but the music industry. The Recording Industry Association of America spent $6.9 million last year working the halls of power in Washington. That is up 8% from a year earlier.
Not only did the RIAA push for passage of the bill to create a radio royalty, but filings show it also lobbied on issues such as intellectual property theft, enforcement of copyright and counterfeit laws, and what it calls “platform accountability” for copyright holders.
Among the big music companies, Universal Music Group spent $2.44 million last year, while Sony Music Entertainment spent $1.32 million. Other music industry groups also continued to be active, including the National Music Publishers Association, which spent $945,000 during 2024.
The three big performance rights groups were also spending in Washington. ASCAP invested $440,000 as BMI spent $530,000 and SESAC spent $400,000 during the year. And SoundExchange, the collections agent for digital music use, spent $990,000 on lobbying Washington policymakers.
Automakers also spent millions lobbying Washington, with General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Tesla, among others, showing lobbying efforts tied to the bill to require AM radio in vehicles as part of their focus.