The number of noncommercial FM radio stations in the United States has leapt upwards by more than 500 stations in the past three years.
The Federal Communications Commission has issued its mid-year report on the number of licensed broadcast stations in the United States. The noncom “FM educational” category continues to break its own record.
As of June 30 there are 4,689 NCE stations, which is 333 licenses more than just a year ago. The total also is up by 453 licenses from two years ago and by 505 from three years ago. The FCC conducted an application window for new noncom FM stations in late 2021.
Taking a longer view, the number of FM NCE licenses in the country has doubled in the past 23 years, according to a Radio World analysis of FCC records. In June of 2002 there were 2,303 NCE stations.
Meanwhile the steady erosion in the number of AM stations continues.
At mid-year of 2024 there are 4,360 AM stations. That is 53 fewer AM licenses than a year ago, 103 fewer than two years ago and 138 less than three years ago. (The AM category peaked in the early 1990s at around 5,000 licenses, according to FCC data.)
The number of commercial FM stations is 6,602, which is down by 18 licenses from a year ago, down by 73 over two years and by 87 over three years. That category had been growing prior to that.
There are 8,880 FM translators and boosters, down by 26 licenses since last year, down by 55 from two years ago and down by 71 from three years ago. But the category remains up by almost 3,000 from a decade prior thanks to huge growth in translators during that time.
Meanwhile the low-power FM category has 1,977 licenses, up by 12 since last year after several years of slow erosion. The LPFM total will grow further due to a window for applications in 2023.
