The Federal Communications Commission has unveiled the most recent data on the number of licensed broadcast radio stations for Q3 2023. While the figures show a positive trend for radio, those numbers are buoyed entirely outside of the realm of AM and commercial FM.
AM radio faces ongoing challenges in retaining its audience and dashboard presence. According to the latest FCC data, the total number of licensed AM stations stood at 4,452 by the end of Q3, showing a reduction of 11 stations compared to the Q2 count of 4,463. On the FM Commercial front, the number also experienced a slight dip. The Commission reported a total of 6,670 FM Commercial stations at the end of Q3, compared to 6,675 at the close of Q2.
In contrast, FM Educational stations saw a modest increase in numbers. This segment gained 27 additional stations, with the count moving up from 4,236 to 4,263. This upward trend in the FM Educational category helped to maintain an overall increase for licensed radio stations, which inched up to 15,385 at the end of Q3 from 15,374 at the end of Q2.
FM Translators and Boosters observed a marginal decline, dropping from 8,939 stations in Q2 to 8,928 in Q3, a net loss of 11 stations. Meanwhile, the Low Power FM category fell from 1,989 stations at the end of Q2 to 1,978 by the close of Q3. That number could have the largest change in Q4, as the FCC prepares to open the LPFM filing window for the first time in a decade on November 1.
