As policymakers consider the future of local ownership rules and AM radio protections, newly released FCC license data may forecast what to expect from potential deregulation as noncommercial FM stations continue to expand while others shrink.
As of June 30, the FCC reports a total of 4,360 licensed AM stations, marking a loss of seven stations since March and a 12-month decline of 53. That represents a 1.2% year-over-year decrease from Q2 2024. FM commercial stations totaled 6,602, slipping by 19 since Q1 and 18 year-over-year, a 0.27% annual decline.
Though small, this is the third straight quarter for FM commercial ownership to dip, signaling a continued slowdown in new launches or ownership transfers.
The standout trend continues to be FM educational station growth, which reached 4,689, an increase of 55 stations since Q1 and 333 since Q2 2024 – a 7.6% year-over-year boom. The expansion is largely driven by religious broadcasters, such as Educational Media Foundation, which have been spending significant sums for signals in markets of all sizes.
FM translators and boosters remained flat quarter-over-quarter at 8,880, but down 26 stations year-over-year, a 0.29% decline. Despite continued interest in geotargeting technology, deployment has not yet translated to new licenses.
Low-power FM (LPFM) station totals climbed to 1,977, adding one station since Q1 and 12 since last year, representing 0.6% annual growth. Growth in this category remains modest, even after the FCC opened the application period for the first time in a decade.
Overall, the Commission now reports 15,651 total AM and FM stations, up 29 stations from Q1 2025 and 262 from Q2 2024 – a 1.7% year-over-year gain, fueled almost entirely by noncommercial FM.
The article admits that much of that increase is due to EMF gobbling up as many stations as they can, converting them to non-commercial status in the commercial FM band, and outbidding everyone else because they always have a pile of cash available from listener donations … but exactly how many stations in this increase was because of them and other religious broadcasters?
In my opinion, non-commercial FMs should be restricted to the non-commercial part of the band. If EMF (or anyone else) wants to operate in the commercial band, let them be subject to the annual fees at the FCC and pay taxes on those stations like any other broadcaster.
They have gamed the system and made the playing field off-balance so that no one can compete with them for station acquisition. Perhaps if they were subject to those fees and taxes, more secular operations could acquire these stations … which would then improve diversity of ownership.
Comments are closed.