As of December 31, the FCC listed 15,686 licensed AM and FM stations, up 201 from a year earlier, a 1.3% increase, but the gains continue to hide a tale of two realities between ongoing commercial decline and noncommercial growth.
The FCC’s year-end 2025 broadcast totals show AM radio fell to 4,342 licensed stations by year’s end, down 41 from 2024, a 0.9% decline, as license surrenders continue to thin the band. Commercial FM followed suit, dropping 36 stations to 6,589, marking its fifth straight quarter of losses amid slow deal activity and few new launches as many operators prepare for the likely loosening of ownership caps.
Meanwhile, noncommercial FM remains the growth engine. The FCC counted 4,755 educational FM stations at year-end, up 278 from the prior year, a 6.2% increase driven by Christian radio and faith-based networks. While many were fretful over potential closures of public radio stations after the Trump administration’s blockage of federal funding, any adverse effects have yet to be seen.
Even as FM geotargeting curiosity grows, FM translators and boosters slipped slightly to 8,867 licensed facilities, down 13 year-over-year. Lastly, low-power FM stations rose 1.3% to 1,994, adding 26 new outlets in 2025.
