FCC broadcast station totals for Q3 2024 yet again reveal that FM noncommercial educational radio stations, driven by heavy acquisition strategies from religious broadcasters, saw growth while AM station ownership continues its decline.
As of September 30, there are 4,400 AM stations, down by 13 from the previous quarter. FM commercial stations also experienced a decrease, dropping by 2 to a total of 6,618. However, FM educational stations saw notable growth, increasing by 21, bringing the total to 4,377.
The FM translator and booster landscape continues to cool, despite recent FCC rulemaking allowing for the use of FM boosters for broadcast geotargeting. The number of FM translators and boosters declined by 12 this quarter, bringing the total to 8,894.
In the low power FM numbers increased for the second consecutive quarter, with two new stations added following the FCC’s first application window in a decade, bringing the total to 1,967 LPFM stations nationwide.
