Sign at KZYX (photo: J. Waits)
Today the FCC released its quarterly list of the total number of licensed broadcast stations in the United States. Based on FCC statistics through December 30, 2012, the number of licensed broadcast radio stations is still on the rise, continuing the trend that we’ve seen every quarter this year.
Based on this list, there are more radio stations today (15,196) then there were at the end of September, 2012 (15,128). This grand total has been on the rise since I began monitoring these statistics in late, 2011 (there were 14,865 radio stations total at the end of September, 2011).
The number of FM commercial stations and FM educational stations increased incrementally every quarter in 2012. The only categories in which there was a decrease in the total number of radio stations were AM stations (7 fewer that at the end of September, 2012), FM translators/boosters (28 fewer than at the end of September, 2012) and Low Power FM (13 fewer than at the end of September, 2012).
By the end of December, 2012, there were 68 more FCC licensed radio stations in the United States than there were at the end of September. FM educational radio stations (college radio, high school radio, public radio, community radio, and religious broadcasters) increased the most, with 57 more stations at the end of December than at the end of September. By the end of December, there were 18 more FM commercial stations than there were at the end of September.
As of December 30, 2012:
AM Stations: 4,738 (down from 4,745 in 9/12 and 4,754 in 6/12)
FM Commercial Stations: 6,598 (up from 6,580 in 9/12 and 6,568 in 6/12)
FM Educational Stations: 3,860 (up from 3,803 in 9/30 and 3,760 in 6/12)
Total Radio Stations: 15,196 (up from 15,128 in 9/30 and 15,082 in 6/12)
Not included in Total Radio Stations:
FM Translators and Boosters:6,075 (down from 6103 in 9/30 and 6105 in 6/12)
Low power FM: 809 (down from 822 in 9/30 and 824 in 6/12)
