The Federal Communications Commission has just released the latest data regarding licensed broadcast radio stations. Despite an overall positive trend for radio, the figures reveal a decline in both AM and commercial FM stations. The challenges persist for AM radio in retaining its audience and presence on dashboards. The data shows a decrease of 11 licensed AM stations, dropping from 4,463 in Q2 to 4,452 by the end of Q3. Similarly, commercial FM stations saw a slight dip, decreasing from 6,675 in Q2 to 6,670 in Q3. Conversely, FM Educational stations experienced a modest uptick, gaining 27 additional stations, reaching a total of 4,263 from 4,236. This increase contributed to an overall rise in licensed radio stations, which grew from 15,374 in Q2 to 15,385 in Q3.
The Spirit of Local Broadcasting
