AM/FM/TV DXing: FCC reports fewer USA broadcast stations
Don't wait to log AM, FM and TV stations because some may be here today, gone tomorrow
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The number of broadcast stations in the United States and its territories has declined in the past six months, based on new information released last week by the Federal Communications Commission.
Broadcast and land-mobile antennas are seen on ice-coated towers atop Mount Wilson in California’s San Gabriel Mountains. Most TV stations and many FM stations in the Los Angeles area broadcast from this peak. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
At the end of 2023, the FCC was reporting a total of 33,428 broadcast stations on the air. As of June 30, there were 33,326 AM, FM and TV stations, down a total of 102 stations in six months. That’s literally 17 stations per month that stopped broadcasting since 2023. This continues a downward trend of fewer broadcast stations as there were 33,455 stations on the air at the end of March 2023, a drop of 27 stations from March through the end of December in 2023. Interestingly, the downward spiral has increased significantly this year.
Why are we pointing this out? For those who like to log AM, FM and TV stations as they DX, it’s important to know that more than four stations have permanently left the air each week this year alone! That might be a flea-power AM station that leaves the air, a regional FM or a commercial UHF TV station. These stations could be here today and gone tomorrow.
While you may lose the opportunity to log a particular station that surrenders its license to the FCC, you also may gain the opportunity to log a new station that doesn’t experience interference from the station that leaves the air, especially if the station exiting is nearby.
Let’s take a look at the new number of broadcast licenses from the FCC, with a comparison to 2023 year-end numbers.
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There is a never-ending number of stations you can try and tune in, whether it’s nighttime on the AM broadcast band, or inversion openings, especially during the summer, on the FM band and TV channels.
The FCC’s totals
Here are the totals the FCC released on Friday, July 5 with current totals and a comparison to the number of stations at the end of 2023:
AM stations: 4,413, down from 4,444, a decrease of 31
FM commercial stations: 6,620, down from 6,663, a decrease of 43
FM educational stations: 4,356, down from 4,286, an increase of 70
TOTAL AM and FM broadcast stations: 15,389, down from 15,393, a drop of 4
UHF commercial TV stations: 1,018, down from 1,016, a decrease of 2
VHF commercial TV stations: 366, down from 364, a decrease of 2
UHF educational TV stations: 267, no change
VHF educational TV stations: 115, down from 116, a decrease of 1
TOTAL TV stations: 1,766, down from 1,763, a decrease of 3
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Class A UHF TV stations (low power): 349, no change
Class A VHF TV stations (low power): 30, no change
TOTAL Class A low-power TV stations: 379, no change
Note: Class A stations broadcast at least 18 hours per day and include at least three hours of local programming each week.
FM translators and boosters: 8,906, down from 8,927, a drop of 21
UHF TV translators: 2,449, down from 2,456, an increase of 7
VHF TV translators: 651, down from 665, a decrease of 14
TOTAL TV and FM translator stations: 12,006, down from 12,048, a decrease of 42
Note: Translators rebroadcast TV and FM stations at low power into areas the broadcaster needs additional coverage.
This is a legal ID video used at one time on WTVE-TV in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The station formerly was licensed in Reading, Pennsylvania, before moving its operations closer to Philadelphia.
UHF low-power TV stations: 1,511, down from 1,561, a decrease of 50
VHF low-power TV stations: 310, down from 317, a decrease of 7
TOTAL low-power TV stations: 1,821, down from 1,878, a decrease of 57
Low-power FM stations: 1,965, down from 1,967, a decrease of 2
TOTAL low-power FM stations: 1,965, down from 1,967, a decrease of 2
TOTAL AM, FM and TV broadcast stations: 33,326, down from 33,428, a decrease of 102
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While there is a decrease in the number of broadcast stations in the United States and its territories, there still remains plenty of opportunity for DXers to tune in not only long-haul AM broadcast stations at night, but also catch low-power FM and TV stations when band conditions are right. Low-power targets are popular because they aren’t as easy to receive — unless conditions are right. Generally, a good antenna helps snag these low-power outlets.
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