The FCC’s latest quarterly station totals shows a continued decline in the number of AM stations, while the number of FM and full-power TV stations is remaining largely steady.
There were 4,343 licensed AM stations as of Sept. 30, down 17 from the June 30 total. The current total is more than 600 stations below the all-time high of 4,990 AM stations reached in 1991.
While online FCC records do not include totals for every year, it appears the number of AM stations is currently around the same level it was in the 1970s.
The total encompasses all licensed stations, including those that are not currently broadcasting. The FCC’s Licensing and Management System lists 129 AM stations as “licensed and silent” as of Nov. 25.
Meanwhile, there were 22,180 FM facilities licensed as of Sept. 30, including full-power, low-power, and translator stations. The number full-power FM licenses reached a new record high of 11,324, reflecting more stations that have signed on as a result of 2021 filing window.
The combined total of FM translators and LPFM stations fell by one since June to 10,856. That’s off slightly from a high of 10,985 reached in 2022, with slight declines in the totals for both translators and LPFM’s.
265 FM facilities were listed as “licensed and silent” in the LMS as of Nov. 25.
There were 1,776 full-power TV stations as of Sept. 30, up by nine since the June count. Despite the recent rise, the current number is nine stations below the all-time high reached in 2014.
The combined total of TV translators, low-power TV stations, and Class A TV stations fell by five over the quarter to 5,252. It’s the lowest combined total available in 35 years of records, driven largely by a decline in VHF TV translator licenses .
A total of 124 TV stations were listed as “licensed and silent” in LMS as of Nov. 25, but only three of those were full-power licenses.
| Service | Total as of Sept. 30 |
| AM | 4,343 |
| FM full-power | 11,324 |
| FM translators & boosters | 8,871 |
| FM low-power | 1,985 |
| FM total | 22,180 |
| TV full-power | 1,776 |
| TV low-power | 1,759 |
| TV Class A | 397 |
| TV translators | 3,096 |
| TV total | 7,028 |
| Total broadcast licenses | 33,551 |