The FCC has issued its quarterly station count list showing continued drops in the number of AM, commercial FM, and LPFM totals, while total radio licenses is up due to the growth of non-commercial FMs.
40 AM licenses were turned in over the course of 2023 with 175 lost in the last five years. Ahead of the recent filing window, the number of LPFMs dropped by 48 last year down to 1967 current licenses down from its peak of 2172 in December 2018.
| AM | FM Commercial | FM Educational | Total Radio | LPFM | FM Translators Boosters | Total Broadcast | |
| Jan 1970 | 4269 | 2083 | 399 | 6751 | 0 | n/a | n/a |
| Dec 1990 | 4987 | 4392 | 1440 | 10819 | 0 | 1866 | 19939 |
| Dec 1995 | 4909 | 5296 | 1815 | 12020 | 0 | 1541 | 22683 |
| Sep 1999 | 4783 | 5766 | 2066 | 12615 | 0 | 3237 | 24575 |
| Dec 2003 | 4794 | 6217 | 2552 | 13563 | 0 | 3834 | 26613 |
| Dec 2008 | 4786 | 6247 | 3040 | 14253 | 859 | 6120 | 29832 |
| Dec 2013 | 4727 | 6612 | 4019 | 15358 | 776 | 6054 | 30432 |
| Dec 2018 | 4619 | 6754 | 4135 | 15508 | 2172 | 7952 | 33342 |
| Dec 2020 | 4593 | 6772 | 4135 | 15500 | 2169 | 8182 | 33513 |
| Dec 2020 | 4551 | 6699 | 4195 | 15445 | 2136 | 8420 | 33564 |
| Dec 2021 | 4509 | 6676 | 4204 | 15389 | 2069 | 8866 | 33467 |
| Dec 2022 | 4484 | 6686 | 4207 | 15377 | 2015 | 8950 | 33517 |
| Sep 2023 | 4452 | 6670 | 4263 | 15385 | 1978 | 8928 | 33447 |
| Dec 2023 | 4444 | 6663 | 4286 | 15393 | 1967 | 8927 | 33428 |
Two LPFM licensees were issued Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for failing to timely file license renewals proposing $1500 fines. Cascade Community Radio’s 101.1 KVRN-LP Portland OR and Spokane Translator Association’s 100.3 KVFS-LP Spokane WA were both granted one year license renewals in 2022 due to prolonged periods of silence during their previous terms and were required to file their next license renewal by October 1, 2023. Neither station did so until November 16, 2023.
Pirate Actions
Matovu Realty LLC was issued a Notice of Pirate Radio Broadcasting for an unlicensed signal on 99.3 in Bronx NY.
Silent Notifications
- Good Guys Broadcasting’s 700 WARB Dothan AL (Transmitter issues)
- Atlantic Coast Radio’s 1440 WRED Westbrook ME (Loss of power to transmitter site)
- Townsquare Media’s 1470 WFNT Flint MI (Economic conditions)
- Townsquare Media’s 97.5 WTBD-FM Delhi NY (Economic conditions)
- Townsquare Media’s 100.3 WDHI Delhi (Economic conditions)
- Townsquare Media’s 94.7 WIYN Deposit NY (Economic conditions)
- Phoenix Radio’s 1480 WRCK Remsen NY (Loss of programming)
- Common Frequency’s 88.1 KQCF Chiloquin OR (Inadvertent non-compliance)
- Holdsworth Educational Media’s 91.7 KPIT Pittsburg TX (Technical issues)
- Ivan James’ 105.7 KJVI Robert Lee TX (Severe interference from unlicensed station)
- Tri Cities Divestiture Trust’s 97.5 KOLW Basin City WA (Economic conditions)
- Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting’s 92.7 KIQZ Rawlins WY (Financial limitations / Seeking a buyer)
- Mt. Rushmore Broadcasting’s 1240 KRAL Rawlins WY (Financial limitations / Seeking a buyer)
AM Changes
Since losing its tower site in 2020 and operating under various STAs, Metro Radio Inc’s Regional Mexican “La Ley 97.7/106.3” 1460 WKDV Manassas VA proposes
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com