More low-power FM and FM educational stations explain most new radio stations, while VHF TV station numbers shrink.
Produced for Oct. 23, 2015, but can air a few days later.
There are 15 percent more radio and television stations in the United States then ten years ago, Radio World reports. There are now 31,013 licensed broadcast stations in the country as of Sept. 30, 2015. The biggest jumps in number of stations came from low-power FM (up 128 percent) and FM educational stations (up 56 percent). Low-power FM was legalized just before 2005, and expanded in the past decade, and the FCC had a rare FM educational application window in 2008, which explain the large increases. The economics of running a television station explain the 39 percent drop in VHF commercial television stations. Their bandwidth has become more valuable for commercial wireless applications then for mass broadcasting, which can be done cheaper now at other frequencies. Also fewer in numbers: Class A VHF TV stations (down 82 percent); VHF translators (down 53 percent); and VHF low-power TV stations (down 27 percent).
More TV and radio stations in U.S. for Oct. 23, 2015
Radio news about radio waves.
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Oct. 23, 2015
Produced at Wave Farm/WGXC in the Hudson Valley, New York.