Is COVID-19 killing more than a handful of radio stations in Q1?
The latest U.S. broadcast station totals from the FCC show another drop in the number of licensed radio stations during the quarter.
Meanwhile, the number of FM translators licensed for broadcast continues to surge.
There were fewer commercially licensed radio stations.
And, as the data show, a continued FM translator boom has far from relented.
Below is a full look at the current totals:
BROADCAST STATION TOTALS AS OF DEC. 31, 2020
TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS 33,564
TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS AS OF MARCH 31, 2020: 33,553
TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS at the end of Q3 2019: 33,492
TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS at the end of Q2 2019: 33,508
TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS at the end of Q2 2018: 33,133
All comparisons below to the end of Q1 2020
AM STATIONS 4551, down from 4570
FM COMMERCIAL 6699, down from 6706
FM EDUCATIONAL 4195, down from 4197
TOTAL 15,445
UHF COMMERCIAL TV 994, up from 993
VHF COMMERCIAL TV 377, up from 375
UHF EDUCATIONAL TV 267, down from 270
VHF EDUCATIONAL TV 120 (unchanged)
TOTAL 1,758
CLASS A UHF STATIONS 357 (plus 2)
CLASS A VHF STATIONS 31 (no change)
FM TRANSLATORS & BOOSTERS 8420, up from 8303
(up from 7721 as of June 30, 2018)
UHF TRANSLATORS 2572, down from 2701
VHF TRANSLATORS 834, down from 849
UHF LOW POWER TV 1517, up from 1445
VHF LOW POWER TV 494 (up 2)
LOW POWER FM 2,136 (down 10)
