Translator Explosion Breeds Growth In TV, Radio Totals

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The FCC on Tuesday (7/3) released its Broadcast Station Totals for the first half of 2018. The biggest headline from the new totals: FM translators and boosters, along with UHF translators, soared in number since New Year’s Eve 2017. At the same time, there are slightly less full-powered radio and TV stations in operation.


With the new totals, there are now 6,738 commercially licensed FMs in the U.S. That’s down six from the end of 2017 and compares to a year-end 2016 total of 6,746.

Meanwhile, there are eight additional FM noncomms in the U.S. compared to the end of 2017, with the total at 4,128. That’s up from 4,101 at the end of 2016.

On the TV side, the number of commercially licensed UHF facilities was 1,015, up two from the end of 2017. The number of commercial VHF stations also dipped by two, to 362. This compares to 350 at the end of the first quarter of 2017 and 357 at the end of the second quarter of 2017.

There are 5 fewer UHF noncomm (271) stations, and one less VHF noncomm (113) compared to Dec. 31, 2017.

Looking at Class A facilities, UHF stations dipped again, moving to 361 from 364 at the end of 2017, and from 379 at the end of Q3 ’17 and 393 at the end of Q2 ’17. This is nearly exclusively the result of the now-concluded FCC incentive auction; Class A VHF stations grew to 28 in number, from 27.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is the continued growth in FM translators and boosters. As of June 30 some 7,721 FM translators and boosters were licensed nationwide. That’s up from 7,585.

There were 7,253 FM translators and boosters at the end of Q4 2016, and 6,962 translators and boosters at the end of Q3 2016.

The number of AMs slipped to 4,633, compared to 4,646 on June 30, 2017. The AM station count had declined in each previous quarter since the end of 2016.

BROADCAST STATION TOTALS AS OF JUNE 30, 2018

TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS: 33,133
(Comparisons are as of Dec. 31, 2017; total as of Dec. 31, 2017): 33,006

AM STATIONS                  4633 (minus 6)
FM COMMERCIAL             6738 (minus 6)
FM EDUCATIONAL            4128 (plus 8)
TOTAL                          15,499 (minus 4)

UHF COMMERCIAL TV      1015 (minus 4)
VHF COMMERCIAL TV       362 (plus 3)
UHF EDUCATIONAL TV      271 (minus 5)
VHF EDUCATIONAL TV      113 (minus 1)
TOTAL                            1,761 (minus 6)

CLASS A UHF STATIONS   361 (down 3)
CLASS A VHF STATIONS    28 (up 4)

FM TRANSLATORS & BOOSTERS 7721  (up 136)
UHF TRANSLATORS               2811 (down 77)
VHF TRANSLATORS               870 (up 13)
TOTAL                                 11,402 (up 70)

UHF LOW POWER TV             1528 (down 35)
VHF LOW POWER TV             383 (up 8)
TOTAL                                  1,911 (down 27) 

LOW POWER FM             2,171 (up 94)