FCC Actions
The FCC has released its Seventh Report on Ownership of Broadcast Stations, which presents data on ownership interests in commercial and noncommercial broadcast stations as of October 1, 2023, by gender, race, and ethnicity.
The commission has issued its quarterly count of broadcast licenses.
Comparing the end of 2024 to the end of 2023 shows the loss of 61 AM licenses and 38 commercial FM licenses. Non-commercial FM licenses grew by 191, LPFM was up by 1, and 47 translators and boosters were lost.
| 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 2019 | 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 |
| Dec 2023 | 4444 | 6663 | 4286 | 15393 | 1967 | 8927 | 33428 |
| Dec 2024 | 4383 | 6625 | 4477 | 15485 | 1968 | 8880 | 33373 |
| Dec 2025 | 4342 | 6589 | 4755 | 15686 | 1994 | 8867 | 33573 |
The FCC has revoked the $3000 fine it proposed against Cobra Broadcasting LLC’s 95.9 KBRA Freer TX in September for failing to timely file its license renewal application. While KBRA was required to file its license renewal application by April 1, 2021 ahead of its August 1 expiration date and did not do so until July 19, 2021, the station had contacted FCC support that it was unable to login to LMS and the commission’s support services were unable to get their password reset over several days.
Pirate Actions
The FCC has issued Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting to property owners Roy Owens (91.5 Dorchester MA) and Mirlande Lafortune (97.1 Providence RI).
The commission has also proposed fines against the following operators:
$60,000 against Sheldon Morgan and Morgan Media LLC of Hartford CT for operating “Busy Radio 92.9” in Hartford.
$60,000 against Wilfredo Ayala of Hartford CT for operating “La Tropica Radio” on 94.5 in Hartford.
$60,000 against of Painesville OH for operating “Radio Union Familiar” on 99.1 in Painesville.
$40,000 against Efrain Gonzalez of Waterbury CT for operating “Lapoderosa 89.1” with a simulcast of 630 WUNO San Juan PR.
$40,000 against James ‘Jumpin Jammin Jimmy’ Baran of Geneva-on-the-Lake OH for operating on 90.7.
License Cancellations
After shutting down its cluster at the end of 2023 due to foreclosure, Yaquina Bay Communications has surrendered the licenses of 820 KWDP Waldport and 1310 KNPT Newport OR.
Following the end of its operations on New Year’s Eve, Krol Communications turns in the license of 1520 WMLM St. Louis MI.
Silent Notifications
- Alaska Broadcast Communications’ 630 KJNO Juneau AK (Transmitter replacement)
- Godwin Communications’ 1220 WENC Whiteville NC (Financial challenges)
- Montrose Broadcasting Corporation’s 800 WPEL Montrose PA (Transmitter failure)
- Broadcast Educational Communications’ 90.1 WLWS Scottdale PA (Lightning damage)
- North Texas Radio Group’s 1400 KEBE Jacksonville TX (Antenna problems)
FM Changes
Radio One Sports 92.7 WFNZ-FM Harrisburg/Charlotte NC seeks
