Why You Can't Keep Track Of All The Radio Stations Anymore

[Ben Zonia]

When you can't remember all the latest call letters, formats, frequencies, etc., of radio stations, do you attribute it to getting older? Well, maybe, but then again, everyone is. Consider the sheer number of radio facilities today.

Just in the State of Michigan, for instance, there are:

257 FM Non Reserved Band Stations (92.1-107.9)
153 FM Reserved Band Stations (87.9-91.9)
196 FM Translators (87.9-107.9)
49 LPFM Stations (87.9 -107.9)
124 AM Stations (530-1700)

These numbers come from the Latest FCC Databases. Some of these are Construction Permits and STAs, but not that many. Those cannot be easily and completely isolated with simple search options. There are TWO records for a large majority of AM stations, for Day and Night facilities, but just the Day facilities are considered in the 124 AM Station Numbers for Michigan. These are LICENSED facilities. Some of these are off the air.

[rugratsonline]

Also, many of them no longer use callsigns as part of their imaging -- they only use them at the top of the hour when they must announce their calls and city of license, and some hidden them to a point where you need a trained ear to point them out.

[Circle Seven]

Also, many of them no longer use callsigns as part of their imaging -- they only use them at the top of the hour when they must announce their calls and city of license, and some hidden them to a point where you need a trained ear to point them out.

My thoughts before I scrolled and seen yours. I'm guilty of seeing someone use a call sign here on Buzzboard, and not know which station it is until I figure out the frequency.

[Ben Zonia]

By contrast, in 1963, right after our family got its first FM radio, there were only 60 stations in Michigan, including CPs that soon signed on, and four 10 watt school stations. No translators, no LPFMs. Translators were limited to 1 watt, and the first two came on in the late 1970s to early 1980s. And they were only on dedicated Class A Frequencies. There were only three FM stations above the 44th Parallel of Latitude, and none above the 45th Parallel of Latitude. In 1963, there was only one Class A station. The increase in allowed Class A facilities from 1 kW/250 feet to 3 kW/300 feet in the early 1960s was followed by a large increase in Class A stations in the later 1960s.

But with a good antenna and receiver, you could have received scores of AM stations above the 45th Parallel even in the Daytime, due to low noise levels at the time. With a better FM radio and good outside antenna, you could have heard the majority of Michigan FM stations in Southern Michigan above the 45th Parallel. They faded in and faded out though. Actually, that was true until all the Docket 80-90 related stations, and all the reduced classes, came on the air.

[paul8539]

They change their names too often, and you frequently don't hear what the new one is. No advertising, no promotions of the new station. For example, I can not tell you off the top of my head what the new calls of WBCM (1440) and WKNX (1250) are now.

[rugratsonline]

They change their names too often, and you frequently don't hear what the new one is. No advertising, no promotions of the new station. For example, I can not tell you off the top of my head what the new calls of WBCM (1440) and WKNX (1250) are now.

Respectively, it's WMAX (with a Catholic format) and WJMK (as oldies from MeTV FM).

I still remember when WKNX was CHR on 1210 and WXOX was country on 1250.