|
|
|
|
|
|
AM Station Classes |
Introduction |
There are two fields in the AM Engineering Database and the AM Query which involve the class of station. They are:
Classes for U.S. Stations |
In MM Docket 87-267, the Commission reclassified all domestic [United States] AM stations. These classes are A, B, C, and D. Generally, all U.S. records will have both a Domestic Class and a Region 2 Class. For U.S. stations, the Region 2 Class can be derived from the Domestic Class. Therefore, we explain how to derive the Domestic Class first. The AM band frequencies are divided into three categories: Clear, Regional, and Local channels. The allowable classes depend on a station's frequency, in addition to other variables. On the Clear channels certain stations are specifically classified as Class A stations or as Class B stations. The other stations have their class determined by the frequency.
Classes of AM stations are defined as follows:
Clear, Regional, and Local Channels Steps to Follow to Determine the Domestic Class |
If you don't want to use the easy way to determine the station's domestic class (via the AM Query), here's the steps to follow to determine the class. A table of which frequencies are Clear, Regional, or Local is included below.
Channel Type | Frequency (kHz) |
Available Classes |
Assignment Old class designation in ( ) |
---|---|---|---|
---- | 530 | ---- | In the USA, reserved for low power AM Travellers' Information Stations |
Clear | 540 | A,B,D | |
Regional | 550 | B,D | |
Regional | 560 | B,D | |
Regional | 570 | B,D | |
Regional | 580 | B,D | |
Regional | 590 | B,D | |
Regional | 600 | B,D | |
Regional | 610 | B,D | |
Regional | 620 | B,D | |
Regional | 630 | B,D | |
Clear | 640 | A,B,D | KFI, Los Angeles, CA: Class A (I-A) KYUK, Bethel, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 650 | A,B,D | WSM, Nashville, TN: Class A (I-A) KENY, Anchorage, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 660 | A,B,D | WFAN, New York, NY: Class A (I-A) KFAR, Fairbanks, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 670 | A,B,D | WMAQ, Chicago, IL: Class A (I-A) KDLG, Dillingham, AK: Class (I-N) KBOI, Boise, Idaho: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 680 | A,B,D | KNBR, San Francisco, CA: Class A (I-B) KBRW, Barrow, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 690 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 700 | A,B,D | WLW, Cincinatti, OH: Class A (I-A) KBYR, Anchorage, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 710 | A,B,D | WOR, New York, NY: Class A (I-B) KIRO, Seattle, WA: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 720 | A,B,D | WGN, Chicago, IL: Class A (I-A) KOTZ, Kotzebue, AK: Class A (I-N) KDWN, Las Vegas, NV: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 730 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 740 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 750 | A,B,D | WSB, Atlanta, GA: Class A (I-A) KFQD, Anchorage, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 760 | A,B,D | WJR, Detroit, MI: Class A (I-A) |
Clear | 770 | A,B,D | WABC, New York, NY: Class A (I-A) KKOB, Albuquerque, NM: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 780 | A,B,D | WBBM, Chicago, IL: Class A (I-A) KNOM, Nome, AK: Class A (I-N) KKOH, Reno, NV: Class B (II-A) |
Regional | 790 | B,D | |
Clear | 800 | A,B,D | Clear | 810 | A,B,D | KGO, San Francisco, CA: Class A (I-B) WGY, Schenectady, NY: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 820 | A,B,D | WBAP, Fort Worth, TX: Class A (I-A) KCBF, Fairbanks, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 830 | A,B,D | WCCO, Minneapolis, MN: Class A (I-A) |
Clear | 840 | A,B,D | WHAS, Louisville, KY: Class A (I-A) KABN, Long Island, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 850 | A,B,D | KOA, Denver, CO: Class A (I-B) KICY, Nome, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 860 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 870 | A,B,D | WWL, New Orleans, LA: Class A (I-A) KSKO, McGrath, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 880 | A,B,D | WCBS, New York, NY: Class A (I-A) KRVN, Lexington, NE: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 890 | A,B,D | WLS, Chicago, IL: Class A (I-A) KBBI, Homer, AK: Class A (I-N) KDXU, St. George, UT: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 900 | A,B,D | |
Regional | 910 | B,D | |
Regional | 920 | B,D | |
Regional | 930 | B,D | |
Clear | 940 | A,B,D | |
Regional | 950 | B,D | |
Regional | 960 | B,D | |
Regional | 970 | B,D | |
Regional | 980 | B,D | |
Clear | 990 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 1000 | A,B,D | WLUP, Chicago, IL: Class A (I-A) KOMO, Seattle, WA: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1010 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 1020 | A,B,D | KDKA, Pittsburgh, PA: Class A (I-A) KCKN, Roswell, NM: Class B (II-A) KAXX, Eagle River, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 1030 | A,B,D | WBZ, Boston, MA: Class A (I-A) KTWO, Casper, WY: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 1040 | A,B,D | WHO, Des Moines, IA: Class A (I-A) |
Clear | 1050 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 1060 | A,B,D | KYW, Philadelphia, PA: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1070 | A,B,D | KNX, Los Angeles, CA: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1080 | A,B,D | WTIC, Hartford, CT: Class A (I-B) KRLD, Dallas, TX: Class A (I-B) KASH, Anchorage, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 1090 | A,B,D | KAAY, Little Rock, AR: Class A (I-B) WBAL, Baltimore, MD: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1100 | A,B,D | WTAM, Cleveland, OH: Class A (I-A) KNZZ, Grand Junction, CO: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 1110 | A,B,D | WBT, Charlotte, NC: Class A (I-B) KFAB, Omaha, NE: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1120 | A,B,D | KMOX, St. Louis, MO: Class A (I-A) KPNW, Eugene, OR: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 1130 | A,B,D | KWKH, Shreveport, LA: Class A (I-B) WNEW, New York, NY: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1140 | A,B,D | WRVA, Richmond, VA: Class A (I-B) |
Regional | 1150 | B,D | |
Clear | 1160 | A,B,D | KSL, Salt Lake City, UT: Class A (I-A) |
Clear | 1170 | A,B,D | KVOO, Tulsa, OK: Class A (I-B) WWVA, Wheeling, WV: Class A (I-B) KJNP, North Pole, AK: Class A (I-N) |
Clear | 1180 | A,B,D | WHAM, Rochester, NY: Class A (I-A) KOFI, Kalispell, MT: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 1190 | A,B,D | KEX, Portland, OR: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1200 | A,B,D | WOAI, San Antonio, TX: Class A (I-A) |
Clear | 1210 | A,B,D | WPHT, Philadelphia, PA: Class A (I-A) KGYN, Guymon, OK: Class B (II-A) |
Clear | 1220 | A,B,D | |
Regional | 1230 | B | Stations in AK, HI, PR, and the U.S. VI |
Local | 1230 | C | Stations in coterminous 48 states |
Regional | 1240 | B | Stations in AK, HI, PR and the U.S. VI |
Local | 1240 | C | Stations in coterminous 48 states |
Regional | 1250 | B,D | |
Regional | 1260 | B,D | |
Regional | 1270 | B,D | |
Regional | 1280 | B,D | |
Regional | 1290 | B,D | |
Regional | 1300 | B,D | |
Regional | 1310 | B,D | |
Regional | 1320 | B,D | |
Regional | 1330 | B,D | |
Regional | 1340 | B | Stations in AK, HI, PR, and the U.S. VI |
Local | 1340 | C | Stations in the coterminous 48 states |
Regional | 1350 | B,D | |
Regional | 1360 | B,D | |
Regional | 1370 | B,D | |
Regional | 1380 | B,D | |
Regional | 1390 | B,D | |
Regional | 1400 | B | Stations in AK, HI, PR, and the U.S. VI |
Local | 1400 | C | Stations in the coterminous 48 states |
Regional | 1410 | B,D | |
Regional | 1420 | B,D | |
Regional | 1430 | B,D | |
Regional | 1440 | B,D | |
Regional | 1450 | B | Stations in AK, HI, PR, and the U.S. VI |
Local | 1450 | C | Stations in the coterminous 48 states |
Regional | 1460 | B,D | |
Regional | 1470 | B,D | |
Regional | 1480 | B,D | |
Regional | 1490 | B | Stations in AK, HI, PR, and the U.S. VI |
Local | 1490 | C | Stations in the conterminous 48 states |
Clear | 1500 | A,B,D | WTOP, Washington, DC: Class A (I-B) KSTP, St. Paul, MN: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1510 | A,B,D | WLAC, Nashville, TN: Class A (I-B) KGA, Spokane, WA: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1520 | A,B,D | WWKB, Buffalo, NY: Class A (I-B) KOMA, Oklahoma City, OK: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1530 | A,B,D | KFBK, Sacramento, CA: Class A (I-B) WCKY, Cincinatti, OH: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1540 | A,B,D | KXEL, Waterloo, IA: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1550 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 1560 | A,B,D | KNZR, Bakersfield, CA: Class A (I-B) WQEW, New York, NY: Class A (I-B) |
Clear | 1570 | A,B,D | |
Clear | 1580 | A,B,D | |
Regional | 1590 | B,D | |
Regional | 1600 | B,D | |
Regional | 1610 | B,D | |
Regional | 1620 | B,D | |
Regional | 1630 | B,D | |
Regional | 1640 | B,D | |
Regional | 1650 | B,D | |
Regional | 1660 | B,D | |
Regional | 1670 | B,D | |
Regional | 1680 | B,D | |
Regional | 1690 | B,D | |
Regional | 1700 | B,D |
Note that all the former Class I-N stations are located in Alaska, while all the former Class I-A and former Class I-B stations are located only in the coterminous 48 states. Only in Alaska might it be possible to assign new Class A stations.
3. If the station of interest is not specifically listed above on the actual frequency in the actual city, the Domestic Class must be determined from the available classes for the frequency:
If the station is an existing daytime-only station, the class will be Class D.
If the station is an existing daytime-only station, the class will be Class D.
An AM station can have only one licensed class. The licensed daytime class cannot be different than the licensed nighttime class. If the station is downgrading its nighttime operation to Class D, then the construction permit will have a different class than the license. Once the construction permit becomes licensed as Class D, then any licensed daytime record will be changed to Class D also.
The Region 2 Class |
Once the Domestic Class has been obtained, the Region 2 Class is easily determined:
Domestic Class Region 2 Class
A A
B B
C C
D B
Old to New Class Conversions |
Because the old classifications for AM stations will be encountered in older documents pertaining to AM radio, we have provided this conversion table for your convenience:
Old Domestic Class | New Domestic Class |
---|---|
I | A |
II | B |
III | B |
IV | C |
II-S | D |
III-S | D |
II-D (Daytime only) | D |
This page is located at http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amclasses.html
FCC Home | | | Search | | | Updates | | | E-Filing | | | Initiatives | | | For Consumers | | | Find People |
Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, DC 20554 More FCC Contact Information... |
|
|