Req 8b1 — Broadcast Regulations

Power Levels

The FCC assigns maximum power levels based on station class and location:

• AM stations: Range from 250 watts (Class D, daytime only) to 50,000 watts (Class A “clear channel” stations like WSB Atlanta or WGN Chicago). Many AM stations must reduce power or change antenna patterns at night to avoid interfering with distant stations.
• FM stations: Full-power commercial FM stations typically operate at 6,000–100,000 watts ERP (effective radiated power). Non-commercial educational stations may operate at lower power.
• Low Power FM (LPFM): 10–100 watts. Created by the FCC in 2000 to serve local communities — churches, schools, and community organizations.

Frequencies

• AM broadcast band: 535 kHz – 1,705 kHz (MF band). Channels are spaced 10 kHz apart.
• FM broadcast band: 88.0 – 108.0 MHz (VHF band). Channels are spaced 200 kHz apart. The range 88.0–91.9 MHz is reserved for non-commercial educational stations.

Low-Power Stations

LPFM (Low Power FM) stations are a special class created to give local voices access to the airwaves:

• Limited to 100 watts (LP100) or 10 watts (LP10)
• Must be non-commercial — no paid advertising
• Coverage area is typically a radius of about 3.5 miles
• Licensed to local non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and government entities
• Cannot be owned by entities that already hold other broadcast licenses

Part 15 devices are unlicensed transmitters allowed by FCC rules with extremely low power (a few hundred feet of range at most). These are sometimes used for localized broadcasting, like a holiday light display with a synchronized FM station.