Update: I decided to to a major edit to this post due to an error in the FCC’s LMS showing more stations as Licensed and Silent than there actually are. Here is a screen shot from the LMS showing most of Audacy’s AM licenses as “Licensed and Silent.”

Regarding the Audacy AM licenses, A little more research shows that they filled for MDCL on April 10th.

Someone at the FCC must have confused “Licensed but coverage area reduced,” with “Licensed and Silent.” It is an easy mistake to make or it is some sort of late April Fools joke. They are now properly listed as “Licensed.”
There are 116 AM stations listed as licensed and silent.
As of this writing, there are 103 full power FM stations and 46 Low Power FM stations in the LMS listed as licensed and silent.
Reading various sources about AM and FM licenses being taken silent around the country. Often, after 12 months, these licenses are quietly surrendered to the FCC. I thought it would be interesting to see exactly how many stations are now deleted.
In the last 12 months the FCC has deleted:
- 60 full power AM licenses
- 20 full power FM licenses
- 53 Low Power FM license
- 28 FM translators
60 Full power AM licenses deleted in one year is a record.
Sometimes, I get the feeling that licenses that could be sold are instead surrendered because the current owner does not want new competition. Given the shrinking pool of potential advertizers, this makes a little bit of sence. This is a thing we see in American business culture, sort of the “Walmartization” of various business sectors. In other cases, the facility is in such bad shape that it would be cost prohibative to bring it back.
A few people have suggested that once a license is deleted, the allotment can be resurrected and applied for. That is not a bad idea with some caveats for AM class C, D, and FM low power stations. If there is any loosening of broadcast regulation, particularly in AM antenna design, community coverage contours, city of license requirements, and so on, then this could be a way to get more interest in the AM band.