# NPR & religious channels on FM

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-religious-channels-on-fm/175576>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 16, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-religious-channels-on-fm/175576 "2003-05-16T00:28:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-religious-channels-on-fm/175576/1 "2003-05-16T00:28:04Z")

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Whenever I’m driving out of my usual listening area and trying to find the local NPR (always between 87 and 92 FM) I keep hitting religious stations. Occasionally I’ll come across a commercial station, but usually it’s either NPR or a religious channel in that range.

Is that range specifically reserved for non profit broadcasting? If not, is there a reason that the religious stations and NPR affiliates have such similar frequencies?

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**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-religious-channels-on-fm/175576/2 "2003-05-16T01:42:42Z")

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We just covered this in my mass-communication class today. In 1945, the FCC set aside 88.1Mhz-91.9Mhz FM for public radio.

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**Author:** ![lord\_vykor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e495f1/32.png) [@lord\_vykor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lord_vykor)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-religious-channels-on-fm/175576/3 "2003-05-16T01:56:59Z")

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There is indeed a “noncommercial” band set aside by the FCC exclusively for nonprofit broadcasting. Since 1945, this FM band has been set at the 88-92 Mhz range (some sources say 88.1 - 91.9). [This timeline](http://www.cpb.org/about/history/timeline.html) from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting confirms it. So yes, there is indeed a reason for the presence of both NPR affiliates and religious stations on that FM range.

Interestingly, because of this exclusive bandwidth, there has been a struggle between religious broadcasters and public radio stations over airwave usage. [This article](http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/15/national/15RADI.html?ex=1053144000&en=a8115bcc7af7f961&ei=5070) from NY Times in 2002 details some of the clashes between American Family Radio and NPR.

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**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/npr-religious-channels-on-fm/175576/4 "2003-05-16T05:19:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _lord\_vykor wrote:_  
> has been set at the 88-92 Mhz range (some sources say 88.1 - 91.9).

Since all FM stations have an odd number in the tenths-of-a-megahertz position, the lowest station in the 88 to 92 range is at 88.1, and the highest is at 91.9.