DELAWARE
| State population (2000 census) | 783,600 |
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| Population receiving a FM public radio signal | 755,718 |
96.4% |
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| (from both in and out-of-state stations) | ||||
| Population in uncovered areas | 27,882 |
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| Population receiving AM & FM public radio signal | ||||
| Stations in State | FM stations | 3 |
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| FM translators | 0 |
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| AM stations | 0 |
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| 1989 PTFP Study: | Population receiving a | |||
| FM public radio signal | 500,000 |
84% |
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Broadcast Coverage Maps
FM
Stations - Detail FM Stations -
Printable
Public Radio Stations in State
Main stations
in bold followed
by associated repeaters and translators
Facilities in italics operated by out‑of‑state
broadcasters
Location in ( ) - actual location of transmitting facilities
N
- New facility since 1989 study #
- Station now meets study criteria
FM Stations WRTX1 N 90.1 Dover WSDL N 90.7 Ocean City, MD WSCL 89.5 Salisbury, MD (Roxana, DE) (Seaford, DE) 1 Operated by WRTI, Philadelphia, PA.
AM Stations
None
General Comments
Delaware does not have any public radio stations operated by Delaware-based broadcasters. The three public radio transmitters located within the state are operated by stations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. These broadcasters provide service to over 96% of Delaware's population.
FM Service
Since the 1989 PTFP study, two transmitters have been constructed which substantially expanded the reach of public radio. The most significant improvement in coverage occurred in 1991 in Kent County with the installation of WRTX Dover which repeats programming of WRTI Philadelphia. The second new station, WSDL, located in the southeast corner of Sussex County, was installed in 1997 to enhance the coverage of Maryland station WSCL. WSDL is licensed to Ocean City, Maryland. Its transmitter is located in Roxana, Delaware. WSCL is licensed to Salisbury, Maryland. Its transmitter is located in Seaford, Delaware.
The percentage of Delaware residents receiving a public radio signal has increased from 84% in 1989 to 96.4% currently, and the unserved population has decreased from 94,000 in 1989 to 27,882 today.
AM Service
None
Service from Adjacent States
As noted, all public radio service in Delaware is a rebroadcast of program services originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or Salisbury, Maryland. A high school operated Maryland station, WKHS, repeats the programming of WXPN Philadelphia during overnight hours, on weekends and during the summer months. WKHS serves portions of Delaware’s New Castle and Kent counties.
Unserved Areas
Region A
New Castle County in northern Delaware receives public radio signals from stations in Philadelphia. The entire unserved population of Delaware (27,882 people) reside in northwest New Castle County. Extension of service to this area is hampered by the presence of a channel 6 TV station in Philadelphia.
