Broadcast Coverage Maps

FM Stations - Detail         FM Stations - Printable

AM Stations - Detail         AM Stations - Printable

FM Stations
WAMC		90.3	Albany		WEOS	#	89.7	Geneva
			(North Adams, MA)		WJFF		90.5	Jeffersonville
WCAN		93.3	Canajoharie		WXHD 1	N	90.1	Mount Hope
WAMK		90.9	Kingstown		WBAI		99.5	New York City
WOSR	N	91.7	Middletown		WFUV		90.7	New York City
WCEL	N	91.9	Plattsburgh		WFUV2	N	90.7	New York City
WANC		103.9	Ticonderoga		WKCR	#	89.9	New York City
WSKG		89.3	Binghamton		WNYC		93.9	New York City
WSQX	N	91.5	Binghamton		WSUF2	N	89.9	Noyack
WSQE	N	91.1	Corning		WRVO		89.9	Oswego
WSQC	N	91.7	Oneonta		WSUC		90.5	Cortland
WSQA	N	88.7	Hornell		WRVD		90.3	Syracuse
WSQG		90.9	Ithaca		WRVN		91.9	Utica
WNYE	#	91.5	Brooklyn		WRVJ	N	91.7	Watertown
WBFO		88.7	Buffalo		WXXI		91.5	Rochester
WUBJ	N	88.1	Jamestown		WJSL		90.3	Houghton
WOLN	N	91.3	Olean		WMHT		89.1	Schenectady
WNED		89.3	Buffalo		WRHV	N	88.7	Poughkeepsie
WNJA	N	89.7	Jamestown		WUSB	#	90.1	Stony Brook
WSLU		89.5	Canton		WLIU	#	88.3	Southampton
WXLH	N	91.3	Blue Mt. Lake		WCWP	#	88.1	Brookville
WSLO	N	90.9	Malone		WRLI 3	N	91.3	Southampton
WXLG	N	88.5	North Creek		WAER		88.3	Syracuse
WXLU	N	88.3	Peru		WCNY		91.3	Syracuse
WSLL	N	90.5	Saranac Lake		WUNY		89.5	Utica
WSLJ	N	88.9	Watertown		WJNY		90.9	Watertown
AM Stations
WAMC	N	1400	Albany		WNYC		820	New York City
WNED		970	Buffalo		WXXI		1370	Rochester

¹ Operated by WFMU, East Orange, NJ.
² Operated by WSHU, Fairfield, CT.
³ Operated by WPKT, Meriden, CT.

General Comments

Public radio in New York State is provided by a mixture of university, school board and community licensees.  Six of the primary stations -- WSKG/WSQX, WXXI, WMHT, WCNY, and WNED -- are operated by joint radio-television licensees.  Many of the state's public broadcasters provide a regional service through the operation of repeaters and translators.  The Office of Educational Television and Public Broadcasting (OETPB) of the state's Education Department provides administrative oversight and distributes state funding to New York public television and radio stations that meet its criteria for funding.  OETPB has played a significant role in the development of public broadcasting in the state.  Many public radio facilitates operating within the state of New York do not receive assistance from OETPB and support from OETPB is not a criterion for inclusion in this survey.  Most of the state's major population centers are served by multiple program services.  There are four public AM stations in the state.    

FM Service

Broadcasters in New York State have made substantial progress in extending public radio service to areas identified as unserved in PTFP's 1989 study. Western New York along the state's border with Pennsylvania, central New York between the Hudson River and the Finger Lakes region, the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, and the Long Island Sound all saw significant service expansion.  WSKG Binghamton constructed four new stations serving the southern tier of New York State, along the Pennsylvania border^­­__­WSQX Binghamton, WSQE Corning, WSQC Oneonta and WSQA Hornell.   The Adirondack Mountains of northern New York are now served by six new stations built by WSLU Canton in Blue Mt. Lake, Malone, North Creek, Peru, Saranac Lake and Watertown.  In addition, two new stations were constructed by WAMC Albany in Middletown and Plattsburgh. 

Since 1989, 21 new stations were built and five translators were upgraded to full power repeater stations. Three of the 21 new stations are operated by public broadcasters outside New York state.  Twenty-two translators have also been installed since 1989.  Six of these are operated by broadcasters outside the state.  A list of the translators in New York State is at the end of this narrative.

In addition, the following six stations did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the 1989 study but now meet the criteria and are included: WNYE Brooklyn, WEOS Geneva, WKCR New York City, WUSB Stony Brook, WLIU Southampton and WCWP Brookville.  They are indicated by the # symbol on the station list.

The percentage of the state's population that can receive a public radio signal increased from 93% in 1989 to 97.5% currently.  The number of people outside the range of a public radio signal decreased from 1,188,000 in 1989 to 471,693.

AM Service

There are four public AM stations in New York State, three of which have provided public radio services for many years.  WNED 970 kHz Buffalo is a 5 kW station that broadcasts 24-hours-a-day with a directional pattern.  WNYC 820 kHz New York, a 10 kW station, operates 24-hours-a-day with daytime and nighttime directional patterns.  WXXI 1370 kHz Rochester, a 5 kW station, operates 24-hours-a-day with nighttime directional pattern.  The fourth station, WAMC 1400 kHz Albanyp, is a 1 kW station operating 24-hours-a-day with a daytime and nighttime non-directional pattern.  WAMC(AM) started simulcasting the signal of WAMC-FM in May 2003.

Service from Adjacent States  

Three FM stations and seven translators in New York State are operated by public broadcasters from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, along with several Long Island stations operated by Connecticut broadcasters.  Residents of greater New York City and Long Island receive public radio signals from New Jersey and Connecticut.  In western New York, WQLN Erie, Pennsylvania, reaches neighboring Chautauqua County on the New York-Pennsylvania border.  In the northern part of the state, the statewide service of Vermont Public Radio extends into New York State along the length of the New York-Vermont boundary. 

Unserved Areas

Region A

This region is mostly covered by the Adirondack Mountains and by state parks.  It is sparsely populated with approximately 24,000 people in Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Herikmer, St. Lawrence and Warren counties.

Region B

The large uncovered area between New York City and central New York is predominately Catskill Park, where some of the highest mountains in lower New York State are located.  Approximately 55,000 residents of Delaware, Green, Schohaire, and Ulster counties are unable to receive a public radio signal.  Expansion of radio coverage to this area may also be affected by a channel 6 TV station in Schenectady, New York, which is the site of WMHT(FM).  WJFF Jeffersonville is exploring the best placement of translators to bring service to this area.  

Region C

Approximately 216,000 people, or about 46% of the state's unserved residents, live in the five counties immediately north of the New York City metropolitan area: Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess.  Because of its proximity to the large metropolitan areas in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, frequency availability may be the major barrier to new FM radio facilities to serve this area.  Terrain variations may also be a factor in reaching communities along the Hudson River, which bisects the region.  Some residents of this region may receive public AM Service from WNYC(AM).  WFUV plans to erect a tower that will allow the station to install its antenna at the maximum allowable height under its current FCC license.  Once WFUV achieves this maximum allowable height, its service will extend into a significant portion of this unserved area.  WFUV is also exploring future translator sites to serve the region.

Translators listed by operating station Facilities in italics operated by out‑of‑state broadcasters

WSHU Fairfield, CT					W209AZ	N	89.7	Keene
W217AF	N	91.3	Huntington Stn		W219AK		91.7	Lake Placid
W219BA	N	91.7	Ridge		W219BG	N	91.7	Long Lake
W289AD	N	105.7	Selden		W201CB	N	88.1	Lowville
WMNR Monroe, CT					W206BH	N	89.1	Lyons Falls
W205BM	N	88.9	Mt. Kisco		W212BQ	N	90.3	Morristown
W233AI	N	94.5	Sag Harbor		W204BJ	N	88.7	Old Forge
W264AJ	N	100.7	Southampton		W205BW	N	88.9	Paul Smiths
WAMC Albany, NY					W207BP	N	89.3	Speculator
W299AG	N	107.7	Newburgh		W219AU	N	91.7	Tupper Lake
W205AJ	N	88.9	Oneonta		WEOS Geneva, NY
W226AC	N	93.1	Rensselaer		W212BA	N	90.3	Geneva
WSKG Binghamton, NY					W201CD1	N	88.1	Lansing
W214AA		90.7	Corning		WJFF Jeffersonville, NY
W215AB		90.9	Watkins Glen		W233AH	N	94.5	Monticello
WSLU Canton, NY					WQLN Erie, PA
W217AE		91.3	Alexandria Bay		W211AE		90.1	Mayville
W219CT	N	91.7	Boonville

¹  Licensed to Ithaca Community Radio, Ithaca, NY. Operated by WEOS, Geneva, NY.