ABOUT RADIO FREQUENCIES
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and the
Canadian Radio and
Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC) establish the frequencies
AM and FM stations may use for
their broadcasts. Allowable
frequencies are:
AM 530-1610 kHz in kHz steps
FM 87.9-107.9 MHz in 0.2 MHz
steps
Not all frequencies are used in a
given area.
RADIO RECEPTION FACTORS
Three factors can affect radio
reception:
²Distance/strength. The further
the FM signal travels, the
weaker it is. The listenable
range of the average FM station
is approximately 40 km (24
miles). This range can be
affected by ªsignal modulation.º
Signal modulation is a process
radio stations use to increase
their strength/volume relative to
other stations.
²Terrain. Hills, mountains and tall
buildings between your vehicle's
antenna and the radio station
signal can cause FM signal
reception problems. Static can
be caused on AM stations by
power lines, electric fences,
traffic lights and thunderstorms.
Moving away from an interfering
Radio frequency information
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