North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement
Encyclopedia
The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, usually referred to as NARBA, is a treaty that took effect in March 1941 and set out the bandplan
and interference rules for mediumwave
AM broadcasting
in North America
. Although mostly replaced by other agreements in the 1980s, the basic bandplan of NARBA has remained to the present day. Among its major features were the extension of the broadcast band from its former limit of 1500 kHz to 1600 kHz, (now 1700 kHz) and the shift of most existing AM stations' frequencies to make room for additional clear-channel station allocations for Canada
and Mexico
.
The agreement eventually governed AM band use in the United States
, Canada
, Mexico
, Cuba
, the Dominican Republic
, and Haiti
. In accordance with the treaty, clear channel frequencies were set aside across the radio dial, at a rate of about one per 100 kHz, and the 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490 channels were reserved mainly for local stations. The agreement also officially expanded the upper limit of the AM broadcast spectrum from 1500 kHz to 1600 kHz. It required that most existing AM stations change frequencies, resulting in a massive shuffling of radio station dial positions.
s. In mid-1938, the United States Senate ratified the Havana treaty and asks for it to take effect a year after the treaty is ratified by three of the four participating countries of Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and the U.S. At first, the Mexican Senate refused to ratify. Nevertheless, the U.S. and Canada completed a frequency agreement in 1939, based on the Havana Treaty, and Mexico ratified the NARBA treaty at the end of the year.
In the United States, the new frequencies took effect at 3:00 a.m. Eastern on .
A three-year NARBA agreement in 1946 gave Cuba five U.S. clear channel allocations. A November 1950 NARBA agreement, signed by the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica
and the U.S., gave Cuba the right to use six, and Jamaica two, U.S. clear channel allocations.
NARBA. However, NARBA still officially remains in effect between the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and United States because those countries have not formally abrogated
NARBA. The United States also has bilaterial agreements with Canada and with Mexico: the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada Relating to the AM Broadcasting Service in the Medium Frequency Band (1984) and the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States Relating to the AM Broadcasting Service in the Medium Frequency Band (1986).
Bandplan
A bandplan or band plan is a plan for using a particular band of radio frequencies, that are a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum . Each bandplan defines the frequency range to be included, how channels are to be defined, and what will be carried on those channels...
and interference rules for mediumwave
Mediumwave
Medium wave is the part of the medium frequency radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. For Europe the MW band ranges from 526.5 kHz to 1606.5 kHz...
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Although mostly replaced by other agreements in the 1980s, the basic bandplan of NARBA has remained to the present day. Among its major features were the extension of the broadcast band from its former limit of 1500 kHz to 1600 kHz, (now 1700 kHz) and the shift of most existing AM stations' frequencies to make room for additional clear-channel station allocations for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The agreement eventually governed AM band use in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. In accordance with the treaty, clear channel frequencies were set aside across the radio dial, at a rate of about one per 100 kHz, and the 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, and 1490 channels were reserved mainly for local stations. The agreement also officially expanded the upper limit of the AM broadcast spectrum from 1500 kHz to 1600 kHz. It required that most existing AM stations change frequencies, resulting in a massive shuffling of radio station dial positions.
Agreement
Although a 1933 conference on the subject failed, a 1937 North American Radio Conference in Havana agreed on the principles for frequency allocations. In late 1937, the Inter-American Radio Conference agreed to protect U.S. AM stations by eliminating Mexican border blasterBorder blaster
A border blaster is a licensed commercial radio station that transmits at very high power from one nation to another. Border blasters should not be confused with international broadcast stations...
s. In mid-1938, the United States Senate ratified the Havana treaty and asks for it to take effect a year after the treaty is ratified by three of the four participating countries of Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and the U.S. At first, the Mexican Senate refused to ratify. Nevertheless, the U.S. and Canada completed a frequency agreement in 1939, based on the Havana Treaty, and Mexico ratified the NARBA treaty at the end of the year.
In the United States, the new frequencies took effect at 3:00 a.m. Eastern on .
A three-year NARBA agreement in 1946 gave Cuba five U.S. clear channel allocations. A November 1950 NARBA agreement, signed by the Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and the U.S., gave Cuba the right to use six, and Jamaica two, U.S. clear channel allocations.
Frequency changes
Among the most significant changes were:| Old Freq. (kHz) |
Station(s) | Moved (kHz) |
New Freq. (kHz) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 540 | CBK CBK (AM) CBK is a Canadian clear-channel station, broadcasting the CBC Radio One network at 540 AM to most of southern Saskatchewan. The AM transmitter is located in Watrous, the city of licence, but the studios are in the CBC Regina Broadcast Centre, 2440 Broad Street in Regina. This facility also houses... |
unchanged | 540 | Canadian clear |
| 550-680 | all | unchanged | 550-680 | |
| 690 | all, except CFRB CFRB (AM) CFRB, Newstalk 1010, is an AM radio clear-channel station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting on 1010 kHz, with a shortwave radio simulcast by CFRX-SW on 6.070 MHz. The station broadcasts a mix of talk and news throughout the day from its transmitter located in the community of... |
unchanged | 690 | Canadian clear |
| CFRB CFRB (AM) CFRB, Newstalk 1010, is an AM radio clear-channel station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting on 1010 kHz, with a shortwave radio simulcast by CFRX-SW on 6.070 MHz. The station broadcasts a mix of talk and news throughout the day from its transmitter located in the community of... |
860 | |||
| 700-720 | all | unchanged | 700-720 | |
| 730 | all, except CFPL CFPL (AM) CFPL, or AM980, is a radio station owned by Corus Entertainment and based in London, Ontario, Canada that transmits at 10,000 watts at 980 kHz on the AM dial. The station primarily airs news, talk and sports programming.-History:... |
unchanged | 730 | |
| CFPL CFPL (AM) CFPL, or AM980, is a radio station owned by Corus Entertainment and based in London, Ontario, Canada that transmits at 10,000 watts at 980 kHz on the AM dial. The station primarily airs news, talk and sports programming.-History:... |
— | 1570 | ||
| — | new Canadian clear | 740 | allocated to CBL which moved from 840 | |
| 740-790 | all | up 10 | 750-790 | |
| — | new Canadian clear | 800 | allocated to CKLW which moved from 1030 | |
| 790-830 | all | up 20 | 810-850 | |
| 840 | CBL | — | 740 | |
| — | new Canadian clear | 860 | allocated to CFRB CFRB (AM) CFRB, Newstalk 1010, is an AM radio clear-channel station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, broadcasting on 1010 kHz, with a shortwave radio simulcast by CFRX-SW on 6.070 MHz. The station broadcasts a mix of talk and news throughout the day from its transmitter located in the community of... |
|
| 850-870 | all | up 20 | 870-890 | |
| — | new Canadian clear | 900 | allocated to CHML (and CJBR) | |
| 880-970 | all | up 30 | 910-1000 | |
| 980 | KDKA KDKA (AM) KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in... |
up 40 | 1020 | |
| 990 | WBZ WBZ (AM) WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States... |
up 40 | 1030 | |
| 1000 | WHO WHO (AM) WHO is a clear channel radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts on 1040 AM with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The station can be heard over most of the continental United States during nighttime hours... |
up 40 | 1040 | |
| 1010 | KQW KCBS (AM) KCBS is an all-news radio station in San Francisco, California, that is a key West Coast flagship radio station of the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One. Its transmitter is located in Novato, California. KCBS currently has studios on Battery Street, where it shares the location with co-owned KPIX... (now KCBS KCBS (AM) KCBS is an all-news radio station in San Francisco, California, that is a key West Coast flagship radio station of the CBS Radio Network and Westwood One. Its transmitter is located in Novato, California. KCBS currently has studios on Battery Street, where it shares the location with co-owned KPIX... ) |
740 | KQW did not move until 1947 | |
| 1020 | KYW KYW (AM) KYW is a class A AM radio station on 1060 kHz licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. KYW is owned by the CBS Radio unit of CBS Corporation, and has broadcasted an all-news format since 1965. The station's studios are located on Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, and it transmitters... |
up 40 | 1060 | |
| 1030 | CFCN CBR (AM) CBR is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 1010 AM in Calgary, Alberta. It broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network.-History:... (now CBR CBR (AM) CBR is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 1010 AM in Calgary, Alberta. It broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network.-History:... ) |
down 20 | 1010 | |
| CKLW | 800 | |||
| 1040 | WTIC WTIC (AM) WTIC is a 50,000-watt radio station operating out of Hartford, Connecticut, broadcasting news and talk radio. Its signal, located at 1080 kHz, can be picked up throughout southern New England by day and over several states as well as parts of Canada by night... KRLD KWJJ KWJJ KWJJ-FM is a commercial broadcast radio station located in the Portland, Oregon, area. The studio is near downtown Portland, while the main transmitter is atop Portland's Tualatin Mountains. KWJJ-FM airs a country music format.-History:... |
up 40 | 1080 | |
| 1050 | all | up 20 | 1070 | CBA CBA (AM) -External links:** at Canadian Communications Foundation... became a new Canadian clear on 1070 |
| 1060 | WBAL WBAL (AM) WBAL is a news-talk radio station located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. WBAL broadcasts on a clear channel frequency with 50 kilowatts of power. Owned by the Hearst Corporation, WBAL's tri-mast transmitters are located in Randallstown, Maryland... |
up 30 | 1090 | |
| WJAG WJAG WJAG is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Norfolk, Nebraska, USA. The station has been owned by WJAG, Inc. since 1922 and is managed by Bradley S. Hughes.-Programming:... |
up 40 | 1110 | this was later traded for 780 with KFAB KFAB KFAB is a 50,000 watt clear channel news and talk radio station licensed to Omaha, Nebraska. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. It provides a strong signal to most of eastern Nebraska during the day, and at least grade B coverage as far as Kansas City, Topeka, Sioux City and Des... |
|
| 1070–1150 | all | up 30 | 1100–1180 | |
| 1160 | WOWO WOWO Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, WOWO is an independent news/talk radio station transmitting on 1190 kHz at 50,000 watts during the daylight hours and 9,800 watts during the nighttime hours. An application is on file with the Federal Communications Commission to add a fourth tower to the three... |
up 30 | 1190 | |
| WWVA WWVA (AM) WWVA is an AM radio station that broadcasts on a frequency of 1170 kHz with studios in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA, and towers formerly located in St. Clairsville, Ohio, before they were destroyed in an August 2010 storm... |
up 10 | 1170 | ||
| 1170 | WCAU WPHT WPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The... (now WPHT WPHT WPHT is a CBS Radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting on 1210 kHz. A 50,000-watt clear-channel station, it broadcasts in an omnidirectional pattern that allows it to cover most of the eastern half of North America at night. It uses the nickname "Talk Radio 1210 WPHT." The... ) |
up 40 | 1210 | |
| 1180 | KEX KEX (AM) KEX is a class A clear channel AM radio station broadcasting from Portland, Oregon. As of 2005 it is owned by Clear Channel Communications and runs news/talk programming. Because KEX is a Class A station, KEX reaches most of the densely populated areas of Oregon, providing grade B coverage as far... |
up 10 | 1190 | |
| KOB (now KKOB) | 770 | |||
| WDGY (now KFAN KFAN (AM) * See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St... ) |
down 50 | 1130 | ||
| WINS WINS (AM) WINS , known on-air as "Ten-Ten Wins", is a radio station in New York City, owned by CBS Radio. WINS's studios are in the combined CBS Radio facility at 345 Hudson Street in the TriBeCa section of Manhattan, and transmitting towers in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.WINS is one of the nation's oldest... |
1010 | |||
| 1190 | WOAI WOAI (AM) WOAI is a San Antonio, Texas, news/talk formatted radio station operating with 50,000 Watts non-directional day and night from a transmitter site near Marion, Texas. Current owner and operator San Antonio based Clear Channel Communications acquired the station in 1975 which founded the now... |
up 10 | 1200 | |
| WSAZ | 930 | |||
| WATR WATR WATR is a radio station licensed to serve Waterbury, Connecticut. The station is owned by WATR, Inc. It airs a News/Talk plus Oldies music format... |
1320 | |||
| 1200–1450 | all | up 30 | 1230–1480 | |
| 1460 | KSTP WJSV (now WWWT) |
up 40 | 1500 | |
| 1470 | KGA KGA KGA is a sports radio station based in Spokane, Washington.-History:Licensed on February 4, 1927, KGA was a successful country music outlet for most of its life until 1994, when it switched to a news/talk format. KGA's former owners also established a short lived, lower powered Country Music... WLAC WLAC WLAC is a clear channel radio station based in Nashville, Tennessee, operating at 1510 kHz on the AM dial.-Early history:Its first broadcast took place on November 24, 1926. The call letters were chosen to contain an acronym for the first owner of the station, the Life and Casualty Insurance... WMEX WWZN WWZN is an AM radio station licensed to serve the Boston media market. Its programming is a time-brokered mix between progressive talk radio during the daytime , sports talk and religious programming in the overnight hours... (now WWZN WWZN WWZN is an AM radio station licensed to serve the Boston media market. Its programming is a time-brokered mix between progressive talk radio during the daytime , sports talk and religious programming in the overnight hours... ) |
up 40 | 1510 | |
| 1480 | KOMA KOKC (AM) KOKC is a talk radio station located in Oklahoma City among a cluster of stations in the market owned by Pennsylvania-based Renda Broadcasting. KOKC is an affiliate of the CBS Radio Network.-The early years:... WKBW WWKB WWKB is an AM radio station in Buffalo, New York that operates on a frequency of 1520 kHz. It is owned and operated by Entercom Communications. The station carries a progressive talk radio format. Declaring itself as A New Voice, A New Choice, The Voice of the New Majority; WWKB carries a number... (now WWKB WWKB WWKB is an AM radio station in Buffalo, New York that operates on a frequency of 1520 kHz. It is owned and operated by Entercom Communications. The station carries a progressive talk radio format. Declaring itself as A New Voice, A New Choice, The Voice of the New Majority; WWKB carries a number... ) |
up 40 | 1520 | |
| 1490 | KFBK KFBK KFBK is a radio station in Sacramento, California broadcasting on a frequency of 1530 kHz. KFBK is a class A clear channel station, formerly designated as a class "I-B" station, sharing 1530 with WCKY in Cincinnati, Ohio... WCKY WCKY (AM) WCKY is an AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, broadcasting at 1530 kHz with 50,000 watts, and its transmitter is located in nearby Villa Hills, Kentucky. It is a class A clear channel station, sharing the frequency with KFBK in Sacramento, and can be heard, particularly at night, over most... |
up 40 | 1530 | |
| 1500 | all | down 10 | 1490 | |
| 1510 | CKCR (later CHYM) | down 20 | 1490 | |
| 1530 | W1XBS to WBRY (later WTBY, then WQQW; now dark) |
up 60 | 1590 | Since 1934 U.S. frequencies above 1500 had been allocated only to four experimental stations that broadcast with a signal 20 kHz wide for "high fidelity." The stations were converted to regular broadcasting (and regular call signs) with the NARBA frequency move. |
| W9XBY to KITE (now dark) |
up 20 | 1550 | ||
| 1550 | W2XR to WQXR WQEW WQEW is a Radio Disney affiliate licensed to New York City. Its transmitter is located in Maspeth, Queens. WQEW has a transmitter power of 50,000 watts and is listed as a Clear-channel station... (now WQEW WQEW WQEW is a Radio Disney affiliate licensed to New York City. Its transmitter is located in Maspeth, Queens. WQEW has a transmitter power of 50,000 watts and is listed as a Clear-channel station... ) |
up 10 | 1560 | |
| W6XAI to KPMC KNZR KNZR is a news/talk radio station based in Bakersfield, California, USA. The station broadcasts at 25 thousand watts of power and can be heard in most of California and other Western states every night. KNZR is designated by the FCC as a "clear channel" radio station. It is owned by Buckley... (now KNZR KNZR KNZR is a news/talk radio station based in Bakersfield, California, USA. The station broadcasts at 25 thousand watts of power and can be heard in most of California and other Western states every night. KNZR is designated by the FCC as a "clear channel" radio station. It is owned by Buckley... ) |
up 10 | 1560 | ||
| — | new Canadian clear | 1570 | allocated to CFPL (AM) CFPL (AM) CFPL, or AM980, is a radio station owned by Corus Entertainment and based in London, Ontario, Canada that transmits at 10,000 watts at 980 kHz on the AM dial. The station primarily airs news, talk and sports programming.-History:... |
|
Current status
NARBA has been substantially superseded by the Regional Agreement for the Medium Frequency Broadcasting Service in Region 2 (which was signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1981 and took effect on at 08:00 UTC). The interference protection criteria in the Rio agreement are significantly different from NARBA, particularly in that the concept of clear-channel stations is eliminated. NARBA countries the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, and the United States are also signatories of the Rio agreement. In that agreement, the Bahamas and Canada also declared their intent to denounceDenunciation
Denunciation or abrogation refers to the announcement of a treaty's termination. Some treaties contain a termination clause that specifies that the treaty will terminate if a certain number of nations denounce the treaty...
NARBA. However, NARBA still officially remains in effect between the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and United States because those countries have not formally abrogated
Denunciation
Denunciation or abrogation refers to the announcement of a treaty's termination. Some treaties contain a termination clause that specifies that the treaty will terminate if a certain number of nations denounce the treaty...
NARBA. The United States also has bilaterial agreements with Canada and with Mexico: the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada Relating to the AM Broadcasting Service in the Medium Frequency Band (1984) and the Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States Relating to the AM Broadcasting Service in the Medium Frequency Band (1986).
See also
- Canadian allocations changes under NARBACanadian allocations changes under NARBAThe North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement took effect on March 29, 1941, requiring nearly all radio stations in North America to change frequency...
- Clear-channel station — which includes a listing of present North American clear-channel stations
- Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975 — a similar agreement concerning the rest of the world
External links
- More on clear, regional and local AM Channels in Canada Mexico and USA
- FCC information on AM station classes
- "Building the Broadcast Band" the development of the 520–1700 kHz Medium wave (AM) band
- "Behind the Clear-Channel Matter" history of clear-channel AM radio stations