FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is the method of radio broadcasting that uses frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to transmit high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting offers higher fidelity—more accurate reproduction of the original program sound—than other broadcasting techniques, such as AM broadcasting. It is also less susceptible to common forms of interference, having less static and popping sounds than are often heard on AM. Therefore, FM is used for most broadcasts of music and general audio (in the audio spectrum). FM radio stations use the very high frequency range of radio frequencies.

AM and FM modulated signals for radio. AM (amplitude modulation) and FM (frequency modulation) are types of modulation (coding). The sound of the program material, usually coming from a radio studio, is used to modulate (vary) a carrier wave of a specific frequency, then broadcast.

In AM broadcasting, the amplitude of the carrier wave is modulated to encode the original sound. In FM broadcasting, the frequency of the carrier wave is modulated to encode the sound. A radio receiver extracts the original program sound from the modulated radio signal and reproduces the sound in a loudspeaker.
Position of FM radio in the electromagnetic spectrum
A commercial 35 kW FM radio transmitter built in the late 1980s. It belongs to FM radio station KWNR, in Henderson, Nevada, and broadcasts at 95.5 MHz.
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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article FM broadcasting, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.