There's a lot of history around what radio was supposed to be for. Little of that history appears in the article. In the US, there was a real question over whether there would be lots of little AM stations or a few huge ones with nationwide coverage. One proposal was to cover the entire continent with three high power AM stations.
But in 1938, Congress decided otherwise.[1]
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate of the United States of America that the operation of radio broadcast stations in the standard broadcast band (550 to 1600 kilocycles) with power in excess of 50 kilowatts is definitely against the public interest, in that such operation would tend to concentrate political, social, and economic power and influence in the hands of a very small group, and is against the public interest for the further reason that the operation of broadcast stations with power in excess of 50 kilowatts has been demonstrated to have adverse and injurious economic effects on other stations operating with less power, in depriving such stations of revenue and in limiting the ability of such stations to adequately or efficiently serve the social, religious, educational, civic, and other like organizations and institutions in the communities in which such stations are located and which must and do depend on such stations for the carrying on of community welfare work generally.
Not something we'd expect from Congress today. That's why, during the era when standard broadcast AM dominated, there were many, many local AM radio stations.
The 50KW AM power limit is still in effect, but has been overridden by stations being under common ownership via buyouts and mergers.
But in 1938, Congress decided otherwise.[1]
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate of the United States of America that the operation of radio broadcast stations in the standard broadcast band (550 to 1600 kilocycles) with power in excess of 50 kilowatts is definitely against the public interest, in that such operation would tend to concentrate political, social, and economic power and influence in the hands of a very small group, and is against the public interest for the further reason that the operation of broadcast stations with power in excess of 50 kilowatts has been demonstrated to have adverse and injurious economic effects on other stations operating with less power, in depriving such stations of revenue and in limiting the ability of such stations to adequately or efficiently serve the social, religious, educational, civic, and other like organizations and institutions in the communities in which such stations are located and which must and do depend on such stations for the carrying on of community welfare work generally.
Not something we'd expect from Congress today. That's why, during the era when standard broadcast AM dominated, there were many, many local AM radio stations.
The 50KW AM power limit is still in effect, but has been overridden by stations being under common ownership via buyouts and mergers.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_resolution