Why do most AM radio stations have a greater range than FM stations?

brokenarrow

AM radio waves have a wider/higher range. FM waves are closer to the ground and more constricted. That's why the sound quality is better on FM stations. Dec 21 03, 12:55 PM

Hamlet.

Yes, also lower-frequency radio waves (those with frequencies below 30 Mhz) are able to reflect off the charged particles in the Earth's ionosphere; this is referred to as "skip." Instead of passing through the ionosphere and entering space as higher-frequency electromagnetic waves do, the lower frequencies on the AM band have the ability to reflect back toward the Earth and increase their range dramatically. As an added bonus, the reflective conditions of the ionosphere in the evening hours are superb and can increase range up to thousands of kilometers from a transmitting tower... Dec 21 03, 2:31 PM