Is there a limit to how many people can be listening to a radio in a given area?

Question

like I know only so many people can be using cell phones in a given area because you will lose reception. Is it the same with radios?

Answer 1

No.  Listening to radio and using a mobile phone is different in it's tasks, so the answer to your question is no.  The only limitations to listening to radio is distance, but in a market or city, there is no limit.  Would you like a reason for this?  Sure you do.  I must to refute the previous answer that is incorrect.

For mobile phones, they commuicate using various methods, but the amount of bandwidth on that particular network is the limitation.  It's like downloading something on your computer.  After a few downloads, you can't download anymore until one download finishes.  Same with mobile phones.  They communicate with each other on spectrum and some of them also have a T1 or two.  If it's busy, you are not going to get through, just as your computer's internet connection is busy, it takes a few more seconds to get your favorite webpage to load.

Listening to the radio takes nothing from the spectrum from others.  Radio stations have a transmitter and transmits a signal.  That's it.  You have a receiver that recevies the signal right out of the air.

In summary, mobile phones are affected by data bandwidth, and radio is affect by air, which we have limitless supply of.

Answer 2

Yes it is. But, It's never happened as far as I know. There'd have to be a pruddy big number of people listening to that station.