In time divisioned, multi-frequency communication air interfaces it is common for a control channel to be defined on a first frequency while traffic channels are carried on other frequencies. A mobile communication device maintains the automatic gain control (AGC) settings for a first frequency while engaged on a second frequency by adjusting the AGC of the first frequency to correspond with changes in the AGC setting for the second frequency before attempting to access the first frequency again. Since, in the communication system, the two signals are transmitted from the same point, the changes in signal level will typically be similar enough that the mobile communication device will not have to perform a new AGC determination when switching back to the first frequency.