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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.1

                      TENTH AMENDMENT TO LOAN INSTRUMENTS

         THIS TENTH AMENDMENT TO LOAN INSTRUMENTS (this "Tenth Amendment"),
dated as of November 3, 1998, is among CITADEL BROADCASTING COMPANY, CITADEL
LICENSE, INC., CITADEL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION, each a Nevada corporation,
FINOVA CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, in its individual capacity
and as Agent for all Lenders (this and all other capitalized terms used but not
elsewhere defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such
terms in the Loan Agreement defined below), and the Lenders which are parties
hereto.
                                 R E C I T A L S

         A. Borrowers, Agent and Lenders entered into an Amended and Restated
Loan Agreement dated as of July 3, 1997 (such Amended and Restated Loan
Agreement, as amended to the date hereof, hereinafter is referred to as the
"Loan Agreement").

         B. Borrowers have requested that Lenders amend the Loan Agreement to
increase the amount of permitted L/C Guaranty Obligations from $5,000,000 to
$10,000,000.

         NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

         1. AMENDMENT TO LOAN AGREEMENT. The Loan Agreement is hereby amended by
deleting subsection 2.2.1 of the Loan Agreement in its entirety and substituting
the following in lieu thereof:

                  "2.2.1 OBLIGATION OF LENDERS. Subject to the conditions set
         forth in Section 2.3, each Lender severally agrees to make Additional
         Loans to Borrowers and to issue L/C Guaranties on behalf of Borrowers
         from time to time on or after the Closing Date to the Maturity Date, in
         the case of Additional Loans, and to the L/C Expiration Date, in the
         case of L/C Guaranties (i) except Additional Loans shall be made
         pursuant to subsection 2.4.3 after the Maturity Date (by acceleration)
         to pay L/C Guaranty Obligations incurred pursuant to L/C Guaranties
         issued prior to the L/C Expiration Date and (ii) provided at no time
         shall the aggregate amount of such Lender's Loans and L/C Guaranty
         Obligations exceed such Lender's Commitment and the L/C Guaranty
         Obligations of all Lenders exceed $10,000,000. The failure of any
         Lender to perform its obligations hereunder or under any other Loan
         Instrument shall not affect the obligations of Borrowers under this
         Loan Agreement or any other Loan Instrument nor shall any other Lender
         or Agent be liable for the failure of such Lender to perform its
         obligations hereunder or under such other Loan Instrument."

         2. FEES AND EXPENSES. Borrowers hereby agree to reimburse Lenders for
all reasonable fees and expenses incurred in connection with the consummation of
the transactions contemplated by this Tenth Amendment.

         3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. In order to induce Lenders to
execute this Tenth Amendment, each Obligor represents and warrants to Lenders
that the representations and warranties made by each such Person in each of the
Loan Instruments to which such Person is a party, as such Loan Instruments have
been amended, are true and correct in all material respects as of the date
hereof, except to the extent such representations and warranties by their nature
relate to an earlier date.

         4. CONFIRMATION OF EFFECTIVENESS. Guarantor hereby consents to the
execution of this Tenth Amendment. Each Obligor hereby agrees that each Loan
Instrument executed by such Person remains in full force and effect in
accordance with the original terms thereof as amended.

         5. COUNTERPARTS. This Tenth Amendment may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which counterparts shall be deemed to be an original, but
all such counterparts when taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Tenth Amendment has been executed and
delivered by each of the parties hereto by a duly authorized officer of each
such party on the date first set forth above.


                            CITADEL BROADCASTING COMPANY,
                            CITADEL LICENSE, INC. and
                            CITADEL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION, each a Nevada
                            corporation


                            By: 
                                ------------------------------------------------
                                Donna L. Heffner
                                Vice President of each corporation


                            FINOVA CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, 
                            individually and as Agent


                            By:
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Name: 
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Title: 
                                   ---------------------------------------------


                            BANKBOSTON, N.A.


                            By:
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Name: 
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Title: 
                                   ---------------------------------------------


                            NATIONSBANK OF TEXAS, N.A.


                            By:
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Name: 
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Title: 
                                   ---------------------------------------------



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                           THE BANK OF NEW YORK


                            By:
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Name: 
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Title: 
                                   ---------------------------------------------


                            UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA, N.A.


                            By:
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Name: 
                                ------------------------------------------------
                            Title: 
                                   ---------------------------------------------



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