Now radio is the cash cow of the entire entertainment industry. But the revolution that has clearly been good for the radio investor, has had a problematic effect on the radio listener. What has happened with radio concentration is outrageous, just outrageous. Byron Dorgan is the Democratic senator from North Dakota, a state of small radio markets. He says publicly owned airwaves should not be left to a few corporations.
Local ownership is gone, localism in the way a radio station operates is gone.
I think what has happened is awful, just awful. And in fact it's not stopping. With deregulation, one company may own up to eight stations in some radio markets. The result has been a buying frenzy that has left a few huge companies dominating the airwaves. Clear Channel now has 1,100 stations nationwide.