Radio and Localism: Has the FCC Dropped the Ball?

Although no news of the FCC task force initiative on localism came forth between 2004 and 2006, members of Congress have taken an interest in the effects of localism in radio broadcasting. This interest can be attributed to the view that radio consolidation has minimized local radio service. As well, satellite-delivered radio has begun to encroach on local radio as it now provides traffic and weather updates in selected metropolitan markets. This article investigates the status of radio and localism, an issue that affects listeners across the nation.     

Effects of Local-Market Radio Ownership Concentration on Radio Localism,the Public Interest,and Listener Opinions and Use of Local Radio

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and ensuing radio ownership consolidation are often blamed for harming radio localism and the public interest. The present research sought to determine effects of local-market radio ownership concentration on listener opinions and use of radio—potentially indicative of stations' localism and public service—by surveying listeners in markets categorized by ownership concentration. Findings suggest concentration does not strongly influence perceptions; however, overall results indicate potentially negative consequences from local and national consolidation on amounts of local music, news, and public-service programming; live-local programming; and station responsiveness.     

Local Ownership and Radio Market Structure

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed the nature of radio markets. Recent policy recommendations from the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Congress have led to questions about localism in local radio markets. This study analyzes station ownership, the number of clusters, radio programming, and audience data from 32 radio markets and compares the information for the years 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2010. The results suggested a degree of stability for the types and size of radio owners, the market power of local radio clusters, and the number and type of formats.     

Introduction to the Symposium on Canadian Radio Research

There has been a dramatic shift in the philosophy of broadcast regulation. After decades of managing the local radio market structure with policies of ownership regulation, Congress and the FCC have mandated policies of ownership deregulation. This study examines the effect of deregulation policies on the small market radio industry. Recent research has explored issues of radio market structure and performance in larger markets; however, few studies have examined the impact of policy in smaller markets. This study analyzed 52 metropolitan statistical areas with populations less than 125,000. The study used regression analysis to identify the effect of deregulation on the number and type of radio owners in the small markets. Overall, the results revealed that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 had a dramatic impact on the number of local radio owners in the small markets.     

Locally and Free: What Broadcast Radio Still Provides

As was the case with the FCC task force initiative on localism between 2004 and 2006, members of Congress are again taking an interest in the effects of localism in broadcasting. Broadcast radio, the last vestige of “free” broadcasting, has done well in maintaining local service even in the era of consolidation and the competition of satellite delivered radio. This article investigates the current status of broadcast radio and how localism is its saving grace across the nation.     

Localism and All-Sports Radio

All-sports radio became a natural byproduct of the informational radio trend of the 1980s. It originated in New York and other large markets. Although it originated as a large market format, today there are dozens of sports radio stations on the air in markets large and small, with many major markets supporting more than one sports radio station. This article analyzes all-sports radio in a medium market, Peoria, Illinois, the 150th largest market in America. National sports networks provide an essential connection to big league sports in Peoria, but coverage of local sports is valuable in establishing a brand identity.     

Relationships among economic,newsroom, and content variables: A path model.

This study examines the relation between local news content and ownership structure in 17 television markets in the United States. It is an extension of the localism research that was conducted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2004 and the Local Television News Media Project at the University of Delaware in 2007 (see FCC, 2007). The findings point to the need to consider television markets as the appropriate unit of analysis when examining the effect of ownership on local content. Ownership does matter in the production of news on local broadcasts. When examining only station-level factors, independent stations broadcast more local content on their newscasts than those stations that were either (a) owned-and-operated (O&O) and part of a duopoly, (b) O&O-only, or (c) part of a duopoly-only. However, when examining station-level and market-level factors of television markets, the station-level ownership profiles positively affected local content. Market-level factors that indicated more consolidation negatively affected the proportion of local news presented in the entire designated market area.     

KVOS in the Local,Public Interest: Early Broadcasting and the Constitution of the Local

This article contributes to scholarly literature on local stations in early radio broadcasting history. Taking KVOS in Bellingham, WA as a case study, it attends to how regional geography in conjunction with station operators, broadcasting policy, and audiences helped to define localism in relation to broader national, regional, and international identities forming at the beginnings of early radio and between 1930–1953. KVOS’ history demonstrates how radio was always bound up with the production of locality and how local identity was constituted in and through its relation to broader collective sensibilities taking shape at the time.     

Breaking the structural logjam: The impact of cable on local TV market concentration

The author considers the effect of cable on market concentration in local television markets using different types of market definitions for the analysis. He concludes that cable has introduced competition and that it has lowered concentration levels in local markets, thus altering the structure of television markets put in place by FCC television allocation plans and limits of local economies.     

Regulating the Radio Monopoly: Ewin Davis and his Legislative Debates, 1923-1928

Ewin Lamar Davis is frequently cited as an influential lawmaker known for promoting antimonopolistic practices during the development of radio broadcasting through the 1920s. He believed monopolistic practices threatened fair business practices, program diversity, localism, and noncommercial radio. His work helped shape early radio legislation, including the Davis Amendment, which attempted to equalize the distribution of radio stations throughout the US. However, little research has been done to clearly articulate his role in the development of radio legislation. This paper uses Congressional records to trace Davis' involvement in legislation leading to the Radio Act of 1927 and the subsequent Davis Amendment.     

Radio Recentered: Local News Returns Home

The phenomenon of outsourcing is prevalent in many industries, including the media. In radio, voice-tracking of programs from other locations is a prominent example. How the practice of outsourcing affects the content of local news is the focus of this study. Comparing data on outsourced and locally-produced news in a small radio market, the study produced statistically significant results that raise questions about how communities are served when their local news decisions are made elsewhere. The study focuses on a market where local news, once outsourced, has been reconverted into an exclusively local enterprise.     

The,Rebirth of Low-Power FM Broadcasting in the U.S.

On January 20,2000, the Federal Communications Commission created two new classes of low-powered radio broadcasting licenses. This controversial initiative is studied within the landscape of current and past deregulatory policies. These stations are now on the air and broadcasting to their local communities. A survey was conducted of the first 239 licensed stations to ascertain programming goals, budgets, policies and other baseline information. The study concludes that Low-Power FM has significantly increased ownership diversity and content. Current FCC localism initiatives could bode well for the introduction of more LPFM stations in the United States.     

The expression of localism: Local TV news coverage in the new video marketplace

The emergence of a new video marketplace raises questions about the commitment of local TV news organizations to the FCC localism doctrine. Local news coverage at ten Pennsylvania stations in 1992 was content analyzed and compared with 1976 data collected by Adams (1980). Results indicate that stations devoted more coverage to outlying market areas in 1992 than in 1976, but emphasized sensationalism/human interest stories at the expense of local public affairs issues.     

Local TV,Localism, and Service Agreements

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) uses three principles to regulate the broadcast industry in the United States: competition, diversity, and localism. The least studied of which is localism. As the management and ownership of local TV stations becomes more consolidated, the author examines what effect, if any, that consolidation has on the presentation of local content on television newscasts.     

The impact of ownership rules and the telecommunications act of 1996 on a small radio market

The change in radio ownership rules in 1992 had the greatest effect in markets ranked above 100. The Telecommunications Act could have similar effects. One such market was investigated for this study. A proposed station purchase in this market would give an ownership group four of seven stations in the market, depending on how a market is defined. Petitions to deny were filed. These statements and replies by station owners were analyzed and related to radio in a small market. The ultimate impact was found on the negotiation of advertising rates. Other effects could emerge over time.     

Who Needs a Terrestrial Signal? Internet Audio Streams Make Waves in Two Kansas Radio Markets

Among American audio listening options is live streaming, and it is becoming a major component in the competitive local and national marketplace. While “playlist generators” like Spotify and Pandora have been well covered, little attention has been given to individual entrepreneurs who are using streaming as a means of attracting audiences and advertising dollars. This comparative case study provides a contrast in the business models used by two former broadcasters who are using streams in lieu of terrestrial radio signals to compete in two Kansas markets.     

Youth Radio Listening in New Zealand: More Choice,More Listening

This study found that in the 1O years since the near total deregulation of the New Zealand radio environment, the number of available youth- oriented radio choices has increased in three of the four markets examined, while the variety of choice increased in all markets. Results also showed that 10-17 year old 7ime Spent Listening (TSL) had increased significantly, contrary to trends in overseas markets, but growth was restricted to areas where the number of outlets had increased. It was evident that at least two of the promised benefits of deregulation (increased listener choice and increased listening) were justified. However, it did appear that there was an order of impact as a function of market size, with listeners in larger markets benefiting before those living in smaller, less revenue rich areas. Such growth was dependent on the financial success of commercial operators. It was concluded that the full effects of deregulation take time, particularly with reference to less commercially desirable markets, but there were warning signs that the impact could be selective and restricted to markets that can assist operators in achieving financial growth and profitability. It was suggested that countries considering changes to broadcast policy could learn from the New Zealand experience.     

Uneasy Listening: Pacifica Radio's Civil War. Cambridge,U.K.: Black Apollo Press, 2006

This historical account examines the Federal Communications Commission's investigation and hearings into newspaper ownership of radio stations. The hearing, which lasted from 1941 to 1944, were the opening round in what has proved to be a long‐term concern of the commission—cross‐media ownership in local markets. In the years since the newspaper hearings, the FCC has held to its decision to police cross‐media ownership case‐by‐case with the goal to avoid local monopolies. FCC ridings blocking cross ownership have been argued repeatedly, but the commission's authority has been upheld. Thus the hearings had an important result: The FCC reasserted its responsibility to ensure ownership diversification of broadcast stations. The hearings set the stage for future action by the FCC to police cross ownership, action that has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.     

The State of Spanish-Language Radio

This study focused on the ownership, programming, and competition patterns of Spanish-language radio stations in the top 50 Hispanic metropolitan areas. Data were collected from industry resources and measured a variety of variables, including ownership type, concentration, and format diversity in these Hispanic radio markets. Overall, the results indicated moderate levels of ownership concentration in these markets, a degree of format differentiation within the local Spanish-language radio industry, and some degree of competition among Spanish-language radio stations.     

The Internet as a Small-Market Radio Station Promotional Tool

The combination of radio and the Internet has been solidly documented as a cross-media success for many advertisers. However, to what extent does the medium itself share in this success as it utilizes the Internet as a promotional tool? Even less is known about radio and the Internet in small markets. Based on a survey of industry experts located at radio stations in markets ranked loo+, this paper examines current promotional executions as well as explores possible future opportunities that small-market radio stations are considering as the Internet continues to grow and change.