Nationwide Format Oligopolies

Fourteen different radio station formats in Arbitron's 268 survey areas were examined to determine the extent to which a few radio station groups dominate particular music formats nationwide. It was postulated that due to relaxed ownership limits, new economies of scale, and changing station group rhetoric aimed at music companies, broadcast radio music formats would be controlled nationwide by a few radio station groups. When it was found that more than 50% of all US. listeners who tune to a specific music format were reached by four radio station groups, a nationwide format oligopoly was documented. Ten nationwide format oligopolies were recorded for Spring 1999.