The results of this study reveal a dismally low level of minority and female ownership of radio stations in America that has left two-thirds of the U.S. population with few stations representing their communities or serving their needs. Racial or ethnic minorities own just 7.7 percent of all full-power commercial broadcast radio stations, though they account for 33 percent of the U.S. population.
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- Latinos own just 2.9 percent of all U.S. full-power commercial broadcast radio stations.
- African-Americans own only 3.4 percent of this country's full-power commercial broadcast radio stations.
- People of Asian descent own less than 1 percent of full-power commercial broadcast radio stations.
Listen to the press conference announcing the release of the report featuring FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Johnathan Adelstein, Gloria Steinem, and Civil Rights leaders.
Our previous study, Out of the Picture, found that minority ownership of broadcast television stations was similarly anemic -- people of color own just 3.3 percent of stations.
These groups' level of radio station ownership is only slightly higher, despite the fact that the cost of operating a radio station is dramatically lower than a TV station. Moreover, radio station ownership is very low compared to the levels seen in other commercial industry sectors.
Minority-Owned Stations Thrive in Less-Concentrated Markets
Our analysis suggests that minority-owned stations thrive in markets that are less concentrated. Markets minority owners have fewer stations per owner on average than markets without them.
- The probability that a particular station will be minority-owned is significantly lower in more concentrated markets.
- The probability that a particular market will contain minority-owned station is significantly lower in more concentrated markets.
Allowing further industry consolidation will unquestionably diminish the number of female- and minority-owned stations. The FCC should seriously consider these consequences before enacting any policies that could further concentration.
Ownership and Programming Diversity: A Case Study of Talk Radio
Though the focus of this study was on structural ownership, recent controversy surrounding remarks by two prominent talk radio hosts —Rush Limbaugh and Don Imus — spurred an examination talk radio programming on minority- and female-owned stations. We found:
- No minority-owned stations aired "Imus in the Morning" at the time of its cancellation.
- All minority-owned stations and minority-owned talk and news format stations were significantly less likely to air "The Rush Limbaugh Show."
- Having a minority-owned station in a market was significantly correlated with a market airing bothconservative and progressive programming.
- Overall, markets that aired both conservative and progressive hosts were significantly less concentrated that markets that aired just one type of programming.
These results suggest that diversity in ownership leads to diversity in programming content. This result may seem obvious. But policymakers may have forgotten the reason behind ownership rules and limits on consolidation: Increasing diversity and localism in ownership will produce more diverse speech, more choice for listeners, and more owners who are responsive to their local communities.
There are more links to the actual studies and how to defend media diversity at the link below. Good info this audio addict likes to be aware of. :-)
