Collected Press Clips

Future of Music Coalition press clips following release of radio study November 2002 - January 2003 Study Shows an Increase in Overlap of Radio Playlists; The report by an artists' rights group says that morestations with different formats play the same songs. Industry officials disagree. By Jeff Leeds Los Angeles Times, November 15, 2002 http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-radio15nov15,0,4652989.story Ever since the Clinton administration Moreover, the study says, radio handful of giant media companies, loosened restrictions on how many companies that have grown the most including Clear Channel and Viacom radio stations a broadcaster could under deregulation are limiting the Inc.'s Infinity Broadcasting, which own, record label executives have choice of music by operating two or operates more than 180 stations. complained that media consolidation more stations in the same market Radio industry officials dismissed the would lead to bland playlists and with the same music format. The study's conclusions. homogenous programming. report said that Clear Channel Communications Inc., the nation's "The big gap in the logic is that the Now a coalition of musicians and biggest radio conglomerate, has 143 authors don't believe radio stations independent record label executives stations with similar music formats in care about what consumers do," said say they have statistical proof that the same market. Jodie Renk, general manager of Core the relaxation of ownership rules has Callout Research, a firm that tests stifled recording artists and The study contradicts the conclusions new songs with radio listeners. "damaged radio as a public of a September report by the Federal resource." The study was done by the Communications Commission. That "Stations spend hundreds of Future of Music Coalition, a report found that song diversity had thousands of dollars a year finding Washington-based nonprofit remained about the same since 1996. out what their listeners care about. organization that advocates artists' But that study looked at only the top The concept of these oligopolies rights. The study, to be released 10 songs played at each station. agreeing that they're all going to not Monday, found that although radio serve listeners is the most ridiculous station chains have increased the In the Future of Music Coalition thing I've ever heard." number of music formats available report, the authors say that radio on the air, they are increasingly broadcasters may be developing Diane Warren, a spokeswoman for playing similar lists of songs. For similar playlists in response to Clear Channel, agreed. "We spent a example, the study found that 76% of shifting consumer tastes. But the lot of time and money finding out the 50 most-played songs on stations report also includes a public opinion what our listeners want. If we don't labeling themselves as poll in which respondents said they give it to them, they will go "contemporary hit radio/rhythmic" were dissatisfied with the state of elsewhere." also are among the 50 most-played radio programming. songs on stations considering themselves "urban." According to the The report also echoed complaints study, the amount of overlap between from record labels and small these two formats in the last four broadcasters, who say deregulation years has increased 18%. has handed too much control to a FMC Press Clippings: Radio Consolidation 2 Music coalition study blasts radio consolidation in U.S. by Brooks Boliek Hollywood Reporter, November 15, 2002 WASHINGTON – Radio Telecommunications Act of 1996 has both its findings and results. consolidation has had an adverse not benefited the public or "The Future of Music Coalition's effect on musicians and the American musicians," a copy of the report study contains shoddy research and public by cutting down on obtained by The Hollywood Reporter superficial analysis," a spokesman independent voices and making it said. "Instead, it has led to less for the National Association of more difficult for emerging artists to competition, fewer viewpoints and Broadcasters said. "It was motivated get airplay, according to a survey to less diversity in programming." by an activist agenda and not by be released next week. balanced objectivity." The coalition's report claims that the The Future of Music Coalition wholesale deregulation of the radio The NAB argues that the radio analyzed changes in the radio industry has "damaged radio as a industry is far less concentrated than industry's structure from 1996, when public resource." other media and noted that the the Telecommunications Act was number of foreign language stations approved, through this year, "This research makes an has increased. recording the number of station overwhelming case that market acquisitions, the number of parent consolidation intended by the act Compared to other mediums, radio is companies over time and nationwide does not serve the diverse needs of one of the least consolidated. market share. The coalition, a not- American citizens," the report said. for-profit organization of musicians, "Substantial ethnic, regional and "Currently, there are nearly 4,000 technology experts and public-policy economic populations are not separate companies owning radio and intellectual-property law provided the service to which they stations in America," the NAB said. attorneys, also attempted to measure are entitled. The public is not "Five music labels essentially control the radio industry's tendency to play satisfied, and possible economic the entire music business, and a the same songs released by the efficiencies of industry consolidation handful of Hollywood studios control recording industry's major labels are not being passed on to the public nearly the entire movie business. over various formats. What the in the form of improved local coalition found wasn't pretty. service." "The radical deregulation of the radio But broadcast industry executives industry allowed by the dismissed the report, questioning FMC Press Clippings: Radio Consolidation 3 Study Decries Lack of Diversity in Radio Programming by Bill Cahir NNS Newhouse News Service, November 18, 2002 Congress in 1996 passed a The FCC next year plans to decide Has It Served Citizens and telecommunications law to promote whether to permit narrower corporate Musicians?" points out that 10 diversity in radio programming. But control of all forms of mass media, companies control two-thirds of the critics claim deregulation has not including television networks and radio market, including its turned out as planned. major newspapers. Public comments advertising revenues. are due Jan. 2. The music coalition Corporate consolidation in station submitted its study to the FCC on Kristin Thomson, a social policy ownership, according to a new study, Monday. researcher and public relations has enabled "oligopolies" to control specialist in Washington, and Peter specific markets, increased A change to the existing FCC rules DiCola, a graduate student in law homogeneity in on-air programming could allow one corporate parent to and economics at the University of and caused an intensifying case of own more than one national Michigan, note that two companies, listener's remorse. television network, more than eight Clear Channel and Viacom radio stations in one city, all of the International, control broadcasting to The National Association of cable television networks in a single 42 percent of all radio listeners. Broadcasters this week attempted to news market, several Internet service discredit the analysis by the Future providers, and the dominant The two companies collect 45 of Music Coalition, deeming the newspaper in the area, too. percent of the money generated by nonprofit group's study a willful radio stations nationwide. attempt to give the radio industry a Michael J. Copps, a member of the black eye. The music coalition's Federal Communications The music coalition concedes one survey of radio listeners, the Commission, urges journalists and point to the broadcasters' lobby, broadcasters' group claimed, was consumers to focus more attention noting that radio stations now offer biased and flawed. Radio remained upon the media-consolidation story. more formats to listeners than ever "one of the least consolidated before. But the different format mediums" in modern 'We're making decisions affecting not labels Adult Rhythm and Blues, telecommunications. just the diversity of entertainment Crossover and Rhythmic Top 40, for available to us, but the diversity of example are generally misleading, "There's more diversity in terms of viewpoints in our political dialogue," the study says. programming on the radio dial today Copps says. "And we are maybe than there has been in history," said putting at risk much of the openness Most formats spoon-feed the same Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the and diversity that we have valued so hit songs to listeners under different NAB. Wharton noted that the much in our media over the years." labels. Two formats, Rhythmic and number of Spanish language stations Proponents of liberalized rules for Urban, played 76 percent of the same over the past six years had grown media giants claim that the Internet songs in 2002, the authors reported. from 400 to 600. and satellite communications have They compared play lists published rendered obsolete the old-school by the Billboard Airplay Monitor and Debating what has happened in radio limits on media monopolies. Anyone another trade journal, Radio and since Congress passed the 1996 unhappy with one local newspaper Records. Telecommunications Act does not can read another one online, the constitute an idle exercise for argument goes. In a survey of 500 people conducted Washington lawyers. for the music coalition, the Behavior The Future of Music Coalition in a Research Center of Phoenix, Ariz., study called "Radio Deregulation: found that 80 percent of all listeners FMC Press Clippings: Radio Consolidation 4 Study Decries Lack of Diversity in Radio Programming NNS continued would favor federal action to prohibit further consolidation of radio station ownership. But the broadcasters' group says a survey sample of 500 people is too small to be accurate.

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