I heard that Clear Channel is the one that owns the most stations and that Cumulus was the 2nd. What are the others down the line? Can someone provide a list? It doesn't have to be every broadcasting company - just the major ones. I'd like to see how they rank. Thanks.
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List of largest radio broadcasters?
- Thread starter icycool7227
- Start date
icycool7227 said:
Without getting into billings, here are some of them based on station count
Clear 851
Cumulus 340
Citadel 228
CBS 130
Entercom 112
GAP 112
Salem 95
Saga 91
Cox 86
Univision 70
Regent 60 ESPN and Radio Disney
Entravision 47
Beasley 45
ABC/Disney 42
Multicultural 41
Cumulus 2 34 Cumulus Media Partners, old Susquehanna
Journal 33
Bustos 29
Emmis 23
Crawford 23
AGM 22
Lincoln Financial 14
Who did I forget?
O
ok walters
Guest
How about Black Crow? I know they are in some financial trouble, but I think they are in the 20's somewhere.
Does the CCU list include stations in the Aloha Trust? I was thinking CCU was considerably smaller than 850 stations now.
PTBoardOp94 said:
There are 37 more stations in the trust. The figure I gave does not include them.
DavidEduardo said:
Bonneville I assume has less than 14 ?
Speaking of company number three:
The Wall Street Journal reports Citadel's scale-skinned CEO isn't too happy about being challenged by one of his own species, Aurelius Capital Management.
RBR.com reports: "Citadel Broadcasting Corporation has asked the judge overseeing its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding to void stock purchases by Aurelis Capital Management and other entities associated with its Senior Managing Member, Mark Brodsky ... Aurelis disclosed in an SEC filing that since late March it has acquired 16.7 million shares of Citadel’s common stock for a total of $1,213,477.13. That’s an average of just under 7.3 cents per share." If nothing else, Aurelius bumped up Citadel's share price. Sell! Sell!
And in Michigan, where Citadel once dismissed an employee afflicted with cancer and canceled his medical insurance, the mongoose enters the fray: From today’s T-R-I Newsletter: Michigan’s attorney general tells a federal bankruptcy court in New York that Citadel “failed to file its 2008 Michigan Business tax return" and it has doubts “as to whether the debtor’s proposed plan (to re-organize and flush away two-thirds of its debt) is offered in good faith.” Michigan is an unsecured creditor in the Citadel bankruptcy proceeding.
Wonder if broadcasting's largest debtor in possession owes taxes in California?
The Wall Street Journal reports Citadel's scale-skinned CEO isn't too happy about being challenged by one of his own species, Aurelius Capital Management.
RBR.com reports: "Citadel Broadcasting Corporation has asked the judge overseeing its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding to void stock purchases by Aurelis Capital Management and other entities associated with its Senior Managing Member, Mark Brodsky ... Aurelis disclosed in an SEC filing that since late March it has acquired 16.7 million shares of Citadel’s common stock for a total of $1,213,477.13. That’s an average of just under 7.3 cents per share." If nothing else, Aurelius bumped up Citadel's share price. Sell! Sell!
And in Michigan, where Citadel once dismissed an employee afflicted with cancer and canceled his medical insurance, the mongoose enters the fray: From today’s T-R-I Newsletter: Michigan’s attorney general tells a federal bankruptcy court in New York that Citadel “failed to file its 2008 Michigan Business tax return" and it has doubts “as to whether the debtor’s proposed plan (to re-organize and flush away two-thirds of its debt) is offered in good faith.” Michigan is an unsecured creditor in the Citadel bankruptcy proceeding.
Wonder if broadcasting's largest debtor in possession owes taxes in California?
SuperRadioFan said:
28... I was doing the names from memory, then looking for counts on a datasbase. I'm sure I missed others
Aurelius is also unhappy that Citadel management will get stock options worth more than $100-million dollars in the proposed bankruptcy settlement. Meanwhile, current shareholders would get nothing. I guess you get a better reward if you mismanage your company into bankruptcy than if you buy stock.
Are we only listing groups that are publicly traded stock companies?
I've been too busy the last couple of days to dig around but I am thinking there are several small groups that are geionally based but may be owned by one individual or privately held by a family that are not showing up on these lists.... groups that would surpass the 14 station level.
I've been too busy the last couple of days to dig around but I am thinking there are several small groups that are geionally based but may be owned by one individual or privately held by a family that are not showing up on these lists.... groups that would surpass the 14 station level.
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
All companies...
Ranked totals are...
832 Clear
344 Cumulus
278 EMF
229 Citadel
138 American Family
130 CBS
112 Entercom
112 GAP
94 Salem
91 Saga
87 Cox
70 Univision
66 American Family
65 Cherry Creek
60 Regent
53 Three Eagles
52 Radio One
50 Bicoastal
47 Midwest
47 Entravision
45 NRG Media
44 Nassau
44 Birach
44 ABC Disney
43 Beasley
43 Baker Family
41 Mapleton
39 Max
39 Arthur Liu
39 Minnesota Public
38 Aloha
36 Bott
35 Moody
35 Withers
34 Bible
These numbers change almost daily, so this is a "best guess" approximation.
So then, why are we (I'll include myself) all so upset about the large groups like Clear Channel? CC has a bit over 5% of the total properties. And look what happened to them when the grew to the point of owning perhaps 9% of the total broadcast outlets.
And why did some of us accept the CC BS, like "less is more"?
And why did some of us accept the CC BS, like "less is more"?
DavidEduardo said:
THIS to me is the most interesting name on that list.
With all the hate aimed at the "C" companies in radio, who is #3 on the list of station owners? Educational Media Foundation, owner of K-Love and a bunch of contemporary Christian radio stations. And an even more traditional company, American Family, is #5.
Every day I read messages on this board that ownership laws need to be changed, big radio companies are greedy and are ruining radio, and we need more mom & pops. Meanwhile, look at all the large Christian owners who are quietly having success. The current ownership laws aren't just about greed and profit. My advice to former broadcasters who are on the beach is to repent and become born again.
I also note that Minnesota Public Radio is an MSO now. I predict that we'll see more public, non-commercial groups in the future, as small educational owners sell their stations to larger groups. It was just announced that the State of New Jersey wants to sell its network of 9 radio and 4 TV stations. That will command a good price. Over on the New Jersey board, some people think that religious broadcasters will make a strong bid. Maybe.
It is a real eye-opener to attend a NRB Convention http://www.nrbconvention.org There is money in religious broadcasting.
TheBigA said:
Those of us who participate regularly in the more traditional function of the oldest and most traditional of religious enterprise, and those of us who have managed a "Christian Station" somewhere in our career watch this whole picture with beady eyes and furrowed brows. We wonder what the real story is.
I recently offered a bit of guidance and assistance to a would-be broadcaster who wants to acquire a Construction Permit from a religious broadcast group. Seems as though their money is NOT flowing well and they probably don't have the funds to crank up the new station.
Revenues generated from broadcast operations may not be the primary driving force for some of these groups of religious stations.
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
I would bet you're exactly right. Althought gambling is frowned upon in those circles.
I think it was Amy Semple McPhearson who said there's no great tool for spreading the word of God than radio. Even if the broadcasting side loses money, it does a lot to further the main mission (using their words, not mine).
That's also the case for Radio Disney.
As I often say, the main mistake of de-regulation was that it created a bunch of oversized radio-only companies that had no other large revenue streams once the advertising money dried up. That's not the case for non-profit religious broadcasters, and why they appear to be immune during this current depression.
It's interesting how when we worked at these underfunded mom and pop radio stations held together with chewing gum and bailing wire, we were hoping for the day when some radio company with deep pockets would come in, upgrade the equipment, have employee benefits, etc. Then consolodation comes along and everyone has been screaming since 1996 that we need Mom and Pop back, and if the business became all Mom and Pop we could split the revenue 8 ways instead of 3 and we'd all be talking up intros again.
I somehow don't see AT&T or Geico buying radio stations, especially 12 scattered across 12 cities. I doubt Nationwide Insurance would take WNCI in Columbus back, since they bought naming rights to the Arena. If Time Warner could buy hundreds, would they bring back local DJs? Play obscure songs?
I somehow don't see AT&T or Geico buying radio stations, especially 12 scattered across 12 cities. I doubt Nationwide Insurance would take WNCI in Columbus back, since they bought naming rights to the Arena. If Time Warner could buy hundreds, would they bring back local DJs? Play obscure songs?
The real scary part is that the companies that once owned radio stations aren't even buying spots on radio stations any more. I can't remember the last time I heard a Nationwide spot on the radio. When Google got into the radio ad business, did they buy any stations? No. They bought an equipment manufacturer and ended up taking a huge bath on it. Of course, they would have lost even more had they bought radio stations. But my point is that companies that might benefit by owning stations aren't buying them.
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