I could care less if Entercom picks up a competitor.
"Mike", if that's your real name...I take it you don't work in any way shape or form in radio or any form of media. I do. Lemme tell ya why that assessment is off for a couple reasons...
1. Hand off the country format to a would-be competitor and have them try and run over you...not a good business strategy, is it?
2. If one company owns the format in the market, you're pretty much set. You've got a lock on certain demos and sales, and it wouldn't be wise for another competitor to try and squeeze it (unless if you're in a certain state in the Midwest, but that's a different story).
Also, as mentioned in another section, you do these wild predicaments and scenarios that seem to have no direction. I can relate, as I used to be like that. Then I actually started working in radio, working my way up, became a consultant for a bit, connecting with people and whatnot, and realized how foolish I was early on in my career. Work a few years at any station, talk to your GMs, PDs and sales people, and your outlook on how the biz truly operates will completely change. You're only seeing things short term/small picture (i.e. the 12+ ratings that aren't the tell-all story). Gotta see things long term/big pic (i.e. ratings within key demographics, revenue rates, etc.). I would imagine AQH, David, BigA, KXA, John Davis and even Frank (by the way, hi Frank! I used to be on this site a lot prior to late 2013, then the big change up happened, but now I'm back on a here/there basis) can agree with me. My advice: sit back, don't play armchair QB, ask questions here/there, chill on the wild, farfetched predictions, do some research, and don't get offended when someone calls you out. That last part won't help you learn.