The Headline that SHOULD be: “Media Choice Dead In Houston, While City’s Sole Newspaper Lauds Arrival of ‘Classic’ Hip-Hop”, Is instead:
Former news station turns to ‘classic hip-hop’: Music rules the airwaves, fills chains coffers
By David Barron | October 13, 2014 | Updated: October 13, 2014 10:55pm
This story buries the lede; or it would, if the Chron was a real newspaper. I quote:
From the corporate angle, companies with a diversified group of stations lead the way in Houston in terms of revenue. The six stations owned by IHeartMedia, formerly known as Clear Channel, accounted for 30.8 percent of revenue generated by the six major chains through July, followed by CBS Radio’s six stations at 20.1 percent. Cox Radio’s three stations accounted for 14.1 percent of mid-year revenue.
Two more specialized chains also accounted for double-digit shares. Univison’s five Spanish-language stations accounted for 14.8 percent of revenue to 14.7 percent for Radio One’s three stations, and company officials apparently think a third urban format will help Radio One increase its audience and revenue share.
Let me distill down the most important facts in these two paragraphs:
- The six stations owned by IHeartMedia, formerly known as Clear Channel, accounted for 30.8 percent of revenue generated by the six major chains through July
- CBS Radio’s six stations at 20.1 percent. Cox Radio’s three stations accounted for 14.1 percent of mid-year revenue.
- Univison’s five Spanish-language stations accounted for 14.8 percent of revenue
- 14.7 percent for Radio One’s three stations, and company officials apparently think a third urban format will help Radio One increase its audience and revenue share.
So that’s 20 radio stations owned by 4 media companies in just this one market, and those 4 media companies collect 80.4 percent out of the 6 major chains.
SEVEN media companies own approximately 30 of Houston’s 50-odd radio stations.
But of course, media concentration isn’t the story here, when reported by Houston’s sole surviving daily newspaper.
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