Radio’s big problem: Big radio

Ask media buyers what word best describes the state of radio, and their first choice is “struggling.”

The reason radio is struggling, many believe, is because of consolidation that has concentrated radio ownership in the hands of a few industry giants. That’s led to the slashing of budgets at stations around the country and the replacing of local on-air talent with syndicated shows.Yet these same buyers remain huge fans of radio as an advertising medium, believing it to be superior to almost all other media in reaching consumers and driving sales (See below).

In short, their beef is not with the medium but its largest owners.