Best Chart Ever

Because of a single comment on an old post here. I just got to see the best chart ever. All the Venn diagrams in the world can't explain the pace of consolidation the way Ben Bagdikian did in 1983. But this flow chart is strikingly clear. You can see the whole page here.

It spells out the eventual consolidation of a slew of old media groups: Jacor, CBS. Midwest, Citicasters, Gannett, Point Communications, Capstar, American Media, Viacom... and many others who all now boil down to just two conglomerates: Infinity and Clear Channel.

The Radio Ownership Pie

I ate a lot of Pie as I've said before: Blueberry, Apple, lemon Merengue, and Apple Rasberry. That's 4 slices in all, or the equivalent to 50% of any one pie. In radio, nobody owns 50% of the American pie thankfully. I've been thinking about the radio ownership pie recently, propbably since I first read about the Susquehanna/Cumulus merger. With CC so far in the lead it dosen't do much to change the balance of power, but it compresses things further.

For the record, As of 2002, 21 companies own more than 40 stations each.
this is from my favorite geeks at STATE OF THE NEWSMEDIA.
http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2005/index.asp

NUMBER/OWNER
1207 Clear Channel Communications
268 Cumulus Broadcasting Inc
218 Citadel Communications Corporation
184 Infinity Broadcasting
107 American Family Association Inc
105 Entercom
91 Salem Communications Corporation
76 Regent Communications Inc
76 Cox Broadcasting
74 ABC Radio Inc
71 Saga Communications Inc
64 Educational Media Foundation
63 Radio One Inc
61 Univision Communications Inc
58 NextMedia Group
57 Entravision Holdings LLC
54 Waitt Broadcasting Inc
46 Triad Broadcasting Company
43 Forever Broadcasting Inc
42 Beasley Broadcast Group

Ben Bagdikian wrote some great things about this topic. Back in 1983 he was fanaticly worrying about ologopoly in media. Everything he was paranoid about then, came to pass in the next 25 years. Of course that means for him that he is not actually paranoid and that they are actually out to get you.
BUY THE BOOK:
LISTEN TO HIM YAP:

Other things Pie in radio
Radio Pie: nice biographies and interviews with everyday people.
I listen. You should too.