Galaxy Communications president Ed Levine is quoted in today's R&R Online on the issue of media consolidation. Saying that "smaller, focused organizations will always thrive", his hope for the new year is that large organizations like Clear Channel and Citadel will scale back their ownership in markets where they control more than five or six stations.
Successful radio means "crafting a unique and meaningful product supported by a focused sales effort," the Galaxy Communications President tells R&R ONLINE, and that doesn't work in large clusters. His New Year's wish is for some of the large consolidators to shed their fifth or sixth stations in a market. "These stations get treated like 'red-headed stepchildren.' Smaller, focused organizations will always thrive." Levine also wants the FCC crack down on XM and Sirius' use of repeaters, which he calls "nothing more than a hedge against their business model." But he places the health of the economy as the top priority in 2002. "We've been in an advertising recession for close to a year," he says. "Radio felt it first. Hopefully it will feel the recovery first."
Thanks to volunteer Ashley Caster for helping to get this archive article republished.