If you ignore simulcasts, according to my counts there are 4.231 licensed AM stations and 8,601 FM stations in the United States. About 7,000 of them are customers of Dial Global, whuch is about to be swallowed up by Cumulus Media, unless the US Department of Justice objects.
What do radio stations buy from Dial Global?
Westwood One News Talk – Jim Bohannon, Dennis Miller, Phil Valentine
NBC Radio – Dirk Van, NBC Sports Radio, Meet the Press
former Jones radio – Clark Howard, Herman Caine, Ed Schultz, Thom Hartmann, Stephanie Miller! bill Press
CBS Top of the hour news
Talk Radio Network (station reps)
NCAA sports
NFL Sports
Professional Golf
A whole bunch of 24/7 satellite delivered music formats
Show prep, jingles, imaging,
Dial Global could sell to radio stations at “arm’s length” because they own no radio stations. How are you going to feel about buying products from the radio station owner that is your ompetition?
While Cumulus bought ABC Radio, they didn’t buy ABC Radio News, which is created by ABC TV, still owned by Disney. There is speculation that Lew Dickey will drop ABC Top of the hour news and replace it with a service he will create in Atlanta using unemployed ex-CNN people (Cumulus is located in Atlanta)
Part of convincing The money people to let Cumulus take over DG is the promise Dickey will reduce expenses by $40 million
This doesn’t have a happy eninb