As of August 2012 we counted 40 licensed radio stations serving the Charleston area – 31 FM and 9 AM stations.  Of the 40, 8 are “FM translators,” which do not originate programming but relay broadcasts from other stations to some part of the Charleston area.

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Twenty-six of the 40 stations (65%) are classified as primarily music, news, talk, sports, or Spanish stations.

• 9  of these are owned by two out-of-state corporations (Clear Channel Media and Entertainment of San Antonio, TX and Cumulus Media of Atlanta, GA)

• 2 are owned in-state but out of the Charleston area (SC Educational TV Commission in Columbia)

• 15 are locally owned stations

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Fourteen of the 40 stations (35%) are classified as Christian, religious, or gospel stations.

• 8 of these are owned by out-of-state enterprises (4 in Idaho, 1 in California, 2 in North Carolina, 1 in New York)

• 4 are owned in-state but out of the Charleston area (3 in Greenville, 1 in Greer); and

• 2 are locally owned

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Of the 8 FM translator stations (20% of all stations), 7 are Christian/religious and 1 is Spanish.

• 5 translate out-of-state stations

• 1 translates an in-state-station that is out of the Charleston area

• 2 translate local stations (one of which itself originates in-state but out of the local area)

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In sum, 42.5% of licensed radio stations that broadcast on frequencies receivable in the Charleston area are owned out-of-state.

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Nine popular radio stations in the Charleston area are currently owned by either Clear Channel Media and Entertainment (the largest radio station owner in the U.S.) or Cumulus Media (the second largest owner).  Although audiences do fluctuate over time, our best estimate is that about 45% of the radio audience in the Charleston area listens to Cumulus Media or Clear Channel Media.  So a very substantial amount of local listeners’ radio programming actually has been produced by one of these two media giants.  It has been beamed from afar to towns and cities all across the country, including our own.  This means, of course, that it has a certain “generic” quality about it and that most certainly it does not focus on local issues, needs, artists, entertainers, or events.

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In considering the competitive tension between large media corporations and small local broadcasters, it’s important to remember that both make their profits by attracting audiences that are then ‘sold’ to advertisers.  The bigger the typical audience, the more an advertiser is willing to pay for air time and the more profitable the broadcaster will be.

Programming on the 9 stations owned by Clear Channel and Cumulus is skewed to the corporate imperatives of these two media giants.  Programs that gather and hold the largest audiences – thus enabling the corporations to sell the most big-dollar advertising – rule.  Programs geared to smaller, more specialized audiences fall by the wayside.  In the process, programming of local concern in Charleston (or any other specific locality) is very unlikely to make the national cut.  And as a result the people of our area are less informed about local matters that could truly enhance our lives and at times might even be of life-or-death importance.