Why have so many local radio stations gone to syndication?

We used to have such a warm and friendly format to our main local radio station, with all local personalities and snappy informative banter interspersed with middle-of-the-road talk and even some nice adult standard music. Then about ten years ago, the station was sold. Not much changed then, the same local personalities were kept with their own brand of entertainment, but a few syndicated programs were added, mainly to the mid-afternoon and late-night slots. However, about 3 years ago, another broadcast company acquired the station, fired everyone but the morning show host and has a continuous in-your-face syndicated talk format. Even the morning host has changed his persona form a fatherly icon to an abrasive and abusive loudmouth. What's going on the the radio business?

It's a combination of things. Radio operators begged the FCC to allow them to own more than the old 7-7-7 standard of no more than 7 stations and/or newspapers. The FCC finally gave in and passed the telecommunications act about ten years ago, allowing almost unlimited ownership of radio stations. Be careful what you wish for.

Anyway, they all "went public" and now have to answer to Wall Street. So they have to constantly show revenue growth to keep the stock price high and the Wall Streeters happy.

Enter Steve Jobs with iTunes. Enter Sirius & XM with commercial-free music for $13/month, Enter internet radio. Whoops, radio's in trouble.

They try everything to keep the revenues: cut down on contests, put one person in charge of 7-8 radio stations and consolodate them under one roof destroying any competitive spirit.

They spend more on salespeople than talent. Establish a central studio at corporate HQ and syndicate from there to save money on local DJs and announcers.

They also pay other companies to provide content if they feel it will bring them more money than their own syndicaton.

They see AM as a complete drag and FM as the solution. They completely screw up the HD potential. So they put talk shows on their AM properties because it requires no local talent. If it works, fine, if not - the younger people (who bring in the ad dollars) will listen to their FM stations.

Now, fully messed up and Hoist by Their Own Petard, they are desparate - that's what's happened to radio... but don't get me started.
-a guy named duh

One word - MONEY. It's cheaper to air syndicated shows that to keep a staff of on-air hosts. Also the public taste has changed. Most want cutting-edge, fast-paced entertainment. "Nice" doesn't bring in ratings anymore.

Give debodun the 10!

All about DA MONEY! Localized radio, as we know it, is starting to die off because of syndication.

As all the other posters have pretty much said.. radio after deregulation looked to make money the cheapest way possible but return revenue for wall street. So why have a staff of Djs for the small community town when I can have someone pre-record their part in another state and the power of computers can make it sound like they are very local.... Fool people thinking the great talent lives around town.

Your fatherly figure was probably told to get abrasive or he would be on the bench just like the other Djs.. So we see what happened there.

But yeah since 1996, radio has gotten less local pride and more generic.. maybe why people don't want to hear radio for anymore.... Music and a great warm personality keeps people like you in place. However, I've only found this now at small town stations anymore as most big city stations are so cookie cutter, it isn't funny.

But I think the players are being assembled for radio to become more pre 1996 sounding in a corporate radio world.

money is the main reason. check out tom joyner doug banks and steve harvey michael baisden they are some of the best . check your local listing.