…does anyone believe that consolidation has been good for radio? During the past five years, I’ve traveled the country asking people to describe what has happened to their local stations, and not one has told me that radio is better than it was a decade ago. Listeners complained that their favorite local D.J.’s, talk show hosts and reporters have disappeared, replaced by syndicated shows, automated programs, predictable song cycles and endless commercials.

Before the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which allowed a company to own up to eight radio stations in a single market and an unlimited number nationwide, one could hear the sounds of Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Seattle through their local radio stations. Today, big-brand stations dominate the dial coast to coast. Radio no longer makes our hometowns feel like home. … Saving Radio in the Satellite Era – New York Times

Not only that…consolidation means that our news and commentary are controlled by the same media giants that control the print media — and who, in turn, are controlled by big business.  Remember how they pimped our current war?