When you get older, you realize everything that you thought was, wasn’t. Life’s “operators” are nothing more than conmen. They’re not better, stronger, faster or smarter, they’re just willing to cheat. Businessmen like to portray that they are these rough and tumble titans of industry, working hard, taking chances. Ha! Big business is the world of monopoly and price fixing. Look at the lobbying of Congress, its nothing more than reducing risk. Every time there’s a new trade agreement (like the USMCA that just went into effect yesterday), you should really ask yourself, “Why is a free trade agreement 5,000 pages long?”

Radio used to be free. I think it was around 1926 the Palmer family started up WHO radio (I grew up next to the transmitter tower in Mitchellville). I read on Wikipedia that the Palmer family in 1997 sold to Jacor, who beget Clear Channel Communications, who beget iHeartMedia (“iHeart radio app! iHeart radio app! Brawk!). In 1996 the Telecommunications Act made radio monopoly legal, so Clear Channel/iHeart went on a buying spree. Like all corporations, they exist on borrowed money. So when the global financial crisis hit in 2007 and credit tightened, despite having a near monopoly, found themselves in tough times.

In March of 2018 they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (its not everybody who can lose their shirt when they own it all). With 855 stations they are the major player. Its interesting that AM radio which is one of the biggest media stories of the past 30 years, and has created many, many millionaires, should itself be in dire straights. There has to be something funny going on when you’re the only one drowning in a rising tide. So what we’re left with in central Iowa is all the same company (minus Des Moines Radio Group and maybe 1 or 2 other).

So what we’re left with in talk radio (WHO, KASI and KXEL) are 3 stations that are owned by the same corporation. No competition. No innovation. And the same ‘controlled’ formats. No wildcats like Alex Jones. Just nice, safe radio. KASI used to just be Trent Rice talking to himself for 2 hours. Now at least they have nationally syndicated Armstrong and Getty. KXEL’s Jeff Stein has been having some interesting stuff like yesterday a discussion about Jim Crow laws. I know this because WHO has hit rock bottom with Jeff Angelo in the morning.

I think Simon Conway in the afternoon could be better, but we’ll never know in the world of corporate radio. But at least I know what the other stations have now. But as its all iHeartMedia, you end up supporting them whether you want to or not. The only competition big business believes in is for labor, not for them. And the product suffers. Steel sharpens steel, and without the conflict of competition, radio becomes stagnant.