A new study released today offers new evidence that the radio industry has become highly consolidated since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, concentrating ownership in the hands of fewer and fewer big media companies.

Among the major findings in the new study by the Future of Music Coalition:

* Fewer radio companies: The number of companies that own radio stations peaked in 1995 and has declined dramatically over the past decade. This has occurred largely because of industry consolidation but partly because many of the hundreds of new licenses issued since 1995 have gone to a handful of companies and organizations.

* Larger radio companies: Radio-station holdings of the ten largest companies in the industry increased by almost fifteen times from 1985 to 2005. Over that same period, holdings of the fifty largest companies increased almost sevenfold.

* Increasing revenue concentration: National concentration of advertising revenue increased from 12 percent market share for the top four companies in 1993 to 50 percent market share for the top four companies in 2004.