Bill Park

In 1996 Congress passed the Telecommunications Deregulation Act that, among other things, lifted many federal regulations on the ownership of radio stations. Prior to 1996, the largest number of radio stations owned by a single corporation was thirty-eight; since then, several corporations have acquired hundreds of radio stations nationwide. In the following viewpoint Bill Park argues that while such a trend has been profitable for a few corporations, it has been harmful to radio as a whole. Listeners have fewer choices in what music they hear, communities have lost local control and input, and employees of radio stations have suffered from downsizing and layoffs. Bill Park is a recording engineer and senior editor at Prorec.com, a website for music recording professionals.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Park characterize the radio...