Radio Broadcasting & Programming Industry Profile

Companies in this industry operate radio broadcast studios and transmit music, talk shows, news, and other audio entertainment formats to the public. Major US-based companies include iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel Communications), Cumulus Media, and SiriusXM Radio; leading companies based outside the US include the British Broadcasting Corporation (the UK), NRJ Group (France), and Promotora de Informaciones, also known as PRISA (Spain).

Revenue for the radio industry across 17 major global markets measured by Ofcom, the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the UK's broadcasting industry -- including the US, Germany, China, the UK, France, Japan, Australia, and Italy -- exceeded $35 billion in 2016, according to Ofcom's analysis of data from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Advertising revenues accounted for three-quarters of the overall total. The US has the highest number of radio stations, followed by Brazil, Spain, and Italy.

The US radio broadcasting and programming industry includes about 5,400 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $21 billion.

The industry includes radio networks and stations, but not companies that broadcast only on the internet or that primarily produce taped radio programs.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Business advertising and consumer demographics drive demand. The profitability of individual companies depends on advertisement volume, programming mix, and efficient operations. Large companies have economies of scale in sales operations and in contracting for programming. Small companies can compete effectively with special programming or broadcasters ...