The Radio Station, 8th Edition

Consultants and Syndicators 11

Radio Aid

Two things directly contributed to the rise of radio consultants: more stations – from 2000 in the 1950s to 12,000 in 2000 – and more formats – from a half dozen to several dozen during the same period. Broadcast consultants have been around almost from the start, but it was not until the medium set a new course following the advent of television that the field grew to real prominence. By the 1960s, consultants were directing the programming efforts of hundreds of stations. In the 1970s, over a third of the nation's stations enlisted the services of consultants. Today, the field of radio consultancy has shrunk substantially due to the corporatization of the radio industry. The ranks have dwindled to ...