Bobby Ocean asked if I had any funny ideas for a cartoon. (Whadda guy!) I told him I had a not-so-funny editorial idea. (Thank you, Bobby!) This 'toon sez it for me: Just Say NO to monopoly ownership! It's a sad state of affairs when one "executive" controls the decisions for most of the radio stations in a market.

30 years ago, the radio business was so full of opportunity and promise! Today, the opportunities are quickly disappearing and the promises have all been broken. A handful of corporate slaves now determines the fate of a once vibrant and creative craft. Even veteran broadcasters who would have preferred to own a few good radio stations are pressured into buying more than they can care for. It's a defensive move to prevent assimilation - resistance is futile.

What's happening in the radio business is WRONG. Don't believe for a second that things will get better without changes to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The legalized monopolies enabled by this legislation are sucking the lifeblood from airwaves that were supposed to belong to everyone - or at least, more than a few obese bankers.

Opinions expressed by Richard W. Irwin are not necessarily the opinions of Bobby Ocean®, Inc.

The Reel Top 40 Radio Repository urges you to write your federal representatives and tell them to stop the destruction of radio!