Drive Time

For Pittsburgh-based Renda, there is still a lot of room to grow here. "We are enthusiastic about the Southwest Florida radio market," says Tony Renda, president and owner of Renda Broadcasting. "We own a total of 23 radio stations in many different markets, but for us this market has the highest growth rate."

Renda points to the success of his local country station WWGR-FM, "Gator Country," as an indicator of the enormous potential of the market. "Gator Country is the number-one local radio station among adults 25 to 54 years of age. It is a huge success," he says. "Country is the single most continuing format in the United States, and with 100,000 watts behind our station, we are happy to have such a popular and far-reaching station."