The radio business here changes daily, in tandem with our demographics. Every time someone exits Interstate 75 or arrives at the airport to call Southwest Florida home and tunes in the radio to a local station, the market changes slightly. Radio isn't a static business.

Southwest Florida has about 30 radio stations ranked by Arbitron as having some market share. Of these, the top 10 stations account for more than 50 percent of market share. Of those 10, all but one belong to corporations that own four or more local stations, as well as other stations nationally. This is a fairly common market landscape among metropolitan areas of our size.

But compared with other places in the country, the radio market here serves a larger percentage of people over 35, and the ratings reflect that demographic. The very top station plays easy-listening favorites, followed by one that spins country and another that features nostalgia or oldies.

But things are changing rapidly. The region's top stations also include WBTT, "The Beat," which targets a younger audience, and Spanish-language radio stations like WTLQ-FM.

The large companies owning groups of radio stations in Southwest Florida all report significant growth. All say they are making money and doing well here. Most have several niche-market stations within the regional market. The driving forces behind the advertising dollars fueling the radio business are ratings, so a constant stream of new listeners is good news for local radio.

Executives like to portray local radio as peaceful and quiet. But the competition can be brutal. Stations are known for pulling the plug on formats without any advance notice to advertisers, station sales reps, even on-air talent-and the listening audience. Competition usually heats up among comparable stations-both in format and in ratings.

One of the best examples may be found among the classic rock stations. In our market, we have a station that claims to play "Real Rock" (WRQC) and "Classic Rock" (WARO) as well as a station that calls itself "The Classic Rock Station" (WRXK).

Each of these stations has a different piece of the market, and just a quick listen to the self-promotion on any of these stations makes it clear: No matter which one you tune in, that one claims to be the best or the most authentic rock station around.

Because the market is ruled by ratings, demographics and market data, almost every station is armed with enough statistics to prove its hegemony within a certain market segment.

But demographics is only part of the picture. The human factor will always make the business of radio as much art as science. As WARO-FM deejay Michael Allen, popularly known as "Mud," says, "Radio is very personal. It's a comfort thing for the listeners. As radio reaches out to definable demographic groups of people, it also has to appeal to individuals in a very basic way in order to be successful."

The continuing consolidation of radio stations in ever-bigger corporations brings emotional responses from almost everyone in the industry. Some see it as the beginning of big corporate radio and a turn toward the lowest common denominator: the bottom line over quality. Others say that consolidation saved radio from becoming a medium of the past. In fact, the market today is as vibrant as it ever was. In Southwest Florida, there are several examples.

WAVV The Big Independent

Within the Southwest Florida market, the lion's share of the market is divided among large media companies. But Arbitron places one independent station-one of the last of these with a significant market share-squarely at the top. That station is WAVV-FM, "The Wave." WAVV-FM belongs to Alpine Broadcasting Network, based in Naples and owned by the Alpert family. General manager Jeff Alpert explains how it all came to be: "My father [Norman Alpert] built the station in the mid-'80s. We were on the air in 1987 with an adult contemporary format. After some consideration, we switched the format to easy listening in 1995. Since then our popularity has grown tremendously.

"Our revenues reflect steady market growth. We have a very loyal audience. Part of this is probably due to my father's influence on the music. He travels all over the world and brings back music from everywhere. We keep about 4,500 songs in rotation at any given time, so that people can listen to our station for long periods of time without getting tired of it."

Meridian Broadcasting

A Media Force

Meridian Broadcasting may be the most powerful radio force in Southwest Florida, with WTLT-FM, WARO-FM, WNOG-AM, WPTK-AM, WRQC-FM, WNRW-FM, WINK-FM, WINK-AM, WTLQ-FM, all either under management by or in a contractual sales alliance with Meridian. The broadcast giant also has a contract to run Ave Maria University's new radio station, WNRW-FM. But its status as a local (and national) media giant doesn't mean that Meridian's Southwest Florida stations aren't just as in touch with their audience as smaller stations.

"Each of our stations has its own market and is defined by who we are trying to reach. While some people may look at consolidation as a bad thing for radio diversity, we see it as simply a good business choice," says Joe Schwartzel, president and general manager. Meridian stations incorporate a diverse range of formats: from easy listening to Latino tropical; classic rock to talk radio and news. "Our business is growing very quickly in Southwest Florida," Schwartzel says. "Today's radio uses all available technology to bring up-to-the-minute news and targeted entertainment to our audiences. We thrive on giving the market what it wants. Most people listen to three or four different stations each day, for different reasons. We just hope that those are our stations."

Clear Channel Broadcasting On the Horizon

Clear Channel Broadcasting is another well-known national media company with a large stake in the Southwest Florida market. Clear Channel, based in San Antonio, Texas, operates WBTT-FM, WOLZ-FM, WDRR-FM and WCKT-FM locally, as well as the two Punta Gorda stations WCVU-FM and WKII-AM. Formats include country, jazz, "rhythmic hits" and old favorites.

The industry is healthy today, but that was not always the case, one company official says. "Today we are doing really well in Southwest Florida, with a nice growth level. But prior to 1996, the radio industry was in peril," says Jim Keating, vice president and marketing manager for Clear Channel in the Fort Myers-Naples area.

"The market was simply too fragmented. Most stations nationwide were losing money," Keating says. "Since the regulations have changed, companies like Clear Channel have invested a great deal of money in buying radio stations in markets like Southwest Florida. Today we use the best possible technology and gather our regional resources in what we refer to as clusters to make the most of our business."

One of the drawbacks of Clear Channel's commitment to technology and efficiency, according to some listeners, is its use of syndicated or prerecorded radio material. While all large radio companies use these canned broadcasts to some extent, each company has its own philosophy as to how much of it to use and when. While the quality of prerecorded programming is almost guaranteed, the mechanical deejay just doesn't cut it for many listeners, while others mourn the loss of local diversity and voices. Nevertheless, a judicious use of technology can make a huge difference to success-and the bottom line of the local cluster.

Perhaps the best example of Clear Channel's successful local cluster is in its sleek new building on Metro Parkway in Fort Myers. Here the various local stations pool their resources in a corporate environment, using all the latest technology. "We use a wide variety of high-tech analytical tools to help keep us on target," Keating says. "Most people don't think of radio as a business, but it has to be."

Beasley Broadcast

The Local Giant

Beasley Broadcast Group is the oldest continuously managed, publicly traded, pure-play radio company in the country, and it's based in Naples. Through 40 years of strategy, hard work and following the old adage of buy low and sell high, Beasley has expanded its media reach into the Los Angeles, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Southwest Florida markets. In 1988, Beasley moved its corporate headquarters from Goldsboro, N.C., to Naples, where it remains today.

The company went public on Feb. 11, 2000, surpassing $100 million in annual revenue by the end of the year. Also in 2000, Beasley acquired Centennial Broadcasting, adding clusters in Las Vegas and New Orleans.

In Southwest Florida, Beasley operates WJPT-FM, WRXK-FM, WXKB-FM, WJBX-FM and WWCN-AM, representing oldies and standards, classic rock, hot adult contemporary, new alternative and ESPN sports formats respectively.

"The consolidation of radio is forcing collective strategic thinking about what best serves our communities and our listeners," says John Rozz, program director for WRXK-FM (96 K-Rock), WJBX-FM (99X) and WWCN-AM. "Additionally, it allows us to reach a larger segment of the population. For example, Beasley Broadcast Group's five Southwest Florida radio stations are targeted to appeal to every demographic from age 12 to 64."

Renda Broadcasting

Room to Grow

Renda Broadcasting is another family company with strong ties to Naples. Renda has radio stations in a number of powerful markets throughout the country, including Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla. In Southwest Florida, Renda operates WWGR-FM, WJGO-FM, WSGL-FM and WGUF-FM.

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."