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Why does it seem that all new music sounds so similar? I’ve been asking myself that question for a while, so I have done some research and I believe that it all started with something I would have never suspected: the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

The Act was enacted in January 1996 and its primary aim was to deregulate the communications industry by letting “anyone enter any communications business – to let any communications business compete in any market against any other.” It was the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in over 62 years, and media and communications changed drastically over the course of the 20th century in a way that had never been seen before. In this way, some action and change in legislation was needed to face these rapid changes to the industry. According to the Federal Communications Commision, the law affected telephone service, cable programming and other video services, broadcast services and services provided to schools.

However, one area where it had a tremendous, and arguably detrimental, impact was radio. The Act removed the limit on the number of radio stations a company could own, which paved the way for large corporations to buy out small, local broadcasters across America. 

Prior to 1996, there had been many local radio stations where presenters themselves could decide what to play, with diverse playlists on the airwaves, leading to greater musical variety because there was representation for various tastes. Even in major markets you could turn on the radio and get independent radio, which was great for emerging artists as local radio often supported independent artists without the backing of a major label and allowed them to reach a broad audience and gain recognition, building a fanbase and a community connection. 

However, when the Act was enacted, this all changed drastically. The number of radio stations which could be owned by a single company had been increasing since the 1950s, when the limit was at 7 broadcast stations. In 1984 this increased to 12, and it became 40 in 1990. But in 1996, the cap was completely gone. 

Clear Channel Communications, rebranded as iHeartMedia in 2014, bought 49 radio stations right after the law was passed. Shortly after, they bought Jacor Communications, a media company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, for $6.5 billion, bringing the amount of stations under their control up to 450. Clear Channel eventually became one of the biggest media conglomerates in the world, hitting 1,240 radio stations.

Now, you can drive across the United States and only hit iHeartMedia radio stations. As of 2023, they own 868 radio stations throughout the country. This has not only removed each community’s individual voice, seeing as everything broadcast is determined from a corporate office instead of the area where it will be listened to, but it has drastically cut down musical variety.

What this means is that, since the stations are programmed externally, there is no opportunity for new, local artists to emerge with new and creative ideas. Everything must be cut from the same cloth, must suit the tastes of those at the iHeartMedia offices, or it will not be played on the radio. Originality in mainstream music, therefore, has decreased because, in order to get media exposure, artists will ensure that their work sounds like everything else on the radio so that it will get played.