We’ve all known that the consolidation of radio ownership has homogenized and narrowed playlists for years. The national takeover of companies like Clear Channel has made it extremely difficult for fresh, new and good music to get on terrestrial radio. An updated report by the Center for Public Integrity, allows you to see just how unbalanced radio ownership is in this country. Just type a zip code (or a city and state) into their Media Tracker, and you can see who owns all the radio stations in that area (plus the owners of television, cable, broadband and newspapers). If you’re ready to face the grimmest reality, go to the Clear Channel Communications Inc. page. There you will see that the media giant owns 1,177 licensed radio stations in 50 States. Each and every one of them is listed for your perusal.

The good news, of course, is that you can avoid terrestrial radio altogether. There are many great Internet radio stations out there (I’d recommend underground music station 3wk.com or seeking out a college radio station online). And, if you want to pony up a little cash, XM or Sirius satellite radio is certainly worth it…if you’re into things like variety and quality in your music. Support the alternatives (most of which are still struggling to make it), or Clear Channel’s stranglehold will truly become problematic for music lovers.

(Disclaimer: My wife works for the The Center for Public Integrity.)