Drake-Chenault

Drake-Chenault Enterprises (originally American Independent Radio Inc.) was a radio syndication company that specialized in automation on FM radio stations. The company was founded in the late-1960s by radio programmer and deejay Bill Drake (1937–2008), and his business partner, Lester Eugene Chenault (1919–2010). Drake-Chenault was the predecessor of Jones Radio Networks with its syndicated satellite-delivered formats.

In the 1940s and 1950s, FM radio stations began to appear all over the US, generally alongside a sister AM station. Most stations held their FM license by simulcasting the programming of the AM sister station.

In the 1960s the FCC introduced a rule that prohibited owners of AM and FM stations from simulcasting in an attempt to increase variety of programming and generate FM listenership. The FM audience share at that time was very small. Since the AM and FM stations aired the same programming, there was little reason to listen to FM. The rule targeted major markets first and had a "roll-out" period of several years with a smaller percentage of simulcasting allowed each year and smaller markets coming under the rule.

When station operators chose what format to air on the FM stations, one of the objectives was to not compete with the AM station. During this time AM stations could target big audiences so stations could be categorized with broad definitions such as MOR, top 40 and country/western. So "counter-programming" the FM was simple. A broadcaster with a youth-targeted Top 40 AM station would likely target an older demographic on the sister FM, or vice versa if the AM was an older-targeted MOR station. Nearly every large market had a "progressive rock" album station, a forerunner to AOR, and a "beautiful" music station. Both approaches had some early success. The baby boomers gravitated to the better audio quality, fewer commercials and "hipness" of the free-form rock stations. Older FM listeners embraced the lush sounds and fewer commercials of beautiful music stations. Many offices and retail stores used the "beautiful" stations as free background music.

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