San Francisco Clear Channel Protest

Clear Channel: Freedom is a Dirt Road beside an 8 Lane Highway

What follows is the story of how Clear Channel, the largest owner of radio stations in the United States, and George W. Bush, the president of the United States, are bedfellows.

"...freedom is a two-way street," said George W. Bush in response to Natalie Maines, a Dixie Chick who told a London audience that she was "ashamed" to come from the same state as him.

But, apparently, freedom of speech is not a two way street, but more like a dirt path beside an eight lane highway owned by a Texas-based radio supergiant, Clear Channel Worldwide Incorporated.

After Maines made her comment, Clear Channel spoke for Bush: D.J. Glen Beck, of Premier Radio (the "talk radio" subsidiary of Clear Channel) suggested that Americans participate in pro-war rallies. Shortly after that, Clear Channel disc jockeys from all around the country promoted the "Rally for America." The "Rally for America" took place in many major American cities. At these rallies, people crushed Dixie Chicks cds, held up signs about the damn liberals, and cheered for the war. Sounds more like a "Rally Against the Dixie Chicks and for Killing" kind of thing than a "Rally for America" kind of thing to me.

This was the first time in the history of the United States that a broadcasting company had sponsored a pro-war rally. Strange, isn't it. Doesn't it seem that the public airwaves ought to be a place of balanced perspectives? A place where people both for and against war can let their sides be heard? An open place? It seems that way to me. How bizarre for some corporation to use the public airwaves to force its agenda for America!

Clear Channel owns more radio stations than any other company in the United States (nearly 1300); its closest competitor, Infinity/CBS Broadcasting owns 180 stations. Clear Channel has an estimated 170 million listeners. It controls 60% of Rock airplay. It syndicates talk radio broadcasts through Premiere Radio, producers of ultra-right wing "personalities" Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger. In Seattle alone, it owns five statins: Funky Monkey KFNK 104.9 FM, KUBE 93.3 FM, KJR 95.7, Fox Sports KHHO 850 AM, and KJR AM (more sports).

Clear Channel is especially dangerous to democracy and music for many reasons. First, its playlists are arranged at central headquarters and then sent to its satellites, so their is little or no local control of what songs get played on its stations. Second, being that its playlists are centrally created, there is little chance that new local talent will find its way onto the airwaves, denying the public access to new good music. But these criticisms could be made against most all radio. Most all radio is tied into a highly market driven system that stifles the public's ability to hear fresh music.

But Clear Channel takes things a step further. Clear Channel actually has banned acts that have made it through the regular corporate channels. For instance, the day after 9/11, Clear Channel banned 150 songs it deemed "too sensitive to play." Among the banned tunes was Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," John Lennon's "Imagine," and all Rage Against the Machine songs.

Clear Channel's strange treatment of successful corporate musicians doesn't stop there. It is not simply an owner of radio stations. It owns more than 100 concert venues in the U.S. (70% of all major concert venues in the U.S., including the White River Ampitheatre in the Seattle area); it also controls the U.S.'s largest concert promotion company in the U.S., Clear Channel Entertainment. By being the biggest radio station owner, promotion company owner, and venue owner, Clear Channel creates a synergy that enables it to fuck people over.

Clear Channel is currently being sued by Nobody In Particular Presents, a Cincinati promotion company. Nobody In Particular alleges that Clear Channel is an illegal monopoly. According to Nobody In Particular, when exclusive rights were given to WAQZ, an Infiniti station, to "present" Blink 182 at Riverbend Ampitheatre (a Clear Channel Venue), Randy Michaels, president of Clear Channel radio, got mad. He let Blink's label, MCA, know that WEBN and WAQZ should co-sponsor the show. MCA rejected this offer. "The night of the show, a WAQZ disc jockey...led the crowd through a few chants of 'EBN sucks.'...the next morning WAQZ was told that it was banned from promotional activities at Riverbend, as well as banned from other local Clear Channel concert venues."[1] Next, Randy Michaels allegedly threatened MCA, telling them that Clear Channel stations would stop playing Blink 182.

So we see that Clear Channel practices ruthless business and makes life hard for competitors and big successful rock bands. But its trail of victims doesn't stop there. It apparently has no problem destroying the lives of everyday little guys either.

For instance, before the U.S. invaded Afganistan, popular San Francisco D.J. and community affairs director, David "Davey D" Cook let Republican Congresswoman Barbara Lee appear on his show on a Clear Channel station. Lee was the only Congressperson to oppose military action in Afganistan. Shortly after that show, "Davey D" was told by the company that no longer had a job.

And perhaps most horribly, Tampa, Florida, Clear Channel D.J. "Bubba the Love Sponge," led a crusade in tandem with Fox's Bill O'Reilly to destroy the life of Sami Al-Arian. Sami was a Computer Science professor at the University of South Florida. He appeared on the Fox show "O'Reily Factor" to express his innocence in regards to charges that he had ran a think-tank for radical Palistineans refugees and terrorists. These charges had been dismissed by USF and an Immigration Judge before he appeared on the show. Bubba the Love Sponge spoke with such hate about Sami that many Tampa residents began calling in death threats to USF official. As a result, Sami was fired and his reputation was permanently damaged.

Why is Clear Channel so devoted to protecting the Bush Administration and promoting its bigoted foreign policies?

Like the Fox television network, Clear Channel is loyal to the Bush Administration because its officers are Bush's personal business buddies. Bush and these guys have a deal. The vice chairman of the company, Tom Hicks, was appointed by Bush (when Bush was governor of Texas) to head UTIMCO, University of Texas Investment Management Company. This company was in charge of managing the University of Texas endowment. Much of this money was then put under the control of private investment firms such as The Carlyle Group, a major Bush contributor. Hicks also purchased the Texas Rangers Baseball Club from Bush for an exorbitant price. This sale made Bush a very rich man. Bush scratches Hicks's back. Hicks lines Bush's pocket. Tit for Tat.

What can be done about this sad state of affairs?

In the short term, it seems to me to be a good idea to not listen to any Clear Channel Radio Stations in your area. Your can find out what stations Clear Channel owns by visiting http://www.clearchannel.com/radio/search.php. If you are an advertiser and you find this distressing, than you could abstain from advertising on Clear Channel Radio. If you are in a successful rock band, you could refuse to play at Clear Channel venues.



In the long term.....



Clear Channel is only able to own so many radio stations because in 1996, the Republican Congress passed the Federal Telecommunications Act. Before that act was passed Clear Channel only owned 42 radio stations. Perhaps a friendly Congressperson would write a bill to roll back that Act. Writing your Congresspeople and telling them of your disgust with this radio giant's use the public airwaves could prompt them to write such a bill.