Be Still "i Heart"

As a former radio sales person, manager and broadcast devotee for 28 years, Clear Channel Radio is, to me, a dirty word name.  The original "one size fits all" radio station conglomerate led the way in the destruction of original radio programming, unique on air voices, the promotion of new artists while defining radio formats as narrowly as possible and depriving listeners and advertisers of diversity.  Additionally, their hate mongering syndicated radio voices,  Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity have been a consistent source of revenue...until recently.

iHeart Radio or iHateRadio? Fans ‘Rush Out’ After Seeing Limbaugh Ad In Their FB Newsfeed  Liberals Unite   8/22/14

Clear Channel Radio was one of the first conglomerates to gobble up huge market shares of radio stations in major and middle size markets across the U.S, thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  Clear Channel squeezed the life out of live broadcasting by reducing the 24/7 live radio broadcast to a handful of pre-recorded dee-jay voiceovers that simulated a live broadcast.   Program Directors, once the heartbeat of  most radio stations began to go the way of the dinosaur.  They were primarily responsible for the sound, the look, the style and unique individuality of a station through their choices in music, on air personalities and promotional approaches.  Corporate cost-cutting relegated PDs to regional jobs or market jobs (1 guy for multiple stations) and disc jockeys to .  Do you ever wonder why no matter where you travel in the U.S. all  formatted stations sound the same?   Do you miss the great jazz stations, classical stations, news stations?  They weren't profitable enough.  They had to go.

It should be noted since 2006, Clear Channel has been co-owned by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital Partners & thomas H. Lee Partners.  Remember, "corporations are people, my friend."

The company, which has laid off thousands of employees in recent years, announced that it would move to more centralized programming and lay off 1,500 employees, or approximately 7% of its workforce, on January 20, 2009. The reasoning was bleak economic conditions and debt from its transition to a private company.^[37] Later on January 20, the company said that the total count of employees to be terminated would be 1,850, or 9%.
Between January and May 2009 Clear Channel eliminated 2,440 positions.^[38] On May 20, 2009, Clear Channel announced an initiative to help its radio station listeners who are seeking employment to market their skills and unique features on the air to attract the attention of employers with available positions.^{[39]   Wikipedia}

Clear Channel has been steadily losing ad revenue and market share in their brick and mortar stations thanks to contracts with the above-mentioned broadcasters, particularly since Rush Limbaugh's  malicious attack on Georgetown student Sandra Fluke in 2012 resulted in a "Boycott Rush" campaign. 

Apparently, people are continuing to boycott, complain and condemn the man for his wretched tactics and Clear Channel Media lost $309.2 million in 4th Q 2013.

With a song in my heart, that makes me feel good.

Oh How The Mighty Are Falling

    

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. empire continues to crumble in response to the phone hacking scandal in U.K., one powerful U.S. Senator is calling for a probe into the conglomerate to see if misconduct occurred on this side of the Atlantic.

Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the chairman of the commerce committee, urged government agencies late Tuesday to investigate News Corp's practices in the U.S., including reported targeting of Americans. The push comes as British Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans for an inquiry into the phone hacking scandal that's rocked the UK and as News Corp. announced it would withdraw its $12 billion bid to gain full control over British Sky Broadcasting because of the scandal.  The Huffington Post  7/13/11

From Jay Rockefeller's mouth to the FCC's ear. Problem is, the FCC hasn't any teeth.

The monopolies now enjoyed by the fortunate few broadcaste­rs in cable tv, tv and radio have been developing exponentially since 1996 when the FCC increased the legal market share each broadcaste­r could have in any particular market. It's been on a downward spiral ever since and the public is paying for it. This is why cable tv &/or satellite is so expensive. Rabbit ears? Free TV? All gone since the completion of the government mandated changeover from analog to digital.

AFter 28 years in radio broadcasti­ng, I left for a niche tv broadcaster on a low power signal in a resort area.  I had worked for some of the best broadcast companies, Westinghouse, Capital Broadcasting then some of the worst, SFX, Citadel.  I watched independent as well as larger broadcast entities like CBS change from a vibrant, market-oriented focus to become part of what now constitute­s only five major communicat­ions companies throughout the U.S.   There are over 8,000 radio stations folks.  Companies such as Citadel, Cumulus (just bought Citadel btw), Clear Channel and the conglomerate that is now CBS  have eliminated local news, local personalit­ies, format choices in favor of one size fits all broadcasti­ng. It's similar to the big box store rationale; you can be in any town anywhere, they are always the same.  It's called "economies of scale" and it's killing the medium.   They are run, for the most part, by financiers on Wall Street with little or no experience in broadcasti­ng. The result? Tens of thousands of jobs eliminated­, local focus gone.

How does this tie in to the Murdoch investigation?   My belief is the British investigat­ion into the phone hacking scandal will lead  to a U.S. investigat­ion of practices here.   He's already withdrawn his bid to buy 100% of British Sky Broadcasting which would have given him even greater control of British media.  Can you say Berlusconi?

The break down of companies of this magnitude is necessary for the greater good.  Information and entertainment have been funneled down to a very few sources.  We need to see more focus on companies who no longer follow the original dictate of serving the public interest via the public airwaves.