After our discussion about corporate media conglomerates and the evolution of regulations from the 7-7-7 rule to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, I dug around for additional information on Clear Channel's massive radio monopoly. You really don't have to look far to find brutal complaints and rave reviews.
First, I journeyed to Clear Channel's website. It's a site to see. Pun intended. Truly, I have never thought to not support Clear Channel. But I have also never seen the word "corporate" used so much on one page. If I was unaware as to what Clear Channel was, based on their website I would assume it was an advertisement agency. According to the "About Us" description, it provides outdoor advertising (through a subsidiary) and also offers broadcast and digital media and entertainment services through wholly-owned Clear Channel Radio."
Define "wholly-owned", I believe is the response Salon.com might give.
Salon's proper name for Clear Channel: "Radio's Big Bully".
As the biggest station owner in America, Clear Channel's site boasts they own over 850 stations, and reaches 110 million listeners every week.
Salon complains: Where's the localization in that?
It's a fair point. The more stations in an area owned by Clear Channel, the fewer local stations there are. Instead, the stations are fed from commercial radio, hundreds of miles away. According to Salon, the cut-throat nature of Clear Channel and the biases that come with them make for cruel intentions not revealed to the public.
Am I destined to abandon commercial radio? Unlikely. But Salon's was certainly an interesting perspective to explore.
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