ClearChannel Radio

[Pedalworld]

[TDPRI]

Clear Channel started out with two AM stations in San Antonio. They were the big "clear channel" type of AMs with tons of broadcasting power.

They grew to own the 14 or so stations that were permitted before the ownership rules changed. Then they went nuts and when prices were cheap they bought hundreds and then thousands of stations.

In the past few years, they've moved into Billboards, Music Venues, TV stations and such. It was probably smart business, but it just sort of turned into the big monopoly that it is today. I think the Chairman, Lowery Mays, is thought of as a pretty quiet, nice gentleman. Of course he's a billionaire now.

He sons have really taken over and they are drunk with power and money.

They have a smallish new but unassuming building behind a strip center in San Antonio in a fancy part of town called Alamo Heights -- really Alamo Height is its own separate town with San Antonio all grown up around it.

I think they've been too smart for their own good. It's backfiring on them and will continue to do so as they dominate the market with such a heavy hand.

Good Luck
Paul Green

[Matt Plescher]

begs the question: do most people want diversity on the radio or media? If diversity and lots of small musicians made money they'd do it. Was there ever a time that there was diverse commercial programming? Never in any market I've heard in the last 20 years. I'm not defending ClearChannel, I'm just saying it's nothing new. The same focus group music was being played on all those stations before ClearChannel bought them.

feel free to correct me on this

Cheers
Matt

[KC]

figured I'd better say something to pretend this was a telecaster topic -- though I guess if Paul's posting it must be OK . . .

but seriously, get in your time machine and travel back with me to 1968 -- look at any sample week and see what's in the top 20:

http://www.musicradio77.com/surveys.html


You'll find pop, rock, soul, jazz -- and this was at the number one "top 40" station in the country. you'll also see a lot more record labels, including some genuinely obscure ones. And I'm not even talking about "album-oriented" FM stations either, on which you could hear coltrane right next to the doobie brothers. there was a time when "monster mash" or "tell it like it is" could be released on a tiny label and eventually become a hit through airplay -- the label guys would bribe the local dj into playing it and if it took off in one market, it would be released more and more widely.

the reason pop music (country music, blues, etc) is in the toilette is because this can't happen anymore. there are no regional audiences, no local markets -- just big companies feeding vh1 and clear channel. you get your one shot (if you're very very lucky) and then you're expendable.

sorry for the rant but I'm old enough to remember when every week brought something new and interesting: beatles, who, hendrix, otis redding, iggy pop. I'm tired of living in the flat spot.

OK, back to decaf.

[genelovesjez]

Originally Posted by Matt Plescher

begs the question: do most people want diversity on the radio or media? If diversity and lots of small musicians made money they'd do it.

No they wouldn't. Big corporations have figured out that giving people what they want is hard - lots of people want different things. It's far easier to convince people that they want what you've got.

A diversity of voices in the media is necessary for a free society. So maybe the question is: do most people want a free society?

Just look at the Dixie Chicks example - they had to retract their viewpoint because they knew that the decision of one company could effectively end their career. No matter how you feel about what the Dixies Chicks said, no company should have that amount of power. I'm not saying it was perfect before - it never has been perfect - but that's no reason to accept a monopoly now.

[Matt Plescher]

Originally Posted by genelovesjez

No they wouldn't. Big corporations have figured out that giving people what they want is hard - lots of people want different things. It's far easier to convince people that they want what you've got.

I think it's some of both. Commercial radio does anything it can to ensure that a listener won't change the channel before listening to a commercial. Yes, much of that involves making what they play seem like what a listener wants to hear using marketing and hype.

But I'm also cynical about whether most listeners would embrace a more diverse set of songs on a given station. Many, many people have very limited tolerance for variety even within a specific genre, not to mention hearing something from another genre or something which appears to be crossover.

Cheers
Matt

[Matt Plescher]

Originally Posted by KC

sorry for the rant but I'm old enough to remember when every week brought something new and interesting: beatles, who, hendrix, otis redding, iggy pop. I'm tired of living in the flat spot.

Internet radio has solved this for me. I haven't listened to commercial broadcast radio in two years.

Cheers
Matt

[TDPRI]

Originally Posted by Matt Plescher

But I'm also cynical about whether most listeners would embrace a more diverse set of songs on a given station.

Matt, I think it depends on the age of the target audience. My daughter and I both have XM Satillite radios in our cars.

I listen to 4 or 5 album oriented rock and americana stations with a pretty diverse bunch of music. My daugthter listens to 20 on 20 which is a pop station without DJ's that pays only the top 20 pop songs... over and over and over again. And, when she's not listening to that she's listening to KISS-FM in LA on the XM radio.

But I guess that's more diverse than the usual market radio offerings.

Thanks
Paul

[Chrismeyer]

I used to work for a company in Chattanooga that called houses all over the country and played samples of music,then asked the preference of the person I was talking to .
Oh my God! I HELPED THEM!!!!!!How do I rid myself of this guilt?I never realized I was helping "the Man".
Oh well,They ARE Evil,and I HATE the radio because of it.
Have you realized how lately most rock stations have an "80's "show during the day?
Are they "getting it"?

[stantheman]

The Public Broadcasting System is really the only object in the way of Total Mind Control....believe it!!!
Truthfully the "Country" stations are the worst!!! The SOB's don't even play country anymore!!!think I'm makin' it up????? Turn on one of these "welcome to the
machine" country stations....ya hear any Merle Haggard?
Hank Williams Jr.? and you won't... you could listen all month and you won't hear Willie Nelson!!!.....what you will hear is the poor souls that THEY control....mere
employees of "The Machine". I only listen to non commercial PUBLIC RADIO and I actually hear guys like
Jimmy Rogers and Hank Williams Sr. and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Speedy West & Jimmy Bryant...
Y'know I know next to nothing about Phish, but I admire them for walkin' before they got swallowed up by the monolith. God Bless Em!!! If I may be excused I'm gonna go listen to Pete Seeger burn on KumBahYa...peace!

[Pedalworld]

[markophonic]

Evil, Greedy, Power Hungry, mind controlling, Big Business Scumbags.

Force feeding the masses mostly crap.

I've done quite alot of traveling in my 42 years and I remember many times driving across the country and being intrigued by the diversity of radio across the land.

I used to enjoy hearing ad's for little local establishments etc. Now you hear the same voice across the whole country and the same advertisments for the same large national chain type businesses.

I remember when the Free-form FM radio stuff came along....guys playing all kinds of music..thats where i learned about all types of music...from talented, hip, enlightened dj's.

Now its the same ole drivel...being force fed to you.

Get yourself a copy of Tom Petty's "Last DJ".

Peace/Out

[Low4]

We had a free-form FM station for a few months a few years ago. I loved it. Played local artists, too. Lasted about three months, then switched formats, since most folks complained about not being able to hear the same eten songs every hour...

[Bob Rogers]

I love it. Greedy, nasty, soulless, big business monsters are force feeding the masses things they don't want to hear. Public (i.e. government owned and controlled) media is the only refuge. Millionaire Dixie Chicks are being hounded by the thought police. What's next, George Bush and Dick Cheney swooping down in Black Helicopters and strafing alternative radio stations.

Look, it’s pretty damned simple. Clear Channel bought a ton of radio stations when they were cheap. Why were they cheap? Because they didn’t make any money. The people selling them didn’t think they were selling cheap. Clear Channel offered them a lot more than they could ever make by running a radio station. Now the stations are worth a lot more because Clear Channel actually got people to listen to them (Horrors!). If you can do a better job than Clear Channel, go to it. I think their programming sucks, but I don’t think the government should be telling anyone to broadcast the Bob Rogers playlist.

[reverbbb]

Except, play your telecaster more every day.

[Joel Terry]

Originally Posted by webmaster

I think the Chairman (of Clear Channel Communications), Lyle Mays, is thought of as a pretty quiet, nice gentleman. Of course he's a billionaire now.

Paul Green

REALLY, Paul? Are we talking about Lyle Mays, the incredible jazz keyboardist? Of the Pat Metheny Group? If so, he is a quiet, nice fellow, but I had absolutely NO idea he was such a major media figure!

If not, please forgive my ignorance.

I love life--you get to learn new and interesting things every day!

Thank you,
Joel

[Poppatwang]

Even when they were selling "cheap" they were worth millions.

[Bob Rogers]

Originally Posted by Poppatwang

Even when they were selling "cheap" they were worth millions.

Yeah, that was an easy way to pass the buck and blame the rich 10 years ago, but with the internet there are a lot of "cheap" ways to set up alternative media. Of course, they make much less money than someone pitching to the lowest common denominator. But, in fact, this is just what is happening. Cable, internet, and satellite are delivering huge amounts of music that goes beyond the top 20. I get 50 music stations over my cable. I grew up in Jersey during the heyday of FM radio. I was able to get all the Philly stations and most of the NY stations. I believe I have more variety now.

I'll bet that while we are *****ing about Clear Channel on TDPRI there is a DJ on an internet radio station *****ing about how bad a magazine Guitar Player is. "Start one yourself" is no longer an empty comback.

[genelovesjez]

Originally Posted by Bob Rogers

I love it. Greedy, nasty, soulless, big business monsters are force feeding the masses things they don't want to hear. Public (i.e. government owned and controlled) media is the only refuge. Millionaire Dixie Chicks are being hounded by the thought police. What's next, George Bush and Dick Cheney swooping down in Black Helicopters and strafing alternative radio stations.

Look, it’s pretty damned simple. Clear Channel bought a ton of radio stations when they were cheap. Why were they cheap? Because they didn’t make any money. The people selling them didn’t think they were selling cheap. Clear Channel offered them a lot more than they could ever make by running a radio station. Now the stations are worth a lot more because Clear Channel actually got people to listen to them (Horrors!). If you can do a better job than Clear Channel, go to it. I think their programming sucks, but I don’t think the government should be telling anyone to broadcast the Bob Rogers playlist.

Nice to see someone is still worshipping at the font of big business.

[hippietim]

Guitar Center, Wal*Mart, Target, Federated Department Stores, Barnes and Nobles, Borders, Sports Authority, General Foods, Dow, Coca-Cola, etc.

[Joel Terry]

Originally Posted by hippietim

Guitar Center, Wal*Mart, Target, Federated Department Stores, Barnes and Nobles, Borders, Sports Authority, General Foods, Dow, Coca-Cola, etc.

Do I smell a singular, ubiquitous, Orwellian brand--"Victory" brand, a la 1984--coming down the pike? (Why do you need freedom of choice? You reeeaalllly want freedom FROM choice, don't you? Let us soothe your weary heads, little sheep--we'll do the thinking and choosing for you. )

Oh my goodness...this is turning into a quasi-political thread, Paul...sorry.

Great thread, nonetheless!

Joel

[Bob Rogers]

Nice to see someone is still worshipping at the font of big business.

Well I may not worship at the font, but I think it would be hypocritical of me not to recognize where my good fortune was coming from. I'm not many generations removed from people dug coal for a living. Everyone of us sitting at our computers reading this would be considered wealthy by those people. I seems pretty clear to me that we got that way because we live in free societies that let people make money. I'm glad to hear that you feel that defending our freedoms is "nice."

[TDPRI]

Originally Posted by Joel Terry

REALLY, Paul? Are we talking about Lyle Mays, the incredible jazz keyboardist? Of the Pat Metheny Group?

YIKES! Joel, you're correct Lyle Mays is the keyboard player for Methany... It is Lowery Mays that's the chairman of Clear Channel. Brain fade on my part. I'm going to edit my original post... So don't feel hung out there with your post.

Thanks for the correction!
Paul Green