Turn Off Clear Channel

The decision by the powers-that-be at Clear Channel Communications, the largest illegal broadcast monopoly (the author's words, not those of the liberal Department of Justice) in the United States, to drop overnight airshifts on all of it's nearly 1,200 radio stations, is the latest in a series of blunders that CC has made over the past several years. This latest move could be detrimental to the continued good ratings enjoyed by many of it's broadcast outlets, and will very likely result in major listener and staff defections to the competition. It is an illogical, immoral, fiscally and socially irresponsible decision that will destroy many a radio career before an on-air talent's potential is ever realized.

Clear Channel Communications is a company that DOES NOT care about quality AM radio. Look no further than the company dropping AM Stereo on all stations it has acquired, including their 50 kW powerhouse in Louisville. AM Stereo is a FAR BETTER technology (and a fairly new one, since it won't be 25 years old until 2004) than the unproven IBOC standards or a system that isn't proven in the U.S. yet, Eureka 147. The L-Band used for Eureka 147 is allocated WORLDWIDE for digital broadcasting; the AM and FM bands ARE NOT. There are other places for the military to use for telemetry.

CC also DOES NOT care about saving careers. Look no further than the anti-college/public radio and anti-homegrown talent attitudes some of their PDs have. Even a Director of Creative services at two of their St. Louis stations has an anti-college radio attitude; such attitudes are detrimental in promoting career growth. Hard work should earn the on-air jobs, not patronage or cronyism. The potentially fatal mistake of cutting loose hundreds of overnight and weekend personalities is also appalling. Many of these personalities have worked hard for years to attain this position. Overnights are still salable, and ARE rated by Arbitron. Firing hundreds of overnight jocks, even those who are highly rated in this time slot, will forever villify Clear Channel Communications in the eyes of young broadcasters; the vast majority of whom believe that corporate radio is taking their hard-earned jobs away and cheating them out of the careers they have worked so hard and so long to earn.

A bad example of Clear Channel's questionable policies is the hiring of an illegitimate DJ known as "Bubba the Love Sponge". Recently, stupid Bubba killed a live boar ON THE AIR in Tampa, FL. This is in clear violation of the rules and regulations set down by the Federal Communications Commission. Past examples of the questionable policies of Clear Channel (and predecessor Jacor) include programming a talk format that was very anti-women and more confrontational than even the late Morton Downey, Jr. (again in Tampa, on WFLA in the early 1990s), a Dance Top 40 format packed with sexual innuendos (yet again in Tampa, with the infamous "Power Pig"), discriminating against the disabled in employment (illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), discriminating against former college, public and small ("mom-and-pop") station talent (most notably in St. Louis, but it may have occurred at other CC stations).

Worst of all, their stations that program Christian formats (such as Urban Gospel, oriented toward African-Americans) are profiting off the Holy Bible, rather than using their radio stations as a Christian radio outreach. All Christian formats, whether it be Urban Gospel, Southern Gospel, Contemporary Christian or a variety of Christian programming, is meant to be a ministry outreach, and ONLY as a ministry outreach. Christian radio's focus is to reach out for the glory of God and for our Lord, Jesus Christ. The financial goal is to make enough money to pay their bills and meet payroll. Christian radio's goal is NOT to make a profit! The love of money is the root of all evil, as we are taught in church; radio stations who program Christian programming for the love of money more than God do NOT care about the Christian community, do not love God, and do not care about the poor.

There are alternatives to firing overnight and weekend DJs, such as selling radio stations. Clear Channel Communications should really sell ALL of it's AM stations, as well as all of it's FM stations that ARE NOT in the nation's top fifteen markets. It would be for the best interests of the industry, from a competitive standpoint, if this could come to pass. No thanks to Clear Channel Communications, radio has become less competitive, a less desirable career choice, and, from a commercial standpoint, is presently in it's death throes.

You want further evidence? Then look no further than Salon.com's articles that tell the truth about CC's illegal practices. Radio's Big Bully tells about the dirty tricks and other questionable things in place at CC's stations. It also tells about their hostile takeover of AM/FM, Incorporated. Also, Tough Company illustrates that CC treats it's current and former employees like cattle. This simply proves that Randy Michaels DOES NOT KNOW HOW to run a radio station in a community-sensitive and a career-sensitive way! Pay for Play implicates CC and other broadcasting and record companies in another payola scheme. In the 1950s, the payola scandals ruined several careers, including that of Alan Freed. Fighting Pay for Play is another recommended article. The Los Angeles Times has also written an article on the illegal practice of taking payola that CC is clearly guilty of: Logs Link Payments With Radio Airplay. It's true what Paul wrote in his First Letter to Timothy: "The love of money is the root of all evil".

Can you do anything about this? Yes, you can! Just simply turn off every station owned by Clear Channel Communications. For instance, if you live in St. Louis, DO NOT listen to Gospel 1600 KATZ, 100.3 The Beat, 93.7 The Bull, 103.3 KLOU, Majic 105 and Z 107.7. Switch to AM 690 KSTL, Q 95.5, 92 WIL, 104.1 The Mall, Smooth 106.5 and Y-98 FM. (If you live far enough away, some of the out-of-market stations may provide an alternative, too). Also, switch to college and public radio stations. The impact you make by switching off the stations owned by Clear Channel Communications will likely lead to a reversal of this illogical decision. Make your voice heard at http://www.clearchannel.com/.