Clear Channel Gets Bought Out; Will New Owners Mean New Ideas?
from the wait-and-see dept
Radio giant Clear Channel has agreed to a $19 billion leveraged buyout by a group of private-equity firms -- a move that will take the company private and could spark significant change in how it does business. Clear Channel has continually fought for the relaxation of ownership rules that would allow it to own even more stations in particular markets, but it's unclear if its new owners will want to pursue the same type of strategy that's appeared focused on buying every radio station in sight, and making them all sound the same. When private-equity firms take over a company, the first thing many people think is that they'll break it into parts and sell it off at a profit. Clear Channel is already saying it wants to sell off its 42 TV stations and nearly half its radio stations (though these are all in smaller markets, and generate less than 10 percent of its total revenues) and there's been persistent talk that it would split off its outdoor advertising business as well. Further breaking up its radio holdings is possible, but seems rather unlikely -- but so does further large-scale expansion, given that the company will soon take on more debt to finance the buyout. We've slated Clear Channel in the past for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of the ham-fisted way it's tried to adapt to the changing media market. There's hope that new ownership could realize how badly the company's stumbled when it comes to technology and the internet, or even the effect its work to homogenize its stations and the music industry has had, and seek to make significant changes to deliver new revenue growth. However, current executives, including the CEO and chairman from the controlling Mays family, will stay on board -- so any real change would appear to remain a distant possibility. However, freed from the burden of having to try to satisfy public investors, or driven by the demands of its new owners, maybe something will change.
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Clear Channel's been bought...
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It's gotten pretty bad
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wha
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Of all the reasons I love my XM radio...
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Mike.
Why is FM radio useless? I find the satellite radio in my car to have less quality than FM. I love the selection, but the compression is a problem.
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Re: Mike.
My 2 cents...
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Why would ClearChannel change?
Remember the point of a corporation is to turn a profit for its shareholders, not to make people happy.
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Even when your car is high end, when you factor in wind, tire and road noise listening quality is shot anyway.
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No change..
It definitely saves them a lot of money and I don't see why they would change.
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1) BMW iPod adaptor
2) iPod
3) Podcasts
Bliss...with no monthly fees or screaming car commericals
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No More Continuious Christina Aguleria!
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Stu: What?
Anyway, I love XM. Sounds great, good content, and less staticy channel changing.
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Are you willing to answer direct questions?
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CBS will buy another salt lake city?
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Re: CBS will buy another salt lake city?
and making 12 CW Network Owned-and-operated station,
CBS already owned KUTV (CHANNEL 2) In Salt Lake City.
and even starting 9 o'clock newscast will replaced KJZZ-TV (Channel 14)
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Changes in Clear Channel
I noticed a small change in late Nov. after the buy out.
Clear Channel programming in it's talk radio IE: Coasttocoastam, sounds more like Fox Media.
There has been a change in the content of talk radio leaning more toward propaganda for the Government.
As for some of the talk show host,like Art Bell, they sound like the talking heads of average American media.
Absolute Propaganda spewing crapheads.
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Who is worse
http://radiosherpa.blogspot.com/2008/02/is-gordon-gekko-entering-radio.html
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good day sir
my name is Gordon.
from ghana western africa i am musician pl sir i need your help
i come from a very pure family and i loss my family in the car
accident so i have nobody to help me amme full talented rapper
i sing hiphop pl sir don.t doit for the seck human pl doit for the
seck of god i promiss i will make you prade if you do this for
me my tallent is wested in the street i have no home pl help me out.
god pless you and your family.
best regard
gordon hartd.
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