Clear Channel: Media Consolidation Only Okay When It's Clear Channel Consolidating
from the please-explain dept
Clear Channel Communications, the huge broadcasting conglomerate, has spent a lot of effort lobbying the government to relax media ownership rules that have limited what Clear Channel can own within a specific market. The company and its lobbyists consistently make arguments for why it should be allowed to continue to gobble up radio stations, and how the media market can't just be defined by terrestrial radio stations. Of course, Clear Channel has also clearly said that it competes with satellite radio, and therefore wants to burden the satellite radio providers with additional regulations. Therefore, the latest move by Clear Channel should come as no surprise. It has come out strongly against the proposed Sirius/XM merger. Like the NAB, Clear Channel is put in something of an awkward position. First, it needs to explain why it's even concerned about the merger if it claims that Sirius and XM would create a monopoly. If it's truly a monopoly, then terrestrial radio stations shouldn't care. Second, it has to explain away earlier statements about competition from satellite radio that were, in part, used to justify the requests for easing media ownership rules. Finally, it would be nice to explain why all of the other arguments that Clear Channel has used to claim relaxed ownership rules make sense for terrestrial radio don't also apply to satellite radio. So far, the company's best answer appears to be admitting that it's arguments "might be a little skewed toward our specific goals." Shocking.
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The Obvious Solution (To Me At Least)
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Re: The Obvious Solution (To Me At Least)
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Tune Out Clear Channel
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No, they won't have to explain jack shit. Yes, they made stupid arguments in the past, do you actually think that anyone will care now? Everyone in congress is too damn lazy to even read what they're signing anyway, why do you think they'll be any more inclined to think about this doublespeak coming from clear channel when they're also being treated to god knows how many free dinners/gifts from clear channel?
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NO CITIZEN'S MEDIA
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Why me?
The merger should go through so I can hang out with OPRA (black negro from the south), we could be like brother and sister.
There is no reason this merger should not pass!
I have to go now, Beth "O" is here for my morning bj.
Baba Boooie.
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merger
much money in taxes so that they can spend it on stupid hearings.[Howard Sterns taxes pay for these bums himself]
And like you said those jerks at clear chanel should talk about monopolys.Balls said the queen,if i had them i would be king.
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