Clear Channel and You

[Andy Mancini]

I wasn't sure where to put this exactly, so if the mods want to move this, go right ahead.

It has come to my attention that many out there hate the media conglomerate known as Clear Channel, and I would like to know why. I find it rather difficult to get a straight answer from anyone on the subject, so I'd to get a people's opinions on the subject. To me, I am rather ambiviolent about them. They just are to me, kind of like toe fungus without the cream sponsored by John Madden. Here is how I came to this conclusion:

There is a classic/modern rock station in Pittsburgh called WDVE. Before Clear Channel came in, they were clearly a "Pittsburgh" radio station, combining Pittsburgh's love for the same four "classic" bands (Led Zepplin, Lynerd Skynerd, Rush, and Pittsburgh-native Donnie Iris) with newer groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica and local bands like The Clarks and The Gathering Field. They also had the tendancy of playing bands that no one was playing at the time, such as Christian bands dc Talk and Jars of Clay, blue bands like Indiginous and Johnny Lang, and thoroughly artsy bands like Wilco, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and Mighty Joe Plum.

Now that Clear Channel runs the show, WDVE is a shadow of it's former self. The same four "classic" bands are still played ad-nauseum, but the unknown/under-appriciated bands aren't heard much at all anymore. They are basically a classic rock station that plays Godsmack... and that makes me sad. In other words, Clear Channel ruined our station.

On the other hand we have WXDX (hence forth known as "The X"). Before Clear Channel, The X was rather whiny, choosing to play "almost adult contemporary" bands like the Goo Goo Dolls and Tonic. New wave also ruled the airwaves, sometimes to the point of being annoying. Then Clear Channel came in, and things got a lot more interesting.

First and foremost, the lineup got harder. Not more "mainstream," just harder. Bands like Clutch ousted Sugar Ray, and the new wave disappeared almost everywhere except between the hours of ten to three. The songs that were being pushed by Clear Channel do make it Pittsburgh, but often times several months after the rest of the country, while songs and bands "liked" by The X's management get on no questions asked. This is why Pittsburghers didn't hear bands like The Killers or Coheed and Cambria until after they hit it big, but heard stuff from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Me First and the Gimmies Gimmies as soon as it was released. Simply put: Clear Channel made The X a better station because it weeded out the crap.

And there you have it. If you all don't mind though: please don't bring up the Howard Stern thing from a few months ago or President Bush. This is about the music and the music only.

[Enrique]

Well see, that's your problem... hatred against Clear Channel IS about Howard Stern, in part. From what I can tell, some people dislike CC because CC has a tendency to censor their stations, the most recent and publicized being that of Howard Stern.
Around here (Los Angeles), I've noticed most of the CC stations have, for lack of a better (cleaner) word, sissified... most stations won't even play bleeped versions of songs... if there's swearing in the song, it'll never get played at all. I've heard TWO Marilyn Manson songs in the last 3 years, and maybe 8 Rob Zombie songs (3 of them being the same songs). Hard rock as a whole has taken a back seat to newer, less-talented but more "friendly rock".
Then there's the whole big censorship bang after 9/11. CC blacklisted like half the songs that were being played for the most inane reasons (someone in another thread mentioned 311's "Down").
Basically CC is two-faced... as "cool and hip" as they try to be, they're one of if not THE biggest censorship force on public radio.

[Mynd Hed]

I think a lot more people have experiences more like the former one you mentioned (where Clear Channel sails in, buys up a favorite local radio station, and ruins it) than the latter, and that's a big part of the problem. And of course, there's the aforementioned censorship.

If you're referring to my aforementioned 311 comment in another thread when you mention people's opinions of Clear Channel, you should know I was intentionally exaggerating. Of course Clear Channel's purpose isn't to ruin music, but to make money-- it's just unfortunate that they often do the latter at the expense of good music. I really don't think CC is much worse than any other large corporation (Viacom, for example, has done much more damage to music through MTV) in most respects. I don't like them, but I'm not quite as rabid in my hate as I might've come across in that other thread. (-:

[Andy Mancini]

If you're referring to my aforementioned 311 comment in another thread when you mention people's opinions of Clear Channel, you should know I was intentionally exaggerating.

I know, but it got me thinking. I mean, there are whole message boards and websites out there (http://www.clearchannelsucks.org) dedicated to ripping apart the company, and I kind of want to here what relatively bias-free people have to say on the subject.

[SSJPabs]

I know, but it got me thinking. I mean, there are whole message boards and websites out there (http://www.clearchannelsucks.org) dedicated to ripping apart the company, and I kind of want to here what relatively bias-free people have to say on the subject.

I dislike Clear Channel because they pushed formulaic music, helped push those annoying national radio shows (Ryan Seacrest) and basically stamped as much creativity out of main stream music as possible and because some of its affiliate stations have supported Bush on air and have fired those who dare support someone else on air. I want Clear Channel to be broken up because of the rulings by Colin Powell's son, the head of the FCC, that enabled even GREATER centralization of radio.

Edited for lack of clarity, I moved a sentence.

[TheBaldOneMpls]

Clear Channel is a business, and as such, does things with the primary purpose of making money. This concept is nothing new.

What really gets to me [on both ends of the spectrum] is (a) that something that's portrayed as cool and individualistic [music] is marketed like it's a laundry detergant, and (b) that people act as if the stations Clear Channel takes over were bastions of the independant spirit and true creativity before CC sucked the life out of them.