Comments on: Clear Channel More Interested In Playing Old Music Than Music By Old People

By: dcSteve

dcSteve — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:55:36 +0000

Sorry Dennis Obell, but AOR in its heyday did not play “a deep variety of stuff.” AOR formatted ealry 70s free-form radio, and while it may have offered a wider variety than one hears today on “active rock” or whatever stations, it emphasized a fairly narrow range of major-label, mostly pre-punk sounding mainstream rock.

By: TheContrarian

TheContrarian — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:03:30 +0000

As I understand it, Clear Channel "selloffs" aren't anythig to get too excited about. Sure, the stations have been offloaded. But the private equity firms that snapped up CC's assets in 2006 retain an interest in these stations, and, once the shareholders stop freaking out, might move to reabsorb them. Especially if the FCC votes to further relax its rules re: consolidation.

Clear Channel retains more than 700 stations in 88 markets out of the top 100 ranked by size. Its private equity masters also have holdings in two other radio behemoths, Uivision and Cumulus. This allows them to own a number of stations well exceeding the caps imposed by the FCC. Sneaky? Probably. Damaging to diversity? Definitely.

I hate to sound like a damn shill all the time, but there's tons more info about CC and radio consolidation here.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:02:03 +0000

Well, this argument about why they Clear Channel doesn't play Bruce would be very well-taken if Roger Friedman's report had been accurate, but it wasn't. And minimal research by Friedman (who appears to know little about the radio industry) would have shown that it wasn't not true.

It is not difficult to find out what's being played on the radio. In markets of any size, airplay is continuously monitored -- by BDS/Nielsen, which uses a complex computer-footprinting model, and by Mediabase, which uses human monitors sitting and listening.

And, according to Mediabase stats cited by Clear Channel, CC's stations in monitored markets (that is, most of them) are playing Magic. In fact, CC stations are playing tracks from Magic more than stations owned by any other broadcast group. Which may not amount to much airplay, but it does show the inaccuracy of Friedman's allegation.

In the interest of full disclosure, Clear Channel owns Mediabase. But if anyone figures that means it would fudge the data to show nonexistent airplay -- airplay that would quickly be revealed to be nonexistent by rival airplay-monitoring services that have no love for Mediabase -- that person is 1) silly, 2) clueless about radio, and 3) vastly overestimating the significance of Bruce Springsteen.

At the very least, that CC has disputed (or more properly, refuted) Friedman's claim should have been noted in this story.

By: MrStarhead

MrStarhead — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:21:14 +0000

KATT in Oklahoma City still plays a mix of classic and new, or at least they were still doing it when I moved away in 2004; they’d even give new ZZ Top or AC/DC some spins.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:14:33 +0000

@HowCron:
Here's some more evidence, this time more recent, from Minneapolis/St. Paul...not only do they own airwaves, but get a piece of touring, theater, and billboard action as well.

[www.citypages.com]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:10:07 +0000

@HowCron:

perhaps, but it owns MANY stations within what are considered the "major markets" - these are the cities and stations tthat set the tone for the industry nationwide.

a cursory search yeilded these figures (from 2002, so perhaps a bit out of date):

Honolulu - 7 stations
DeMoines - 6
Ft. Myers - 8
San Diego - 14 (!!!!!)
[www.wired.com]

where I live (Pittsburgh), CC owns 5 FM and 2 AM stations. that's a pretty sizable chunk of radio dial real estate.

to suggest that they don't set the tone for the industry is laughable.

By: HowCron

HowCron — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:40:17 +0000

I’ve heard Radio Nowhere on WHJY (a clear channel station) many times. It sounds like Friedman is just a hater. Also, clear channel only owns something like 9% of all US commercial radio stations… and according to the news, they’ve been selling off a bunch of smaller market stations recently. Kind of puts a damper on your whole “the radio monopolists at Clear Channel” bit. Last I heard, 9% (or less) is no where NEAR a monopoly.

By: Charlie Kerfelds Jetsons Tee

Charlie Kerfelds Jetsons Tee — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 07:30:28 +0000

@dennisobell: Very well put.

The ONLY station I've heard that still does the AOR thing is probably KLBJ in Austin. They always struck me as playing a pretty fair mixture of old songs and newer songs by older artists.

Can any Austinites back me up on that? I moved away almost two years ago, so things may have changed...

By: Halfwit

Halfwit — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:47:06 +0000

@dennisobell: Marry me...

err...

I mean... awesome analysis, bro (chest bump)

By: Lax Danja House

Lax Danja House — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 05:58:33 +0000

I wholly reject the notion that any new single with Chad Kroeger should be featured anywhere.