WHAT ARE YOU FOLKS DOING HERE?

We’re trying to raise awareness about corporate broadcasting and the National Association of Broadcasters. Warehoused corporate broadcasters are creating a low-quality, inexpensive product that benefits their bottom line while treating you, the individuals they’re trying to reach, like stupid and passive consumers. We want to tell these people and the companies that serve them, here this weekend for a national convention, that they can’t hijack our airwaves.

WHY DOES CORPORATE BROADCASTING SUCK? EXPLAIN.

Okay. One of the biggest corporations we’re trying to fight is the Clear Channel Corporation. Here in Seattle, they own or have ‘sole marketing relationships’ with KUBE-FM – 93.3, KJR-FM – 95.7, KFNK-FM – 104.9, KHHO-AM – 850, and KJR-AM – 950. Think that’s a lot of radio stations for one company to own in a single city? IT IS! Clear Channel owns over 1200 radio stations in America, in 248 of the top 250 markets. They are renowned for acquiring broadcast stations and stripping them of personnel, diversity, and quality. Instead of hiring local engineering, programming, and on-air talent from a local community, they outsource their technical needs and voicetrack their deejays. Your favorite ‘local’ late-night rhythm and blues deejay, may very well be phoning it in from San Antonio!

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

The airwaves – the frequencies by which television and radio stations send their programming to your sets at home – rightfully belong to the American public. Want to set up your own radio station? Chances are, you can’t! Members of the NAB have purchased most of the available frequencies in the country, and have lobbied Congress to put protective buffers around those frequencies, so most possible space for do-it-yourself community stations doesn’t exist almost anywhere in America. But that’s another story. To learn more about the few ways you can set up your own legal low-powered station, check out http://www.prometheusradio.org.

WAIT, WHAT’S WRONG WITH CLEAR CHANNEL AGAIN?

Some more facts:

          o Why are your concert tickets you buy so expensive?

          o Clear Channel. They own the largest and most powerful concert promoter in the country, SFX. So, if a popular musical act wants to tour, they most often have to talk to SFX, which can tack on exorbitant ‘service’ fees to your tickets! Also, don’t forget that the radio stations they own can blackmail a musician – refusing to promote his or her tour or even removing his or her singles from their playlists if they choose to use another promoter, besides SFX. Why are your CDs so expensive?

          o Again, Clear Channel. The major record companies of America (no angels themselves) have to go through agencies called ‘independent promoters’ to sell their singles to radio stations. Clear Channel has an exclusive partnership with the largest and most powerful of these, TriState Communications. TriState can charge huge sums to a record label every time one of its songs gets added to a playlist! And, TriState pays huge ‘promotional fees’ to each radio station as thanks for that exclusive contract. So, again, if a musician wants to get a top-pop hit in this country, a record company is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for it to get on those top-market Clear Channel stations. And to whom are those extra costs passed? That’s right – to you, the consumer of records! Clear Channel is a model for why deregulation of industry DOESN’T WORK

            . They bought up hundreds of radio stations after the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which relaxed ownership limits for big companies in most American markets. Since then, they’ve had layoffs, branch closings, and a huge stock plummet!

WELL, WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT CLEAR CHANNEL?

Just reading this document is a great help! Now you know that there is a force in the media just like McDonald’s is in the food industry and Nike is in the garment industry. Consuming Clear Channel media products hurts the radio professionals in your town, and is akin to eating poorly made, circus-grade-animal-meat, fat-poisoned food. It’s just very bad for you! Spread the word about what they do and why your friends and neighbors shouldn’t poison their minds with Clear Channel media products. And, by all means, keep Clear Channel away from your kids!

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

You can join the parody circus surrounding Clear Channel! Visit http://www.cheapchannelradio.com to make your own spoof-Clear Channel station, complete with VoiceTracking and product-placement parodies. You can not invest in Clear Channel, and follow their stock as it goes down! Tell your friends and your own stockbroker not to invest in overbloated gorillas like Clear Channel! And, support your local independent media! People just like you are creating their own news, art, and culture for themselves, their neighbors, their country, and the world. Visit today!