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Clear Channel Communications, a media company in the United States of America. Clear Channel wields more than considerable influence in radio broadcasting, concert promotion and hosting, and fixed advertising in the United States. The company controls virtual monopolies in some cities, with over 1,200 radio stations in the United States. The present chief of the company is Randy Michaels and its headquarters is located in San Antonio, Texas.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s the company became an object of persistent criticism. Critics claim that it is has abused its market position and operates in an unethical manner.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, Clear Channel issued a memo "recommending" that some 150 songs be removed from airplay as inappropriate during a time of national mourning. While this in itself is not unreasonable, the criteria for choosing the songs seemed so. Many people found it particularly ludicrous that John Lennon's Imagine (song) was one of the songs. Clear Channel denies that this was a list of "banned" songs, but owing to Clear Channel management's track record of bullying tactics against its own affiliates, few believe that "recommendation" in the memo meant just that. Defiantly, Neil Young played Imagine (song) on the nationally televised America: A Tribute to Heroes concert ten days after the attacks. Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon also played songs they themselves had written which were on the "banned" list.

Program Hosts (through its Premiere Radio Networks subsidary)

• Rush Limbaugh
• Dr. Laura
• Phil Hendrie
• Jim Rome

Former Hosts

• Bubba the Love Sponge was fired a Clear Channel station on 24 February 2004, following a large FCC fine.

See Also

• Howard Stern

External links and references

• The website of Clear Channel Communications
• A website critical of Clear Channel
• Eric Boehlert, Radio's big bully, salon.com, April 30, 2001
• Eric Boehlert,Tough company, salon.com, May 30, 2001
• A Google web directory related to Clear Channel Communications
• The list of 150 banned songs
• Bad Transmission A look at the banned song list, and the criteria for choosing them.
• CorpWatch.org article on Clear Channel
• Project Censored article on Clear Channel