Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

Interesting reading. I had always thought of Clear Channel as a CONSERVATIVE radio operation. It seems that every Clear Channel station that I have listened to has conservative programming (i.e. Glen Beck, Rush, and Sean Hannity).

Evidently Clear Channel is also partially owned by Bain Capital.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Economy/2012 ... pital.html


Hmmmmmm. Very interesting.

I think a certain "Freakish" member of our community may have a reaction to this. . .

Lord_Byron wrote:I think a certain "Freakish" member of our community may have a reaction to this. . .

Main reason for posting this

Media outlets everywhere are facing a crunch. The Blade has laid off their fair share of people as well....if and when Time Warner buys out the Cablesystem... imagine they'll be laying off more at Block Communications or whatever it's called now.

I thought freak left working at cheap channel awhile ago?

He did. That's why we'll find his commentary to be interesting.

Clear Channel and Cumulus bought almost everything they could.

Not surprising...they dumped a LOT of folks in 2000 and basically had a huge hand in killing traditional radio. They forgot what makes radio effective....it should be local. Syndication kills local radio. I was let go from a station in Ytown for making too much money at 26k a year. Sorry I got solid ratings and earned it. I miss radio but there is NO future in it. Done deal...

Falconfreak90 wrote:Not surprising...they dumped a LOT of folks in 2000 and basically had a huge hand in killing traditional radio. They forgot what makes radio effective....it should be local. Syndication kills local radio. I was let go from a station in Ytown for making too much money at 26k a year. Sorry I got solid ratings and earned it. I miss radio but there is NO future in it. Done deal...

Freak - As a once insider, what are your thoughts on the deregulation of ownership? Did this have an effect on radio as much as internet content and other competing forces? From an outsider, it seems once someone (or some corporation) could buy multiple outlets in a single market, then the medium started to falter.

Falconfreak90 wrote:Not surprising...they dumped a LOT of folks in 2000....

Also made a big layoff on January 20, 2009...in an effort to have their mass firings overshadowed by another major news story that day.

Falconfreak90 wrote:I miss radio but there is NO future in it. Done deal...

Tech83 wrote:

Falconfreak90 wrote:Not surprising...they dumped a LOT of folks in 2000 and basically had a huge hand in killing traditional radio. They forgot what makes radio effective....it should be local. Syndication kills local radio. I was let go from a station in Ytown for making too much money at 26k a year. Sorry I got solid ratings and earned it. I miss radio but there is NO future in it. Done deal...

Freak - As a once insider, what are your thoughts on the deregulation of ownership? Did this have an effect on radio as much as internet content and other competing forces? From an outsider, it seems once someone (or some corporation) could buy multiple outlets in a single market, then the medium started to falter.

It definitely had an affect on the industry. You used to be able to only own one AM, one FM and a TV station in a Top 25 market. That kept competition alive and well. Heck Cheap Channel owns half the radio stations in Cleveland...and you see the quality of radio. It is bad...No question the internet also had a hand in the demise of traditional radio.

When I worked at CC they waited until about December 23, to fire people. I think they did every year I was there. Nobody wanted to be called in to see the boss around Christmas time. I guess it's a little nicer to be canned around Thanksgiving than Christmas. I remember one Clear Channel executive telling me I needed to be more creative: "Like do stuff like 'Grab your balls! It's time for SportsTalk!' Stuff like that man. Be funny."