Clear Channel

Clear Channel

Ever turn on the radio and hear the same five songs over and over again? You can thank clear channel for that. According to a study conducted last summer the top songs are played more than 85 times between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and only add around 15 songs a week giving the most air time to the largest sum accepted in the promotional payment contract. In blunt terms it is the illegal practice of payola which allows goods and/or money to be exchanged for air time. But Clear channel has managed to cut corners through indies who are hired by a record label to get stations to play certain songs.

Included in their promotional payment contract the musical artist must agree to perform at a Clear Channel concert with in a certain time frame such as Jingle ball held in Philadelphia. This practice leaves little room for an independent artist to be heard on air because of their lack of a middle man; an indie, as well as, the money needed upfront to form a promotional payment contract that ranges around six figures. The abandonment of independent artists is an example of negative synergy.

In regards to the contract, the record label's client not only agrees to perform but also to advertise clear channel stations through voice tracking. Wit the help of a computer assisted voice segments the listener is fooled into believeing the program is locally produced when it is not because the same basic phrase is broadcasted to seventy five other stations. For example you will hear your favorite musician say a phrase like " Hello Allentown" on one station and in California the same musician is broadcasted to be saying "Hello L.A." Voice tracking is not only evident through celebrities but also from radio personalities and their programs. For example Rush Limbaugh is not only broadcasted in Pennsylvania but also Texas. This however violates the communication Act of 1934 where the FCC encourages a diversity of voices so as to promote a vibrant democracy. The multi broadcasted programs such as Limbaugh and Dr. Laura leave their audience with a one sided republican view. Born from the same state Enron and Clear Channel both faced the Department of Justice investigation, lawsuits for inappropriate business practices, and they both currently have a bill in Congress to border their impact on their industry. The only difference is that Clear Channel is getting away with