Kenny Guido
Well-known member
The Dixie Chicks have shown how dangerous it is for the United States
government to allow one company, Clear Channel, to own so many radio
stations (something like 1200).
Here's why it is dangerous:
Fact 1: Dixie Chicks make anti-Bush remark in a public forum which gets
widely publicized.
Fact 2: Clear Channel owns something like 1200 radio stations in the U.S.
Fact 3: the highest Clear Channel execs have strong ties to the Bush
administration and Clear Channel is based in Texas.
Fact 4: Dixie Chicks rely on many of the stations Clear Channel owns
(probably close to a hundred if not more) to get people to hear their songs
in the hope that some of those people will buy their record. Thus Clear
Channel can severely hurt the Dixie Chicks financially by refusing to play
their songs or play them less than they otherwise would if one of the Dixie
Chicks had not made the anti-Bush comment.
Fact 5: many Clear Channel stations, unlike the Dixie Chicks, supported the
war by holding what were called "support the troops" rallies though the
purpose was to show support for Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Clear
Channel has a reputation for strong central control so it's likely these
pro-war rallies were in some way encouraged by Clear Channel, or at the very
least, approved by Clear Channel. No Clear Channel stations held antiwar
rallies.
The above facts clearly illustrate how dangerous it is to democracy in the
U.S. to allow one station, Clear Channel in this case, to have so much
power. They have the power to have millions of people hear some performers
and not other performers. Thus they have the power to make and break musical
careers.
At the same time, they are a political player in that they support those
politicians that vote in ways that are beneficial to Clear Channel (such as
voting to stop any restrictions on the number of stations one company can
own overall or in one market).
Thus they can easily cause some performers to lose millions in record sales
if those performers support causes and politicians that Clear Channel
doesn't support. Thus if performers don't want this massive financial loss,
they have no choice but to either shut up or, better yet, actively support
things and people that Clear Channel supports.
Thus, because of the incredible power of Clear Channel in making and braking
careers, it's in the interests of all performers to show support for
everything Clear Channel supports. This can include showing support for
politicians that Clear Channel likes (perhaps this explains Dennis Miller's
pro-Bush, pro-war rantings). That support can be vocal and/or financial.
And considering the money these performers make, *each* of those performers
in turn has great power to reward politicians and political causes - but
only if they are ones Clear Channel supports (if they don't want to make the
9,000,000 lb gorilla mad).
There is no way that the Dixie Chicks won't take a massive financial loss
because of the incredible power of Clear Channel to prevent millions of
people from hearing them when those people put on their "local" country
radio station.
Thus not only does Clear Channel have a radio monopoly, they also have
*incredible* political power.
We must do all we can to break up the clearly dangerous radio monopoly Clear
Channel presently has. The Dixie Chicks have shown how dangerous the
incredible financial and political power of Clear Channel is to democracy in
the U.S.
Clear Channel must be broken up.
government to allow one company, Clear Channel, to own so many radio
stations (something like 1200).
Here's why it is dangerous:
Fact 1: Dixie Chicks make anti-Bush remark in a public forum which gets
widely publicized.
Fact 2: Clear Channel owns something like 1200 radio stations in the U.S.
Fact 3: the highest Clear Channel execs have strong ties to the Bush
administration and Clear Channel is based in Texas.
Fact 4: Dixie Chicks rely on many of the stations Clear Channel owns
(probably close to a hundred if not more) to get people to hear their songs
in the hope that some of those people will buy their record. Thus Clear
Channel can severely hurt the Dixie Chicks financially by refusing to play
their songs or play them less than they otherwise would if one of the Dixie
Chicks had not made the anti-Bush comment.
Fact 5: many Clear Channel stations, unlike the Dixie Chicks, supported the
war by holding what were called "support the troops" rallies though the
purpose was to show support for Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Clear
Channel has a reputation for strong central control so it's likely these
pro-war rallies were in some way encouraged by Clear Channel, or at the very
least, approved by Clear Channel. No Clear Channel stations held antiwar
rallies.
The above facts clearly illustrate how dangerous it is to democracy in the
U.S. to allow one station, Clear Channel in this case, to have so much
power. They have the power to have millions of people hear some performers
and not other performers. Thus they have the power to make and break musical
careers.
At the same time, they are a political player in that they support those
politicians that vote in ways that are beneficial to Clear Channel (such as
voting to stop any restrictions on the number of stations one company can
own overall or in one market).
Thus they can easily cause some performers to lose millions in record sales
if those performers support causes and politicians that Clear Channel
doesn't support. Thus if performers don't want this massive financial loss,
they have no choice but to either shut up or, better yet, actively support
things and people that Clear Channel supports.
Thus, because of the incredible power of Clear Channel in making and braking
careers, it's in the interests of all performers to show support for
everything Clear Channel supports. This can include showing support for
politicians that Clear Channel likes (perhaps this explains Dennis Miller's
pro-Bush, pro-war rantings). That support can be vocal and/or financial.
And considering the money these performers make, *each* of those performers
in turn has great power to reward politicians and political causes - but
only if they are ones Clear Channel supports (if they don't want to make the
9,000,000 lb gorilla mad).
There is no way that the Dixie Chicks won't take a massive financial loss
because of the incredible power of Clear Channel to prevent millions of
people from hearing them when those people put on their "local" country
radio station.
Thus not only does Clear Channel have a radio monopoly, they also have
*incredible* political power.
We must do all we can to break up the clearly dangerous radio monopoly Clear
Channel presently has. The Dixie Chicks have shown how dangerous the
incredible financial and political power of Clear Channel is to democracy in
the U.S.
Clear Channel must be broken up.
