October 22, 2004

Curious George: Anyone connected to Clear Channel? This MeFi posts suggests...

that Clear Channel is moving away from the current incarnation of payola in radio, using 'promoters'. However, Clear Channel is not exactly known for walking away from a chance to make a dollar, particularly when they can bully it out of someone. Plus, of course, payola benefits the music labels as much as the broadcasters, by giving them a large measure of market control, so they won't want to give it up. So, since laws supposedly keep Clear Channel from simply extorting the labels directly, anyone have an inkling of what approach they're using instead? (US centric post, but since the US music industry so influences culture globally, I think the methods by which the domestic market for US artists is controlled are of global concern.)

posted by Nal 20 years ago
  • well, something bizzare has happened here in L.A. - there's a new station "Indie 103.1" and it's GREAT, the best stuff I ever heard in my life. Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols hosts a lunchtime show and plays all kinds of stuff you'd never hear on the radio... But guess who owns it, making the "indie" more than a little ironic? Clear Channel. Apparently they did it to compete with KROQ, for my money perhaps the worst radio station in the world. (Someday I hope KROQ's owners can be brought before the musical equivalent of a Nuremburg court for spawning the likes of Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park on the world.)
  • I think MoFi is the last place you'd find anyone from Clear Channel. Those who have made peace with their conscience are probably on freerepublic.com.
  • Indie 103.1 isn't actually owned by Clear Channel. It just has a deal with them where Clear Channel sells their ad time for them and gets a cut of the proceeds. The programming truly is "independent", and DJs have free rein in whatever they want to play (including Steve Jones and Henry Rollins).
  • I just wanted to second the notion that Indie 103.1 is a fantastic radio station. Sadly I didn't get to spend much time with it. I moved away from LA only a few months after it went on the air. Oh, and Jonsies Jukebox has to be one of the most magnificent shows to ever hit the airwaves.
  • Indie 103.1 does indeed rock. AND they stream their broadcasts online.
  • Clear Channel is the reason I stopped listening to the radio. NY's radio sucks, I've found my new home on the Internets and Music Choice Cable "radio."
  • Heh, Debaser, I think NYC's radio is sooooo much better than the Houston radio scene (obpost: all corporate, all the time). I used to work in a building with a bunch of the corporate stations--not Clear Channel but another monopoly--and they had four stations in different genres using all the same basic services. The playlists were all from the generic national brand playlist for "lite rock", "lite country", and [insert lite genre here], too. Yes, my car has a CD player. Why do you ask? Obpost again: I'll ask my husband. He used to work sound for some local bands and still has friends in the music business who might know. Maybe he'll actually be a posting monkey for a change.
  • immlass, I must admit, NYC's radio may have changed. I stopped listening to the radio when WDRE went off the air. Occasionally, I'll stop in at a friends and hear Z100 or some other such crap, but it's fairly easy to tune that nonsense out. My girlfriend's music taste is even more eclectic than mine. I don't think there's a radio station with that much variety. Elvis to Nine Inch Nails, with a healthy dose of Buzzcocks, Swingin' Utters, and Boris the Sprinkler. I'm content with my Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
  • Go the indie 103 stream, all of you (see above) GO NOW!! I've always been a fan of classic rock radio, but I've been listening to it since about age 11, moved from one side of the country to the other, and the playlists have not changed ("more than a feeling", anyone?) Classic rock stations play about one song I dont know per month. Indie 103 plays about 4 or 5 songs I DO know per day.
  • There's a Clear Channel owned restaurant here in MN, named for one of their local stations. I figured it was the next step in their plan for world domination.
  • Debaser- You don't think there's another station with that much diversity? Check out WFMU. (Or WCBN, even though they're more piddly).
  • Thanks to all the monkeys who recommended Indie 103. I've been listening to it for the last hour or so, and it's good stuff.
  • Indie 103.1: Another reason why the intarweb is bluto
  • I'd also reccomend 107.1 KGSR in an around Austin, or elsewhere via their stream.
  • Debaser, I'm just happy to hear something that's not top 40, country, or lite muzak. Except for the very bottom of the FM dial, my hometown is a radio wasteland. My feelings are less positive about NYC's radio than totally negative about Houston. BevosAngryGhost, thank you! I had no idea I could get Austin radio up here. *homesick*
  • WOXY, a truely independent and alternative station. They have pretty much been mentioned in every article about good radio stations for the last 10 years and the station that Indie 103.1 copied their format from. As far as ClearChannel changing their practices is concerned, listeners have been turning away from radio and they have been trying to get listeners back by doing cutting back on comercials and the like, so it doesn't surpise me that they are changing other policies as well.
  • Hey! Thanks for the Indie/WOXY links!
  • Indie 103.1 is really good! It's gonna be my coursework-writing-music-station from now on. Can anyone recommend a good classical music channel too? I've been listening to UK's Classic FM, but it gets a bit insipid at times. Tried checking live365 and other online radio stations, but didn't find anything interesting.
  • I was in Germany for a month or so last December and I would have to say that I found them to have far worse radio stations (in terms of music) than here in Australia, or what I can gather is on offer in the US. Sure, we all have our bland, top 40, let's all play the same record stations, but it seemed like there was little else over there.
  • Does anyone know about "BOB FM"? Is it a Clear Channel brand?