Clear Channel Radio Update

"Steven Goodridge" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Clear Channel Radio Update

<snip>

I'm obviously not well-educated on the background of this issue, so could someone clue me in . . .
was it pure coincidence that DJs in three pretty far-flung CC markets broadcast similarly
anti-cyclis messages at around the same time? Or was there some sort of memo sent out to the tune of
"anti-bike jokes play well, think about making them" from the CC brass? I'm guessing that that is an
extreme depiction of the situation, but could someone set me straight?

Brendon

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Steven Goodridge" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Clear Channel Radio Update

<snip>

I'm obviously not well-educated on the background of this issue, so could someone clue me in . . .
was it pure coincidence that DJs in three pretty far-flung CC markets broadcast similarly
anti-cyclis messages at around the same time? Or was there some sort of memo sent out to the tune
of "anti-bike jokes play well, think about making them" from the CC brass? I'm guessing that that
is an extreme depiction of the situation, but could someone set me straight?

I think it's more likely that one DJ contacted his friends at other stations directly and said
something to the effect of "my listeners loved my anti-bike jokes". I doubt even an organization as
clueless as Clear Channel would send a corporate suggestion like that. I could be wrong, though!

--
Dave Kerber Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

Brendon said:

Quoted message said:

Clear Channel Radio Update

<snip>

I'm obviously not well-educated on the background of this issue, so could someone clue me in . . .
was it pure coincidence that DJs in three pretty far-flung CC markets broadcast similarly
anti-cyclis messages at around the same time? Or was there some sort of memo sent out to the tune
of "anti-bike jokes play well, think about making them" from the CC brass? I'm guessing that that
is an extreme depiction of the situation, but could someone set me straight?

Maybe all the guilty parties hang out on alt.dj.pranks.and.idiots.

--Karen M.

"Brendon M. Troy" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I'm obviously not well-educated on the background of this issue, so could someone clue me in . . .
was it pure coincidence that DJs in three pretty far-flung CC markets broadcast similarly
anti-cyclis messages at around the same time? Or was there some sort of memo sent out to the tune
of "anti-bike jokes play well, think about making them" from the CC brass?

I have seen no evidence that there was any management direction at Clear Channel Radio for DJs to
make anti-cyclist comments. From what I have heard directly from the local Clear Channel Raleigh
manager and indirectly from John Hogan through other cyclists, I think it is unlikely that any
encouragement from management was behind the content aimed at bicyclists in particular.

I personally think that these were independent acts of hostility. Perhaps there was direct
communication between DJs, but I doubt it. I think it is quite arguable that the culture of Clear
Channel Radio tolerates, attracts, or even promotes anti-social behavior in general by its radio
talent. If true, that's a problem that the FCC may want to address, but one that I think is
tangential to bicycling in particular. Bicyclists were probably just the convenient target-du-jour.
Road bicycling seems to be increasing in popularity recently, which may have gained cyclists more
attention than in previous years when mountain biking was the big fad.

Steve Goodridge

=v= I know of earlier similar anti-bicyclist incidents at Clear Channel stations in Portland,
Oregon, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

=v= In the latter case, which I know best, the DJs said that motorcyclists should be doored, and
bicyclists should wear signs that say "[censored]" and be run over. Clear Channel was very quick to
apologize (and very lucky that the area's politically involved gay community didn't get after them
for this).

=v= They played some lackluster PSAs about bike safety and then "fired" the DJs, which meant they
were transferred to another Clear Channel station, where they pulled another stupid stunt and were
"fired" again, which again meant a transfer to another station.

=v= So, two lessons from this: (1) it's a bigger problem than just these three stations, and more
longstanding, and (2) their concessions don't seem to be all they're made out to be. Let's keep an
eye on them. <_Jym_>

(But what do you expect from an outfit that stages "populist" pro-oil-war rallies and overreports
their attendance?)

P.S.: Have you restocked your supply of FearChannel bumper stickers yet?

talkfastrideslow.orgstuff.htmlOpen ↗

--I think it is quite arguable that the culture of Clear Channel Radio tolerates, attracts, or even
promotes anti-social behavior in general by its radio talent.--

I think that is "arguable" and I will argue that they do indeed hire "tolerate, attract, or even
promote anti-social behavior in general" radio talent. I have spent some time recently listening to
them and that seems to be exactly what they do.

So when some their purposefully hired, anti-social DJ's step on some toes, they are shocked and
surprised? . . . I don't think so.

If the bicycle "leadership" in the form of associations, wants to be BS'd into believing that the
station managers or higher ups (called "management" here) have no control over these guys, so be it,
and I am sure that I could not convince them otherwise, but I see more nodding and winking (on the
radio station side) than most people would tolerate.

The big shots in the radio station biz could have these guys drummed out of the corp, (they do it
all the time when they can't cough up enough advertising bucks) but I have yet to hear of that
happening.

Has anyone else?

"Steven Goodridge" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Brendon M. Troy" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I'm obviously not well-educated on the background of this issue, so could someone clue me in . .
. was it pure coincidence that DJs in

three

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pretty far-flung CC markets broadcast similarly anti-cyclis messages

at

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

around the same time? Or was there some sort of memo sent out to the tune of "anti-bike jokes
play well, think about making them" from

the CC

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

brass?

I have seen no evidence that there was any management direction at Clear Channel Radio for DJs to
make anti-cyclist comments. From what I have heard directly from the local Clear Channel Raleigh
manager and indirectly from John Hogan through other cyclists, I think it is unlikely that any
encouragement from management was behind the content aimed at bicyclists in particular.

I personally think that these were independent acts of hostility. Perhaps there was direct
communication between DJs, but I doubt it. I think it is quite arguable that the culture of Clear
Channel Radio tolerates, attracts, or even promotes anti-social behavior in general by its radio
talent. If true, that's a problem that the FCC may want to address, but one that I think is
tangential to bicycling in particular. Bicyclists were probably just the convenient
target-du-jour. Road bicycling seems to be increasing in popularity recently, which may have
gained cyclists more attention than in previous years when mountain biking was the big fad.

Steve Goodridge

Here in Charleston, SC, we can date the birth of 'talk radio' to Hurricane Hugo. Before HH there was
no such thing. A particular country music DJ moved to the 'news/talk' format to help with the
practical matters of restoring the area. He wore the banner 'conservative' so I listened.

Eventually, nearly a decade later, he abandoned his conservative label and started using his
personality and selling it rather than any political bent. This was done in the guise of 'balance'
and 'tolerance', really just 'lack of principle'. This was driven home to me when he used the
argument 'might makes right' against bicyclists. At the same time (perhaps on the same show) he
argued that ships should give way to his fifteen-foot fishing boat. When I argued - on the air and
reasonably - he ended the argument with 'cyclists may have the right but they may be dead right'.

Perhaps six weeks ago and well after the CCC controversy matured, our local CCC conglomerate of
stations hired him away from the little local station with great fanfare - their only local jock. I
despise him for his lack of principle and them - CCC - for their blatant commercialism.

Break CCC.

A bit of research will show that CCC does not have any interest in its listeners but only in their
sponsors and their bottom line.

"Eric Vey" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

--I think it is quite arguable that the culture of Clear Channel Radio tolerates, attracts, or
even promotes anti-social behavior in general by its radio talent.--

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I think it is quite arguable that the culture of Clear Channel Radio tolerates, attracts, or even
promotes anti-social behavior in general by its radio talent.

I have spent some time recently listening to them and that seems to be exactly what they do.

=v= Yep, the whole shock jock thing and the general degradation of civil discourse (e.g. Rush
Limbaugh and his ilk) have both contributed to this.

=v= Another contribution is the whole drive-time radio concept. The format is to mindlessly
pander to a captive audience, a bunch of people stuck in traffic in cars. This genre attaches
itself to ill-considered causes that at first blush seem to be to their audience's benefit, but
ultimately isn't.

=v= Thinks like supporting more freeways and parking lots, opposing HOV lanes, ranting about higher
gas prices (remember the Great American Gas-Out?), fighting air quality improvements, and railing
against bicyclists. <_Jym_