Monday, March 29, 2004
Good or Bad - Indie's find fame through commercials
An irony: Independent bands gaining popularity through commercials
Sunday, March 28, 2004
By Tricia Woolfenden
The Grand Rapids Press
Indie-rock bands are starting to take the word "commercial" literally. A trend finds car manufacturers and beer companies using tunes by the likes of The Walkmen and Modest Mouse to sell their wares. And it's a two-way street that pays off, as Saturn and Miller have ended up selling the music, too.
When Volkswagen used underground folk-hero Nick Drake's haunting "Pink Moon" to push its 2000 Cabrio, people showed as much interest in the tune as in the product. Sales of the deceased musician's work rose dramatically, and Volkswagen earned hipster credibility -- and plenty of hipster car buyers.
Choosing underground, independent -- or "indie" -- bands in TV spots (over, say, music by Bob Seger, Toby Keith, Phil Collins or Billy Joel) suddenly seemed a wise move.
Chris Walla, guitarist and keyboardist for indie rocker band, Death Cab For Cutie, said he believes the song choices used in commercials reflect a younger generation at the helm in creative positions at ad agencies.
"There are a lot of kids into the same stuff as our age group, and they all have marketing jobs now," Walla said during a recent phone interview.
"They listened to the same stuff we grew up on, and they're going more along our lines than along the Kid Rock lines."
Walla said most people with advertising jobs are creative-types with a broader taste in music than found in the mainstream rock scene.
Casimer Pascal agress. Lead vocalist for the Detroit indie outfit he says "Young blood has managed to work its way into positions of power, and we are lucky that some of them have Smiths, Nick Drake and Stereolab discs in their briefcases," Pascal said during a recent e-mail interview.
Pascal said he views these young ad executives and producers as allies who help to expose independent bands to a broader market, in addition to the music nerds/snobs/diehards who closely monitor and support the indie scene. Especially because commercial radio and corporate music TV stations do not play independent music.
"I think it's highly ironic that the only place to hear quality noncommercial music is in the commercials," Pascal said.
Pas/Cal recently licensed its sunny retro song, "Bronze Beached Boys of the Summer," for use in a Saturn commercial after deciding that might be the best way to gain exposure.
The group got the gig after being approached by Agoraphone Music Direction Service, a company that specializes in finding hip, indie songs to license for commercial use. Agoraphone presented the band with a completed ad and a monetary offer, which Pas/Cal quickly accepted.
"The merits seemed clear: Exposure that would be impossible without a major label backing," Pascal said, adding the money will allow the the group to record a full-length album.
"It was an easy decision, one that none of us regrets."
Since the commercial began airing, Pascal said record sales have increased and fan response largely has been positive -- a surprising note, since indie music fans tend to guard their favorite artists zealously and are quick to accuse bands of "selling out."
"Out of 103 letters (about the ad) only one of them was negative," Pascal said.
Walla -- whose band's music has been played and discussed repeatedly on "The OC," a Fox network teen-soap -- said he would expect some backlash to the licensing of Death Cab's music for commercial purposes, but he doesn't consider it to be selling out.
"I'm sure there are some diehards who will be disappointed," Walla said. "Ultimately, I'm not that worried about it. I just like making music. People are enjoying it, and we're paying the rent."
Pascal agrees and said true fans have not wavered in their love for the band.
"We have received a huge amount of support in regards to the ad," Pascal said. "We are most thankful for the ability to continue our writing and recording for our debut LP, unobstructed by the enemy of all art: The Day Job."
An irony: Independent bands gaining popularity through commercials
Sunday, March 28, 2004
By Tricia Woolfenden
The Grand Rapids Press
Indie-rock bands are starting to take the word "commercial" literally. A trend finds car manufacturers and beer companies using tunes by the likes of The Walkmen and Modest Mouse to sell their wares. And it's a two-way street that pays off, as Saturn and Miller have ended up selling the music, too.
When Volkswagen used underground folk-hero Nick Drake's haunting "Pink Moon" to push its 2000 Cabrio, people showed as much interest in the tune as in the product. Sales of the deceased musician's work rose dramatically, and Volkswagen earned hipster credibility -- and plenty of hipster car buyers.
Choosing underground, independent -- or "indie" -- bands in TV spots (over, say, music by Bob Seger, Toby Keith, Phil Collins or Billy Joel) suddenly seemed a wise move.
Chris Walla, guitarist and keyboardist for indie rocker band, Death Cab For Cutie, said he believes the song choices used in commercials reflect a younger generation at the helm in creative positions at ad agencies.
"There are a lot of kids into the same stuff as our age group, and they all have marketing jobs now," Walla said during a recent phone interview.
"They listened to the same stuff we grew up on, and they're going more along our lines than along the Kid Rock lines."
Walla said most people with advertising jobs are creative-types with a broader taste in music than found in the mainstream rock scene.
Casimer Pascal agress. Lead vocalist for the Detroit indie outfit he says "Young blood has managed to work its way into positions of power, and we are lucky that some of them have Smiths, Nick Drake and Stereolab discs in their briefcases," Pascal said during a recent e-mail interview.
Pascal said he views these young ad executives and producers as allies who help to expose independent bands to a broader market, in addition to the music nerds/snobs/diehards who closely monitor and support the indie scene. Especially because commercial radio and corporate music TV stations do not play independent music.
"I think it's highly ironic that the only place to hear quality noncommercial music is in the commercials," Pascal said.
Pas/Cal recently licensed its sunny retro song, "Bronze Beached Boys of the Summer," for use in a Saturn commercial after deciding that might be the best way to gain exposure.
The group got the gig after being approached by Agoraphone Music Direction Service, a company that specializes in finding hip, indie songs to license for commercial use. Agoraphone presented the band with a completed ad and a monetary offer, which Pas/Cal quickly accepted.
"The merits seemed clear: Exposure that would be impossible without a major label backing," Pascal said, adding the money will allow the the group to record a full-length album.
"It was an easy decision, one that none of us regrets."
Since the commercial began airing, Pascal said record sales have increased and fan response largely has been positive -- a surprising note, since indie music fans tend to guard their favorite artists zealously and are quick to accuse bands of "selling out."
"Out of 103 letters (about the ad) only one of them was negative," Pascal said.
Walla -- whose band's music has been played and discussed repeatedly on "The OC," a Fox network teen-soap -- said he would expect some backlash to the licensing of Death Cab's music for commercial purposes, but he doesn't consider it to be selling out.
"I'm sure there are some diehards who will be disappointed," Walla said. "Ultimately, I'm not that worried about it. I just like making music. People are enjoying it, and we're paying the rent."
Pascal agrees and said true fans have not wavered in their love for the band.
"We have received a huge amount of support in regards to the ad," Pascal said. "We are most thankful for the ability to continue our writing and recording for our debut LP, unobstructed by the enemy of all art: The Day Job."
Friday, March 26, 2004
The Immortals
The fifty greatest artists of all time
Rolling Stone Magazine
Link to pieces here
The Immortals are the greatest rock & roll artists of all time. They are also more than that. The fifty men, women and bands celebrated in the following pages ( and in an exclusive photo gallery ) are the singers, songwriters, record makers and performers who are continually in the music -- as pioneers, teachers and stars; touching our souls and pulling us to our feet, on a daily basis -- even when they are no longer with us. And this is not just a list. MORE . . .
1) The Beatles by Elvis Costello
2) Bob Dylan by Robbie Robertson
3) Elvis Presley by Bono
4) The Rolling Stones by Steven Van Zandt
5) Chuck Berry by Joe Perry
6) Jimi Hendrix by John Mayer (WHAT EDITOR THOGUHT THIS WAS BEST PERSON TO WRITE ABOUT HENDRIX?!!?!?)
7) James Brown by Rick Rubin
8) Little Richard by Little Richard
9) Aretha Franklin by Jerry Wexler
10) Ray Charles by Van Morrison
11) Bob Marley by Wyclef Jean
12) The Beach Boys by Lindsey Buckingham
13) Buddy Holly by John Mellencamp
14) Led Zeppelin by David Grohl
15) Stevie Wonder by Elton John
16) Sam Cooke by Art Garfunkel
17) Muddy Watters by Billy Gibbons
18) Marvin Gaye by Smokey Robinson
19) The Velvet Underground by Julian Casablancas
20) Bo Diddley by Iggy Pop
21) Otis Redding by Steve Cropper
22) U2 by Chris Martin
23) Bruce Springsteen by Jackson Browne
24) Jerry Lee Lewis by Moby
25) Fats Domino by Dr. John
26) The Ramones by Lenny Kaye
27) Nirvana by Vernon Reid
28) Prince by Ahmir Thompson
29) The Who by Eddie Vedder
30) The Clash by The Edge
31) Johnny Cash by Kris Kristofferson
32) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles by Bob Seger
33) The Everly Brothers by Paul Simon
34) Neil Young by Flea
35) Michael Jackson by Antonio "LA" Reid
36) Madonna by Britney Spears
37)Roy Orbison by K.D. Lang
38) John Lennon by Lenny Kravitz
39) David Bowie by Lou Reed
40) Simon and Garfunkel by James Taylor
41) The Doors by Marilyn Manson
42) Van Morrison by Peter Wolf
43) Sly and the Family Stone by Don Was
44) Public Enemy by Adam Yauch
45) The Byrds by Tom Petty
46) Janis Joplin by Rosanne Cash
47) Patti Smith by Shirley Manson
48) Run-DMC by Chuck D
49) Elton John by Billy Joel
50) The Band by Lucinda Williams
The fifty greatest artists of all time
Rolling Stone Magazine
Link to pieces here
The Immortals are the greatest rock & roll artists of all time. They are also more than that. The fifty men, women and bands celebrated in the following pages ( and in an exclusive photo gallery ) are the singers, songwriters, record makers and performers who are continually in the music -- as pioneers, teachers and stars; touching our souls and pulling us to our feet, on a daily basis -- even when they are no longer with us. And this is not just a list. MORE . . .
1) The Beatles by Elvis Costello
2) Bob Dylan by Robbie Robertson
3) Elvis Presley by Bono
4) The Rolling Stones by Steven Van Zandt
5) Chuck Berry by Joe Perry
6) Jimi Hendrix by John Mayer (WHAT EDITOR THOGUHT THIS WAS BEST PERSON TO WRITE ABOUT HENDRIX?!!?!?)
7) James Brown by Rick Rubin
8) Little Richard by Little Richard
9) Aretha Franklin by Jerry Wexler
10) Ray Charles by Van Morrison
11) Bob Marley by Wyclef Jean
12) The Beach Boys by Lindsey Buckingham
13) Buddy Holly by John Mellencamp
14) Led Zeppelin by David Grohl
15) Stevie Wonder by Elton John
16) Sam Cooke by Art Garfunkel
17) Muddy Watters by Billy Gibbons
18) Marvin Gaye by Smokey Robinson
19) The Velvet Underground by Julian Casablancas
20) Bo Diddley by Iggy Pop
21) Otis Redding by Steve Cropper
22) U2 by Chris Martin
23) Bruce Springsteen by Jackson Browne
24) Jerry Lee Lewis by Moby
25) Fats Domino by Dr. John
26) The Ramones by Lenny Kaye
27) Nirvana by Vernon Reid
28) Prince by Ahmir Thompson
29) The Who by Eddie Vedder
30) The Clash by The Edge
31) Johnny Cash by Kris Kristofferson
32) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles by Bob Seger
33) The Everly Brothers by Paul Simon
34) Neil Young by Flea
35) Michael Jackson by Antonio "LA" Reid
36) Madonna by Britney Spears
37)Roy Orbison by K.D. Lang
38) John Lennon by Lenny Kravitz
39) David Bowie by Lou Reed
40) Simon and Garfunkel by James Taylor
41) The Doors by Marilyn Manson
42) Van Morrison by Peter Wolf
43) Sly and the Family Stone by Don Was
44) Public Enemy by Adam Yauch
45) The Byrds by Tom Petty
46) Janis Joplin by Rosanne Cash
47) Patti Smith by Shirley Manson
48) Run-DMC by Chuck D
49) Elton John by Billy Joel
50) The Band by Lucinda Williams
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
More of Courtney's Meltdown, Caught on film
Look for yourselves, all. (All is really Bob & Ryan, isn't it....) I heard the guy on Stern this morning.
Page Six, The New York Post
March 23, 2004 -- SKANKS for the mammaries, Courtney Love! The mystery man photographed suckling Love's breast outside Wendy's in Union Square last week wants to milk his moment of media infamy for everything it's worth.
Kofi Asare, 23, tells PAGE SIX he hopes to print the infamous image on T-shirts, and use it to further his dreams of becoming an actor or model. "First there was Justin and Janet, and now there's Kofi and Courtney," Asare crows. "It's great exposure for me. I look at the picture and I think, 'Wow, that's a classic shot.' It's controversial, but it's all in good fun."
The photo - which shows a grinning Love pulling down her top while Asare suckles her like a newborn baby - has been burning up the Internet and is rumored to have been bought by the National Enquirer.
Asare says he was heading into Wendy's around 8 p.m. last Wednesday when he saw Love flashing her breasts at paparazzi outside. "All I wanted was some chicken nuggets," Asare says. "I saw Miss Love flashing everyone. I had to push the envelope. I figured, 'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.' She flashed me so I was like, 'May I?' She was cool with it. It wasn't like I was trying to do anything to degrade her."
"I just said, 'Thank you,' and she got into her vehicle with some people she was with. They sped off and the paparazzi sped off after them." Love was arrested hours later after she allegedly hit a fan with a microphone stand while performing at Plaid.
Asare, who is black, said he was offended after some identified him as "homeless" when describing the photo. "I didn't appreciate being vilified like that," said Asare, a reservations agent for a limousine company who lives with his parents in Morningside Heights. "It was an assassination of my character. I'm not homeless. I graduated from SUNY-New Paltz last year. I majored in public relations."
Meanwhile, Love went on Howard Stern's radio show yesterday and gave a rambling interview in which she claimed to have performed oral sex on rocker Ted Nugent when she was a 12-year-old groupie. Nugent did not return our call for comment.
When Stern asked why she let a "homeless guy" kiss her breast, Love answered, "I don't seem to remember this moment. I saw it. I saw the very beautiful cover of The Post. Wasn't it sexy?" The Post, of course, has never published the skanky snapshot.
Look for yourselves, all. (All is really Bob & Ryan, isn't it....) I heard the guy on Stern this morning.
Page Six, The New York Post
March 23, 2004 -- SKANKS for the mammaries, Courtney Love! The mystery man photographed suckling Love's breast outside Wendy's in Union Square last week wants to milk his moment of media infamy for everything it's worth.
Kofi Asare, 23, tells PAGE SIX he hopes to print the infamous image on T-shirts, and use it to further his dreams of becoming an actor or model. "First there was Justin and Janet, and now there's Kofi and Courtney," Asare crows. "It's great exposure for me. I look at the picture and I think, 'Wow, that's a classic shot.' It's controversial, but it's all in good fun."
The photo - which shows a grinning Love pulling down her top while Asare suckles her like a newborn baby - has been burning up the Internet and is rumored to have been bought by the National Enquirer.
Asare says he was heading into Wendy's around 8 p.m. last Wednesday when he saw Love flashing her breasts at paparazzi outside. "All I wanted was some chicken nuggets," Asare says. "I saw Miss Love flashing everyone. I had to push the envelope. I figured, 'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.' She flashed me so I was like, 'May I?' She was cool with it. It wasn't like I was trying to do anything to degrade her."
"I just said, 'Thank you,' and she got into her vehicle with some people she was with. They sped off and the paparazzi sped off after them." Love was arrested hours later after she allegedly hit a fan with a microphone stand while performing at Plaid.
Asare, who is black, said he was offended after some identified him as "homeless" when describing the photo. "I didn't appreciate being vilified like that," said Asare, a reservations agent for a limousine company who lives with his parents in Morningside Heights. "It was an assassination of my character. I'm not homeless. I graduated from SUNY-New Paltz last year. I majored in public relations."
Meanwhile, Love went on Howard Stern's radio show yesterday and gave a rambling interview in which she claimed to have performed oral sex on rocker Ted Nugent when she was a 12-year-old groupie. Nugent did not return our call for comment.
When Stern asked why she let a "homeless guy" kiss her breast, Love answered, "I don't seem to remember this moment. I saw it. I saw the very beautiful cover of The Post. Wasn't it sexy?" The Post, of course, has never published the skanky snapshot.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
First VJ Down for the Count
And it begins; we're losing our very first VJs. Triple J (a VJ *and* an excellent radio station in Sydney) bites it, felled by a heart attack.
And it begins; we're losing our very first VJs. Triple J (a VJ *and* an excellent radio station in Sydney) bites it, felled by a heart attack.
Morrissey disparages Bowie...
The article excerpts a Morrissey interview in the upcoming GQ magazine.
I LOVE Morrissey. "Hatful of Hollow" is one of my desert island discs.
But what on earth makes him think he's been relevant in ages? He hasn't. He's put out a couple good solo albums and a couple bad solo albums, but his impact was back in the days and innovation of Morrissey/Marr.
I know he's got a new album coming out, and with all his posturing, it'd better be good.
The article excerpts a Morrissey interview in the upcoming GQ magazine.
I LOVE Morrissey. "Hatful of Hollow" is one of my desert island discs.
But what on earth makes him think he's been relevant in ages? He hasn't. He's put out a couple good solo albums and a couple bad solo albums, but his impact was back in the days and innovation of Morrissey/Marr.
I know he's got a new album coming out, and with all his posturing, it'd better be good.
Can you say meltdown?
I saw commercials for the Letterman appearance, so I've got it taped, though I haven't seen it yet. They replayed much of it this morning on Howard Stern. Courtney is losing it folks, as if we didn't already know that.
Singer Courtney Love arrested in New York nightclub
From Cheryl Bronson
CNN
NEW YORK (CNN) -- After baring herself on "The Late Show with David Letterman," singer Courtney Love was arrested early Thursday at a New York City nightclub for reckless endangerment after she tossed a microphone stand into the audience, striking one of the club's patrons in the head.
Love gave a surprise performance at Plaid, a lower Manhattan nightclub, for about 400 patrons Thursday morning. While on stage with her band, Love hurled a microphone stand into the audience and struck a 24-year-old man in the head. According to a nightclub spokeswoman, Love was unaware of what happened and continued to perform. The victim walked through the crowd to the security guards, who called for an ambulance. Love was arrested when she left the stage.
"It was pretty bloody,'" said the spokeswoman. "No one really knew while she was performing that this happened. She wasn't aware and did a few more songs. He worked his way through the crowd to the door and security called the ambulance."
According to the spokeswoman the victim was "very insistent on pressing charges and arresting Love." When she finished her set and left the stage, police officers approached Love, informed her of what happened and told her she was being arrested. She was allowed a minute to call her attorney before she was taken away.
"She decided to go quietly," the spokeswoman said. "She had no bad intentions when she threw the thing, it was just part of her acting. She didn't know she hurt someone and felt terrible about it, but she didn't feel she was guilty of a crime either."
According to New York police Sgt. John Grimpel, the victim was taken to Cabrini Hospital with minor head injuries. Love was taken to the ninth precinct in the East Village and charged with reckless endangerment. More charges are still pending.
Love appeared on the "The Late Show with David Letterman," which aired Wednesday night, where she repeatedly turned her back to the camera and lifted her shirt to flash Letterman during her interview.
In California, Love is facing two felony counts of possession of controlled substances and is battling for custody of her daughter Frances Bean by her husband, the late Kurt Cobain.
In February, Love released her first solo album titled "America's Sweetheart."
I saw commercials for the Letterman appearance, so I've got it taped, though I haven't seen it yet. They replayed much of it this morning on Howard Stern. Courtney is losing it folks, as if we didn't already know that.
Singer Courtney Love arrested in New York nightclub
From Cheryl Bronson
CNN
NEW YORK (CNN) -- After baring herself on "The Late Show with David Letterman," singer Courtney Love was arrested early Thursday at a New York City nightclub for reckless endangerment after she tossed a microphone stand into the audience, striking one of the club's patrons in the head.
Love gave a surprise performance at Plaid, a lower Manhattan nightclub, for about 400 patrons Thursday morning. While on stage with her band, Love hurled a microphone stand into the audience and struck a 24-year-old man in the head. According to a nightclub spokeswoman, Love was unaware of what happened and continued to perform. The victim walked through the crowd to the security guards, who called for an ambulance. Love was arrested when she left the stage.
"It was pretty bloody,'" said the spokeswoman. "No one really knew while she was performing that this happened. She wasn't aware and did a few more songs. He worked his way through the crowd to the door and security called the ambulance."
According to the spokeswoman the victim was "very insistent on pressing charges and arresting Love." When she finished her set and left the stage, police officers approached Love, informed her of what happened and told her she was being arrested. She was allowed a minute to call her attorney before she was taken away.
"She decided to go quietly," the spokeswoman said. "She had no bad intentions when she threw the thing, it was just part of her acting. She didn't know she hurt someone and felt terrible about it, but she didn't feel she was guilty of a crime either."
According to New York police Sgt. John Grimpel, the victim was taken to Cabrini Hospital with minor head injuries. Love was taken to the ninth precinct in the East Village and charged with reckless endangerment. More charges are still pending.
Love appeared on the "The Late Show with David Letterman," which aired Wednesday night, where she repeatedly turned her back to the camera and lifted her shirt to flash Letterman during her interview.
In California, Love is facing two felony counts of possession of controlled substances and is battling for custody of her daughter Frances Bean by her husband, the late Kurt Cobain.
In February, Love released her first solo album titled "America's Sweetheart."
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Siouxsie/P.I.L. Guitarist Dies
From Hits:
"NEW WAVE GUITARIST PASSES: Noted U.K. guitarist John McGeogh, who played for such U.K. punk bands as Magazine and Siouxsie & the Banshees, died in his sleep last week at his W. London home at the age of 48. Cause of death has not been determined. The Scottish guitarist played with Magazine from 1977-’80 and with the Banshees from ’80-82. He also recorded with PiL from 1986-’92. He lived in L.A. from ’86 until the mid-’90s, then returned to the U.K. He quit the music business shortly afterward and trained as a nurse, which he became qualified to be in ’95. He was most recently working on music for a TV documentary for Britain’s Channel 5 at the time of his death. (3/10p)"
From Hits:
"NEW WAVE GUITARIST PASSES: Noted U.K. guitarist John McGeogh, who played for such U.K. punk bands as Magazine and Siouxsie & the Banshees, died in his sleep last week at his W. London home at the age of 48. Cause of death has not been determined. The Scottish guitarist played with Magazine from 1977-’80 and with the Banshees from ’80-82. He also recorded with PiL from 1986-’92. He lived in L.A. from ’86 until the mid-’90s, then returned to the U.K. He quit the music business shortly afterward and trained as a nurse, which he became qualified to be in ’95. He was most recently working on music for a TV documentary for Britain’s Channel 5 at the time of his death. (3/10p)"
Liberal Radio; Maybe I Will Have Something To Listen To After Stern....
Alas, not now, as they're starting up in LA, San Fran, Chicago and N.Y. at first. (I can't listen to talk radio in my office via the internet; maybe it's time for DSL...but $40 a month?!?)
PROGRESS MEDIA’S AIR AMERICA RADIO NETWORK TO LAUNCH MARCH 31, 2004
New York, March 10, 2004 – Air America Radio, a progressive talk radio network, announced today it will hit the airwaves on March 31st.
"Air America Radio is launching in the top U.S. markets with leading talent that will provide compelling and entertaining programming on the radio, on satellite feeds, and on the web," said Mark Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Air America Radio. “We aim to build an important new media franchise that delivers results.”
The network’s on-air personalities represent today’s top political and popular satirists, commentators and activists. Comedian, and best selling author Al Franken, who was recently taken to court when Bill O’Reilly and Fox News were seeking an injunction to halt distribution of "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," and is known for fact-based, drug-free satire, will host a weekday show on the network called “The O’Franken Factor.”
“I’m so happy that Air America Radio will be on in three battleground states, New York, Illinois and California….no wait…those aren’t the battleground states. What the hell are we doing?” said Franken.
Air America Radio has signed actress and comedienne Janeane Garofalo, hip hop icon Chuck D, radio personality Randi Rhodes, and political humorist Sam Seder to join Franken at the network. Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “The Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead, and business-of-the-media analyst on the public radio program “Marketplace” Martin Kaplan will also join the network.
The network has unveiled its current weekday and weekend line-up:
Monday-Friday
Uprising: 6:00-9:00am
This is a fast paced morning show that will entertain and engage audiences with wit and political satire. It will feature the latest news, offering up to-the-minute interviews with newsmakers, analysis and strong opinions.
Co-Host: Marc Maron
Co-host: Sue Ellicott
Co-host: Mark Riley
Unfiltered: 9:00am- 12:00pm
Air America’s midmorning program is a showcase for conversation about the political and culture state of the union. Unfiltered introduces listeners to fresh new voices not available in mainstream media.
Co-host: Lizz Winstead
Co-host: Chuck D
Co-host: Laura Flanders
The O’ Franken Factor: 12:00-3:00pm
Relentless, pure satire, delivered by the leading political humorist of this generation. With his partner, longtime radio host Katherine Lanpher, this will be three hours of fearless barbs, sketches, and interviews with newsmakers and characters who have lived, up until now, only in Al’s fertile imagination. He’s no policy wonk, but this best-selling author and veteran of Saturday Night Live, is devoting his energy to fighting back against rightwing propaganda with hard evidence and facts.
Host: Al Franken
Co-host: Katherine Lanpher
Producer: Billy Kimball
The Randi Rhodes Show: 3:00-7:00pm
Randi Rhodes has spent the last 20 years burning up the airwaves in southern Florida with her pointed and provocative brand of talk radio. Combining live interview, call-in and commentary, Randi engages her audience with a passionate presentation.
Host: Randi Rhodes
So What Else is News?: 7:00-8:00pm
Based in Los Angeles, this is a one-hour program showcasing the intersection of politics, media and popular culture. This program will feature analysis and reports from the presidential campaign, as well as a daily reporters’ roundtable on how the news of the day is affected and reflected by the media. Marty will also cover the spinning of the news with a regular segment called “The Corrections.” This is also the place to hear the political voice of Hollywood, with celebrity guest interviews from the entertainment industries.
Host: Marty Kaplan
The Majority Report: 8:00pm-11:00pm
This program will introduce new, younger voices and opinions, with live guests from the world of politics, the arts and entertainment.
Host: Janeane Garofalo
Co-host: Sam Seder
Saturday and Sunday
Air America Radio’s weekend line-up will offer more original programming, like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mike Papatanio’s “Champions of Justice,” a program that brings a fresh and entertaining perspective to talk radio from the top legal and social issues focused minds in the country. Additional programming will include Best-of Air America Radio and Best-of-O’Franken Factor as well as other original programming to be announced soon.
“Air America Radio will be available immediately in top markets across the country, and our distribution channels will continue to expand in the coming months via affiliation agreements with partner stations across the land,” said Air America Radio President Jon Sinton.
Air America Radio will debut its programming on radio stations WLIB (AM 1190am) in New York, WNTD (AM 950) in Chicago and KBLA (AM 1580) in Los Angeles and a station in San Francisco to be named before launch.
Air America’s partnership with WLIB owner, Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, is a complementary agreement that builds on the goals of each organization – to bring new energy and new immediacy to messages, issues and audiences that deserve a place in today’s media marketplace.
“We are excited about the diverse and important voices Air America Radio is bringing to the airwaves, both on our own WLIB signal and others,” said Pierre Sutton, Chairman of ICBC. “This strategic partnership allows both companies to combine our resources and deliver relevant messages to a broad and diverse audience. Our talented Mark Riley joins new and exciting co-hosts throughout the broadcast day in multiple major markets to open the airwaves to opinions and entertaining commentary that Americans can hear nowhere else.”
Live streaming of Air America Radio shows, along with show archives, will be available on www.airamericaradio.com. Air America Radio is in negotiations with satellite television and satellite radio providers. These national services will allow potential listeners to tune in anywhere in the country. The details of these partnerships will be unveiled soon.
“Our success to date proves what we have known all along: a progressive radio network can be entertaining and engaging while also being a successful business venture. We have made a lot of progress…and more is to come. We expect to deliver valuable listeners to our advertising partners,” said Evan Cohen, New York-based investor and Chairman of the board of Air America Radio.
# # #
Alas, not now, as they're starting up in LA, San Fran, Chicago and N.Y. at first. (I can't listen to talk radio in my office via the internet; maybe it's time for DSL...but $40 a month?!?)
PROGRESS MEDIA’S AIR AMERICA RADIO NETWORK TO LAUNCH MARCH 31, 2004
New York, March 10, 2004 – Air America Radio, a progressive talk radio network, announced today it will hit the airwaves on March 31st.
"Air America Radio is launching in the top U.S. markets with leading talent that will provide compelling and entertaining programming on the radio, on satellite feeds, and on the web," said Mark Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Air America Radio. “We aim to build an important new media franchise that delivers results.”
The network’s on-air personalities represent today’s top political and popular satirists, commentators and activists. Comedian, and best selling author Al Franken, who was recently taken to court when Bill O’Reilly and Fox News were seeking an injunction to halt distribution of "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," and is known for fact-based, drug-free satire, will host a weekday show on the network called “The O’Franken Factor.”
“I’m so happy that Air America Radio will be on in three battleground states, New York, Illinois and California….no wait…those aren’t the battleground states. What the hell are we doing?” said Franken.
Air America Radio has signed actress and comedienne Janeane Garofalo, hip hop icon Chuck D, radio personality Randi Rhodes, and political humorist Sam Seder to join Franken at the network. Environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “The Daily Show” co-creator Lizz Winstead, and business-of-the-media analyst on the public radio program “Marketplace” Martin Kaplan will also join the network.
The network has unveiled its current weekday and weekend line-up:
Monday-Friday
Uprising: 6:00-9:00am
This is a fast paced morning show that will entertain and engage audiences with wit and political satire. It will feature the latest news, offering up to-the-minute interviews with newsmakers, analysis and strong opinions.
Co-Host: Marc Maron
Co-host: Sue Ellicott
Co-host: Mark Riley
Unfiltered: 9:00am- 12:00pm
Air America’s midmorning program is a showcase for conversation about the political and culture state of the union. Unfiltered introduces listeners to fresh new voices not available in mainstream media.
Co-host: Lizz Winstead
Co-host: Chuck D
Co-host: Laura Flanders
The O’ Franken Factor: 12:00-3:00pm
Relentless, pure satire, delivered by the leading political humorist of this generation. With his partner, longtime radio host Katherine Lanpher, this will be three hours of fearless barbs, sketches, and interviews with newsmakers and characters who have lived, up until now, only in Al’s fertile imagination. He’s no policy wonk, but this best-selling author and veteran of Saturday Night Live, is devoting his energy to fighting back against rightwing propaganda with hard evidence and facts.
Host: Al Franken
Co-host: Katherine Lanpher
Producer: Billy Kimball
The Randi Rhodes Show: 3:00-7:00pm
Randi Rhodes has spent the last 20 years burning up the airwaves in southern Florida with her pointed and provocative brand of talk radio. Combining live interview, call-in and commentary, Randi engages her audience with a passionate presentation.
Host: Randi Rhodes
So What Else is News?: 7:00-8:00pm
Based in Los Angeles, this is a one-hour program showcasing the intersection of politics, media and popular culture. This program will feature analysis and reports from the presidential campaign, as well as a daily reporters’ roundtable on how the news of the day is affected and reflected by the media. Marty will also cover the spinning of the news with a regular segment called “The Corrections.” This is also the place to hear the political voice of Hollywood, with celebrity guest interviews from the entertainment industries.
Host: Marty Kaplan
The Majority Report: 8:00pm-11:00pm
This program will introduce new, younger voices and opinions, with live guests from the world of politics, the arts and entertainment.
Host: Janeane Garofalo
Co-host: Sam Seder
Saturday and Sunday
Air America Radio’s weekend line-up will offer more original programming, like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mike Papatanio’s “Champions of Justice,” a program that brings a fresh and entertaining perspective to talk radio from the top legal and social issues focused minds in the country. Additional programming will include Best-of Air America Radio and Best-of-O’Franken Factor as well as other original programming to be announced soon.
“Air America Radio will be available immediately in top markets across the country, and our distribution channels will continue to expand in the coming months via affiliation agreements with partner stations across the land,” said Air America Radio President Jon Sinton.
Air America Radio will debut its programming on radio stations WLIB (AM 1190am) in New York, WNTD (AM 950) in Chicago and KBLA (AM 1580) in Los Angeles and a station in San Francisco to be named before launch.
Air America’s partnership with WLIB owner, Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, is a complementary agreement that builds on the goals of each organization – to bring new energy and new immediacy to messages, issues and audiences that deserve a place in today’s media marketplace.
“We are excited about the diverse and important voices Air America Radio is bringing to the airwaves, both on our own WLIB signal and others,” said Pierre Sutton, Chairman of ICBC. “This strategic partnership allows both companies to combine our resources and deliver relevant messages to a broad and diverse audience. Our talented Mark Riley joins new and exciting co-hosts throughout the broadcast day in multiple major markets to open the airwaves to opinions and entertaining commentary that Americans can hear nowhere else.”
Live streaming of Air America Radio shows, along with show archives, will be available on www.airamericaradio.com. Air America Radio is in negotiations with satellite television and satellite radio providers. These national services will allow potential listeners to tune in anywhere in the country. The details of these partnerships will be unveiled soon.
“Our success to date proves what we have known all along: a progressive radio network can be entertaining and engaging while also being a successful business venture. We have made a lot of progress…and more is to come. We expect to deliver valuable listeners to our advertising partners,” said Evan Cohen, New York-based investor and Chairman of the board of Air America Radio.
# # #
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Cities That Rock...
From the new Esquire.... So what do you think? I think Gainesville might be a good place to see music, but I would NOT want to live there!!
The story is called "Cities That Rock"
subtitled A Guide to the 10 best cities for seeing and hearing music.
1. Pittsburgh
2. Denver
3. Minneapolis
4. Raleigh, NC
5. Gainesville, FL
6. Fresno, CA
7. Cincinnati
8. New Orleans
9. Phoenix/Tempe
10. San Fran
From the new Esquire.... So what do you think? I think Gainesville might be a good place to see music, but I would NOT want to live there!!
The story is called "Cities That Rock"
subtitled A Guide to the 10 best cities for seeing and hearing music.
1. Pittsburgh
2. Denver
3. Minneapolis
4. Raleigh, NC
5. Gainesville, FL
6. Fresno, CA
7. Cincinnati
8. New Orleans
9. Phoenix/Tempe
10. San Fran
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Stern Getting Whacked for Politics?
So, what do you think? It's hard to claim a broadcaster is indecent by community standards when he's number one in all his markets. Someone, or a LOT of someones, find him listenable and not objectionable. - bags
The passion of Howard Stern
The shock jock says radio colossus Clear Channel fired him because he criticized George Bush -- and he's sure as hell not going to go quietly.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Eric Boehlert
March 4, 2004 | From the moment last week when Clear Channel Communications suspended Howard Stern's syndicated morning show from the company's radio stations, denouncing it as "vulgar, offensive and insulting," speculation erupted that the move had more to do with Stern's politics than his raunchy shock-jock shtick.
Stern's loyal listeners, Clear Channel foes and many Bush administration critics immediately reached the same conclusion: The notorious jock was yanked off the air because he had recently begun trashing Bush, and Bush-friendly Clear Channel used the guise of "indecency" to shut him up. That the content of Stern's crude show hadn't suddenly changed, but his stance on Bush had, gave the theory more heft. That, plus his being pulled off the air in key electoral swing states such as Florida and Pennsylvania.
This week, Stern himself went on the warpath, weaving in among his familiar monologues about breasts and porn actresses accusations that Texas-based Clear Channel -- whose Republican CEO, Lowry Mays, is extremely close to both George W. Bush and Bush's father -- canned him because he deviated from the company's pro-Bush line. "I gotta tell you something," Stern told his listeners. "There's a lot of people saying that the second that I started saying, 'I think we gotta get Bush out of the presidency,' that's when Clear Channel banged my ass outta here. Then I find out that Clear Channel is such a big contributor to President Bush, and in bed with the whole Bush administration, I'm going, 'Maybe that's why I was thrown off: because I don't like the way the country is leaning too much to the religious right.' And then, bam! Let's get rid of Stern. I used to think, 'Oh, I can't believe that.' But that's it! That's what's going on here! I know it! I know it!"
Stern's been relentless all week, detailing the close ties between Clear Channel executives and the Bush administration, and insisting that political speech, not indecency, got him in trouble with the San Antonio broadcasting giant. If he hadn't turned against Bush, Stern told his listeners, he'd still be heard on Clear Channel stations.
In a statement released to Salon, the media company insists that "Clear Channel Radio is not operated according to any political agenda or ideology." Clear Channel Radio chief Joe Hogan said, "The decision to suspend Howard Stern from our radio stations is based on our regulatory obligation and commitment to airing material that conforms to the standards and sensibilities of the local communities we serve."
Although by far the most powerful, Stern is not the first radio jock to charge Clear Channel with retaliation for anti-Bush comments.
"I'm glad he's pissed off and I hope he raises hell every single day," says Roxanne Walker, who claims Clear Channel fired her last year because of her antiwar views. "I think any time a broader section of the population hears about the Bush administration and the Clear Channel connection, it's a good thing."
Walker, South Carolina Broadcasters Association's 2002 radio personality of the year, is suing Clear Channel for violating a state law that forbids employers from punishing employees who express politically unpopular beliefs in the workplace.
"On our show we talked about politics and current events," she tells Salon. "There were two conservative partners and me, the liberal, and that was fine. But as it became clear we were going to war, and I kept charging the war was not justified, I was reprimanded by [Clear Channel] management that I needed to tone that down. Basically I was told to shut up." She says she was fired on April 7, 2003.
Phoenix talk show host Charles Goyette says he was kicked off his afternoon drive-time program at Clear Channel's KFYI because of his sharp criticism of the war on Iraq. A self-described Goldwater Republican who was selected "man of the year" by the Republican Party in his local county in 1988, Goyette -- more recently named best talk show host of 2003 by the Phoenix New Times -- says his years with Clear Channel had been among his best in broadcasting. "The trouble started during the long march to war," he says.
While the rest of the station's talk lineup was in a pro-war "frenzy," Goyette was inviting administration critics like former weapons inspector Scott Ritter on his show, and discussing complaints from the intelligence community that the analysis on Iraq was being cooked to support the White House's pro-war agenda. This didn't go over well with his bosses, Goyette says: "I was the Baby Ruth bar in the punch bowl."
Soon, according to Goyette, he was having "toe-to-toe confrontations" with his local Clear Channel managers off the air about his opposition to the war. "One of my bosses said in a tone of exasperation, 'I feel like I'm managing the Dixie Chicks,'" Goyette recalls. "I didn't fit in with the Clear Channel corporate culture."
Writing in the February issue of American Conservative magazine, Goyette put it this way: "Why only a couple of months after my company picked up the option on my contract for another year in the fifth-largest city in the United States, did it suddenly decide to relegate me to radio Outer Darkness? The answer lies hidden in the oil-and-water incompatibility of these two seemingly disconnected phrases: 'Criticizing Bush' and 'Clear Channel.'"
Goyette, who was relegated to the dead 7-10 p.m. slot, wrote, "I was replaced on my primetime talk show by the Frick and Frack of Bushophiles, two giggling guys who think everything our tongue-tied president does is 'Most excellent, dude!'"
Whether Stern was suspended because of his Bush-bashing -- or only because of his Bush-bashing -- is open to question. As reported in Salon, the media behemoth had another powerful reason to clean up its image: In the wake of Janet Jackson's nipplegate, broadcasters faced hostile congressional hearings about indecency on the airwaves and a new bill that would drastically increase the penalties for it. Indeed, the day before it dropped Stern, Clear Channel fired its top-rated Tampa, Fla., shock jock, "Bubba the Love Sponge," who had been recently fined $755,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for indecency.
Several radio insiders interviewed by Salon are skeptical of Stern's inference about his suspension. "I don't think this had anything to do with helping Bush," says Robert Unmacht, former publisher of the radio trade publication, the M Street Journal. "It had to do with the one thing Clear Channel cares about, their bottom line. They're just bankers."
Unmacht also points out that Stern appears in only six markets for Clear Channel, so dumping him was a relatively painless way to score moral points -- and paint Clear Channel rival Infinity, which broadcasts most of Stern's shows, as pandering to indecency.
"Howard thrives when he has an enemy, and this is a pretty good enemy," Unmacht says. "Howard will rail against whoever he thinks is hurting him."
But if Clear Channel hoped that sacking Stern for indecency would earn the company Brownie points, the shock jock's rampage against its Bush connections has only given it another P.R. headache.
Headaches are nothing new for Clear Channel. Over the last five years the company has ballooned into a radio and music industry monster and in the process has faced numerous allegations about unfair business practices. Following the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which ushered in sweeping radio consolidations, the company has grown from 40 to approximately 1,200 stations, or roughly 970 more than its closest competitor. Clear Channel also owns nearly three dozen television stations, 770,000 billboards, and an unmatched list of venues, promoters and tours that allow it to exercise a powerful control over the concert industry.
If Clear Channel did fire Stern at least partly to prop up Bush, the move may backfire -- especially if Stern's rage against Clear Channel feeds his newfound distaste for the president. Stern's audience contains many independents and potential swing voters.
At least one radio pro suggests Stern's sudden turn against Bush could prove costly to the administration during this election year. "Absolutely it should be of concern for the White House," says Michael Harrison, the publisher of Talkers magazine, a nonpartisan trade magazine serving talk radio. "Howard Stern will be an influential force for the public and for other talk show hosts during the election. Despite the shock jock thing, Stern has credibility. He's looked upon as an honest person.
"Clear Channel is a good target and Stern may be honestly upset with them. But over time he'll realize Bush makes a better target, and Stern could be the leader of a new anti-Bush movement. Bush is very vulnerable at talk radio and Stern could reinvent himself as a new, improved Stern and take on more serious issues."
The new Stern may be coming, but the old Stern is still holding the mike. In recent days, when not pounding Clear Channel and Bush, Stern updated listeners on his bouts of late-night masturbation and welcomed to the studio a guy who likes women to vomit on him.
Stern's political conversion came on Monday, Feb. 23, when he returned to the show after a week's vacation and announced he'd read Al Franken's anti-Bush book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." That morning Stern, who had strongly backed Bush during the war on Iraq, told listeners, "If you read this book, you will never vote for George W. Bush. I think this guy is a religious fanatic and a Jesus freak, and he is just hell-bent on getting some sort of bizzaro agenda through -- like a country-club agenda -- so that his father will finally be proud of him ... I don't know much about Kerry, but I think I'm one of those 'Anybody but Bush' guys now. I don't think G.W. is going to win. What do you think about that?"
Three days later, on the morning of Feb. 26, Stern was suspended from all six Clear Channel stations that aired his wake-up program. Company executives pointed to the Tuesday show as the reason for the suspension. During that program Stern interviewed Rick Solomon, who had starred in a sex tape with Paris Hilton. The conversation was graphic (Stern: "I can't believe you banged her. Did you get anal?"), and one caller used a racial slur that was broadcast. But Stern's shows are filled with such language and have been for years.
On Monday, March 2, Stern was telling his vast audience he took a hit because of his stance on Bush.
For her part, former Clear Channel jock Walker doubts that politics was behind Clear Channel's move against Stern. "Much as I'd love this to be about Bush and politics, it's more about sex and indecency," she says. But she stresses the important thing for people to understand is the relationships among Clear Channel CEO Mays, vice chairman Tom Hicks and George W. Bush. Says Walker, "These are not casual acquaintances."
Mays is a staunch Republican, a good friend of the elder George Bush, and close to the current president. "I see him all the time," Mays told a reporter during the 2000 presidential campaign. "His father's a friend of mine." Mays and the company have showered the party with contributions, while essentially stiffing Democrats. Mays served as one of Texas A&M's nine regents when the school landed the elder Bush's presidential library. Mays subsequently became a major donor to the library. Also, former President Bush and Mays shared a podium when they were inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame on the same evening in 1999.
FCC chairman Michael Powell, appointed by the current president, has been pushing a strong pro-big-business, deregulation agenda, which makes Mays happy. But Texas investment banker Hicks may have an even closer relationship to Bush. Hicks, a major Bush donor, sits on the Clear Channel board. The two men helped make each other very wealthy during the 1990s. When Bush was governor of Texas he privatized the financial assets of the University of Texas, all $13 billion worth, rolled them into a single entity, and placed it under the control of Hicks, who, behind closed doors, doled out investment deals to longtime Bush family political contributors. In 1998, Hicks turned around and bought the Texas Rangers from a group of investors that included Bush; Bush pocketed $15 million off his initial investment of $605,000, most of which was borrowed.
During the 2000 campaign, Hicks announced on a conference call among Clear Channel's senior radio executives that the company was supporting Bush's presidential run, that everyone was encouraged to make donations, and that the legal department would be in contact with donors in order to maintain a proper roster. "Some people took out their checkbooks, but lots of people felt it was staged like a shakedown," Salon was told last year by one knowledgeable source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "To be fair, Hicks told everyone they were free to vote for whoever they wanted. But some senior people felt there was an implied pressure there, especially with the mention of the law department maintaining a roster of donors."
Clear Channel is also the corporate home of rabid Bush booster Rush Limbaugh, who spoke to company managers during a Clear Channel conference on the eve of the 2000 presidential election. According to one person who attended, Mays also addressed assembled executives, telling them a Bush administration would be good for the radio industry and good for America.
Just before the war, Clear Channel made news when its syndicated talk show host Glenn Beck began promoting "Rallies for America." Clear Channel insisted the events were put together at the local level and not sponsored by San Antonio headquarters. Yet at a time when antiwar rallies were dominating the news, Clear Channel played a key role in giving war supporters a voice by providing a turnkey service: staging the events, acquiring any necessary permits, taking care of security, assembling speakers, and of course relentlessly publicizing the events on Clear Channel radio stations.
Clear Channel does employ some liberal talkers, such as the popular host Randi Rhodes, who broadcasts out of WJNO in West Palm Beach, Fla. Rhodes is going national this year, but it's not Clear Channel who's giving her a syndicated deal -- it's the Air America Radio Network, the new liberal talk network, which debuts this spring.
If Stern keeps up the Bush bashing, he might fit right in on Air America's roster.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
So, what do you think? It's hard to claim a broadcaster is indecent by community standards when he's number one in all his markets. Someone, or a LOT of someones, find him listenable and not objectionable. - bags
The passion of Howard Stern
The shock jock says radio colossus Clear Channel fired him because he criticized George Bush -- and he's sure as hell not going to go quietly.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Eric Boehlert
March 4, 2004 | From the moment last week when Clear Channel Communications suspended Howard Stern's syndicated morning show from the company's radio stations, denouncing it as "vulgar, offensive and insulting," speculation erupted that the move had more to do with Stern's politics than his raunchy shock-jock shtick.
Stern's loyal listeners, Clear Channel foes and many Bush administration critics immediately reached the same conclusion: The notorious jock was yanked off the air because he had recently begun trashing Bush, and Bush-friendly Clear Channel used the guise of "indecency" to shut him up. That the content of Stern's crude show hadn't suddenly changed, but his stance on Bush had, gave the theory more heft. That, plus his being pulled off the air in key electoral swing states such as Florida and Pennsylvania.
This week, Stern himself went on the warpath, weaving in among his familiar monologues about breasts and porn actresses accusations that Texas-based Clear Channel -- whose Republican CEO, Lowry Mays, is extremely close to both George W. Bush and Bush's father -- canned him because he deviated from the company's pro-Bush line. "I gotta tell you something," Stern told his listeners. "There's a lot of people saying that the second that I started saying, 'I think we gotta get Bush out of the presidency,' that's when Clear Channel banged my ass outta here. Then I find out that Clear Channel is such a big contributor to President Bush, and in bed with the whole Bush administration, I'm going, 'Maybe that's why I was thrown off: because I don't like the way the country is leaning too much to the religious right.' And then, bam! Let's get rid of Stern. I used to think, 'Oh, I can't believe that.' But that's it! That's what's going on here! I know it! I know it!"
Stern's been relentless all week, detailing the close ties between Clear Channel executives and the Bush administration, and insisting that political speech, not indecency, got him in trouble with the San Antonio broadcasting giant. If he hadn't turned against Bush, Stern told his listeners, he'd still be heard on Clear Channel stations.
In a statement released to Salon, the media company insists that "Clear Channel Radio is not operated according to any political agenda or ideology." Clear Channel Radio chief Joe Hogan said, "The decision to suspend Howard Stern from our radio stations is based on our regulatory obligation and commitment to airing material that conforms to the standards and sensibilities of the local communities we serve."
Although by far the most powerful, Stern is not the first radio jock to charge Clear Channel with retaliation for anti-Bush comments.
"I'm glad he's pissed off and I hope he raises hell every single day," says Roxanne Walker, who claims Clear Channel fired her last year because of her antiwar views. "I think any time a broader section of the population hears about the Bush administration and the Clear Channel connection, it's a good thing."
Walker, South Carolina Broadcasters Association's 2002 radio personality of the year, is suing Clear Channel for violating a state law that forbids employers from punishing employees who express politically unpopular beliefs in the workplace.
"On our show we talked about politics and current events," she tells Salon. "There were two conservative partners and me, the liberal, and that was fine. But as it became clear we were going to war, and I kept charging the war was not justified, I was reprimanded by [Clear Channel] management that I needed to tone that down. Basically I was told to shut up." She says she was fired on April 7, 2003.
Phoenix talk show host Charles Goyette says he was kicked off his afternoon drive-time program at Clear Channel's KFYI because of his sharp criticism of the war on Iraq. A self-described Goldwater Republican who was selected "man of the year" by the Republican Party in his local county in 1988, Goyette -- more recently named best talk show host of 2003 by the Phoenix New Times -- says his years with Clear Channel had been among his best in broadcasting. "The trouble started during the long march to war," he says.
While the rest of the station's talk lineup was in a pro-war "frenzy," Goyette was inviting administration critics like former weapons inspector Scott Ritter on his show, and discussing complaints from the intelligence community that the analysis on Iraq was being cooked to support the White House's pro-war agenda. This didn't go over well with his bosses, Goyette says: "I was the Baby Ruth bar in the punch bowl."
Soon, according to Goyette, he was having "toe-to-toe confrontations" with his local Clear Channel managers off the air about his opposition to the war. "One of my bosses said in a tone of exasperation, 'I feel like I'm managing the Dixie Chicks,'" Goyette recalls. "I didn't fit in with the Clear Channel corporate culture."
Writing in the February issue of American Conservative magazine, Goyette put it this way: "Why only a couple of months after my company picked up the option on my contract for another year in the fifth-largest city in the United States, did it suddenly decide to relegate me to radio Outer Darkness? The answer lies hidden in the oil-and-water incompatibility of these two seemingly disconnected phrases: 'Criticizing Bush' and 'Clear Channel.'"
Goyette, who was relegated to the dead 7-10 p.m. slot, wrote, "I was replaced on my primetime talk show by the Frick and Frack of Bushophiles, two giggling guys who think everything our tongue-tied president does is 'Most excellent, dude!'"
Whether Stern was suspended because of his Bush-bashing -- or only because of his Bush-bashing -- is open to question. As reported in Salon, the media behemoth had another powerful reason to clean up its image: In the wake of Janet Jackson's nipplegate, broadcasters faced hostile congressional hearings about indecency on the airwaves and a new bill that would drastically increase the penalties for it. Indeed, the day before it dropped Stern, Clear Channel fired its top-rated Tampa, Fla., shock jock, "Bubba the Love Sponge," who had been recently fined $755,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for indecency.
Several radio insiders interviewed by Salon are skeptical of Stern's inference about his suspension. "I don't think this had anything to do with helping Bush," says Robert Unmacht, former publisher of the radio trade publication, the M Street Journal. "It had to do with the one thing Clear Channel cares about, their bottom line. They're just bankers."
Unmacht also points out that Stern appears in only six markets for Clear Channel, so dumping him was a relatively painless way to score moral points -- and paint Clear Channel rival Infinity, which broadcasts most of Stern's shows, as pandering to indecency.
"Howard thrives when he has an enemy, and this is a pretty good enemy," Unmacht says. "Howard will rail against whoever he thinks is hurting him."
But if Clear Channel hoped that sacking Stern for indecency would earn the company Brownie points, the shock jock's rampage against its Bush connections has only given it another P.R. headache.
Headaches are nothing new for Clear Channel. Over the last five years the company has ballooned into a radio and music industry monster and in the process has faced numerous allegations about unfair business practices. Following the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which ushered in sweeping radio consolidations, the company has grown from 40 to approximately 1,200 stations, or roughly 970 more than its closest competitor. Clear Channel also owns nearly three dozen television stations, 770,000 billboards, and an unmatched list of venues, promoters and tours that allow it to exercise a powerful control over the concert industry.
If Clear Channel did fire Stern at least partly to prop up Bush, the move may backfire -- especially if Stern's rage against Clear Channel feeds his newfound distaste for the president. Stern's audience contains many independents and potential swing voters.
At least one radio pro suggests Stern's sudden turn against Bush could prove costly to the administration during this election year. "Absolutely it should be of concern for the White House," says Michael Harrison, the publisher of Talkers magazine, a nonpartisan trade magazine serving talk radio. "Howard Stern will be an influential force for the public and for other talk show hosts during the election. Despite the shock jock thing, Stern has credibility. He's looked upon as an honest person.
"Clear Channel is a good target and Stern may be honestly upset with them. But over time he'll realize Bush makes a better target, and Stern could be the leader of a new anti-Bush movement. Bush is very vulnerable at talk radio and Stern could reinvent himself as a new, improved Stern and take on more serious issues."
The new Stern may be coming, but the old Stern is still holding the mike. In recent days, when not pounding Clear Channel and Bush, Stern updated listeners on his bouts of late-night masturbation and welcomed to the studio a guy who likes women to vomit on him.
Stern's political conversion came on Monday, Feb. 23, when he returned to the show after a week's vacation and announced he'd read Al Franken's anti-Bush book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." That morning Stern, who had strongly backed Bush during the war on Iraq, told listeners, "If you read this book, you will never vote for George W. Bush. I think this guy is a religious fanatic and a Jesus freak, and he is just hell-bent on getting some sort of bizzaro agenda through -- like a country-club agenda -- so that his father will finally be proud of him ... I don't know much about Kerry, but I think I'm one of those 'Anybody but Bush' guys now. I don't think G.W. is going to win. What do you think about that?"
Three days later, on the morning of Feb. 26, Stern was suspended from all six Clear Channel stations that aired his wake-up program. Company executives pointed to the Tuesday show as the reason for the suspension. During that program Stern interviewed Rick Solomon, who had starred in a sex tape with Paris Hilton. The conversation was graphic (Stern: "I can't believe you banged her. Did you get anal?"), and one caller used a racial slur that was broadcast. But Stern's shows are filled with such language and have been for years.
On Monday, March 2, Stern was telling his vast audience he took a hit because of his stance on Bush.
For her part, former Clear Channel jock Walker doubts that politics was behind Clear Channel's move against Stern. "Much as I'd love this to be about Bush and politics, it's more about sex and indecency," she says. But she stresses the important thing for people to understand is the relationships among Clear Channel CEO Mays, vice chairman Tom Hicks and George W. Bush. Says Walker, "These are not casual acquaintances."
Mays is a staunch Republican, a good friend of the elder George Bush, and close to the current president. "I see him all the time," Mays told a reporter during the 2000 presidential campaign. "His father's a friend of mine." Mays and the company have showered the party with contributions, while essentially stiffing Democrats. Mays served as one of Texas A&M's nine regents when the school landed the elder Bush's presidential library. Mays subsequently became a major donor to the library. Also, former President Bush and Mays shared a podium when they were inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame on the same evening in 1999.
FCC chairman Michael Powell, appointed by the current president, has been pushing a strong pro-big-business, deregulation agenda, which makes Mays happy. But Texas investment banker Hicks may have an even closer relationship to Bush. Hicks, a major Bush donor, sits on the Clear Channel board. The two men helped make each other very wealthy during the 1990s. When Bush was governor of Texas he privatized the financial assets of the University of Texas, all $13 billion worth, rolled them into a single entity, and placed it under the control of Hicks, who, behind closed doors, doled out investment deals to longtime Bush family political contributors. In 1998, Hicks turned around and bought the Texas Rangers from a group of investors that included Bush; Bush pocketed $15 million off his initial investment of $605,000, most of which was borrowed.
During the 2000 campaign, Hicks announced on a conference call among Clear Channel's senior radio executives that the company was supporting Bush's presidential run, that everyone was encouraged to make donations, and that the legal department would be in contact with donors in order to maintain a proper roster. "Some people took out their checkbooks, but lots of people felt it was staged like a shakedown," Salon was told last year by one knowledgeable source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "To be fair, Hicks told everyone they were free to vote for whoever they wanted. But some senior people felt there was an implied pressure there, especially with the mention of the law department maintaining a roster of donors."
Clear Channel is also the corporate home of rabid Bush booster Rush Limbaugh, who spoke to company managers during a Clear Channel conference on the eve of the 2000 presidential election. According to one person who attended, Mays also addressed assembled executives, telling them a Bush administration would be good for the radio industry and good for America.
Just before the war, Clear Channel made news when its syndicated talk show host Glenn Beck began promoting "Rallies for America." Clear Channel insisted the events were put together at the local level and not sponsored by San Antonio headquarters. Yet at a time when antiwar rallies were dominating the news, Clear Channel played a key role in giving war supporters a voice by providing a turnkey service: staging the events, acquiring any necessary permits, taking care of security, assembling speakers, and of course relentlessly publicizing the events on Clear Channel radio stations.
Clear Channel does employ some liberal talkers, such as the popular host Randi Rhodes, who broadcasts out of WJNO in West Palm Beach, Fla. Rhodes is going national this year, but it's not Clear Channel who's giving her a syndicated deal -- it's the Air America Radio Network, the new liberal talk network, which debuts this spring.
If Stern keeps up the Bush bashing, he might fit right in on Air America's roster.
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