HispanicVista Columnists

Clear Channel has History of Controversy

By Robert Miranda

Clear Channel Communications helps promote nationalist fervor by employing jingoistic talk show hosts whose mindset is rooted in racist ideals and bankrupt notions of nationalism. All the same, the public, now more than ever before, depends on an energized communications industry determined to use its resources to build a culture of democracy, justice and equality. But such a charge will not be the case for Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest radio chain.

Indeed, Clear Channel Communications has compiled a line-up of who's who in its team of hate- talking sexist perverts acting as radio-talk show hosts. For example, "Bubba the Love Sponge," was fired from Clear Channel radio in Florida for broadcasting the idea to children that they should become web masters for pornographic Web sites. “Bubba” told them that it was a "surefire" way to get "a lot of sex". In addition, Clear Channel had to fire Howard Stern for indecent language used during an interview Stern had with Paris Hilton's ex-boyfriend during his radio show. At that time, a caller bellowed a racial slur causing Clear Channel to fire Stern.

After the Howard Stern matter, Clear Channel Communications announced a "zero tolerance policy" against indecent speech. "Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content, and Howard Stern's show blew right through it," Clear Channel's President and CEO John Hogan said in a news release. "It was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency."

Hogan made this statement after rubbing elbows with executives from ABC, Fox, and NBC, all testifying before the House Energy and Commerce telecommunications subcommittee earlier this year as part of a series of hearings on indecency since Janet Jackson's Feb. 1, Super Bowl incident. Hmmm....

Since Clear Channel drew the line on indecent language, why then is Clear Channel refusing to remove bigoted language used by Mark Belling from its airwaves in Wisconsin? Is Clear Channel Communications satisfied in knowing that it is profiteering from the racist comments made by Belling? Could it be that Clear Channel Communications executives believe that they can weather the storm caused by Belling's racist comments? Is it that Clear Channel executives believe they can ride the waves safely past this issue on the backs of a few Republican Hispanic conservatives seeking to "forgive, but never forget?"

Clear Channel Communications was once a relatively unknown broadcast group based in San Antonio, Texas led by L. Lowry Mays, a rancher and one-time George W. Bush business associate. After engaging in acquisitions, spending more than $30 billion to become the world's largest radio broadcaster, Clear Channel now owns more than 1,200 radio stations (about 10 percent of the market).

Not bad for a corporation who has benefited from the changes that came about because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Prior to this Act being passed and signed into law by former president Bill Clinton, a single broadcaster could not own more than 40 stations in the entire country.

Perhaps Clear Channel is simply taking advantage of the deregulations in the industry. Why blame them for exercising their rights to engage in commerce? This is after all, a free market society. Yeah, I guess we can argue that point; however, does this mean that just because Clear Channel Communications has grown into a monolith in the media industry, can it just turn its back on its promise and creed to keep our public airwaves free from indecent language? Whatever the rhyme or reason, one thing is clear. This corporation (Clear Channel Communications) has allowed for a culture of hate and bigotry to thrive on Milwaukee’s WISN radio for over 15 years. The line between free speech and hate speech should never be allowed to be blurred into one authoritarian impulse.

After the Stern issue Hogan said, "We were wrong to air that material. I accept responsibility for our mistake, and my company will live with the consequences of its actions." Will Hogan fire Belling and accept responsibility for the bigotry that Belling spews on his program? Only time will tell.

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Robert Miranda is a national award-winning columnist, Latino community activist in Wisconsin and columnist for the Milwaukee Spanish Journal. He can be reached at rmiranda@wi.rr.com