Clear Channel ordered to pay JamSports $90 million.

[yebrent]

Only a chink in the armor of the evil Clear Channel behemoth, but anything helps.

Clear Channel ordered to pay JamSports $90 million

By Geoff Dougherty
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 21, 2005, 5:16 PM CST


A federal jury on Monday decided that Clear Channel Communications Inc., an entertainment and radio station behemoth, should pay $90 million to Chicago-based JamSports.

The jury found that Clear Channel had illegally interfered with JamSports's bid to promote dirt-track motorcycle racing in arenas across the country.

(snip)

Separately, Clear Channel is the subject of a pair of antitrust inquiries. In one inquiry, Justice Department investigators are examining allegations lodged by a Denver concert promoter. In the other, investigators are examining charges that the company limited airplay at its radio stations of musicians who did not use its concert-promotion subsidiary.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-050321clearchannel,1,4500236.story?coll=chi-business-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Live music fans everywhere are awaiting the day that Clear Channel and Ticketbastard get reined in for their abusive practices. Everyone thought the band, the String Cheese Incident (the band behind the "Denver concert promoter" listed in the article) was crazy to go after Clear Channel and predicted they would be squashed like little bugs. This ruling goes to show that the little guy can make a difference.

[coloradodem2005]

1. These are dark days for Clear channel.

Losing nearly 5 Billion last year. :bounce:

[yebrent]

2. yea, they had to write down some assets.

I guess they paid way too much gobbling up over 1,000 radio stations across the Country. Pretty funny, except that they then make further cuts to station budgets, piping in broadcasts, and increasing the homogeneity of their radio stations. Diversity in music and ideas are losing out.

January of 2002, there was a train derailment in Minot, N.D. that resulted in a chemical spill, killing one person and hurting around 300 others. Problem was, all of the commercial radio stations in Minot were owned by Clear Channel, and no EAS alert were carried out over any of the stations. The authorities attempted to call the local ratio stations in the middle of the night to put out alerts to avoid certain areas. They couldn't reach anyone at the Clear Channel station, because it was simply piping in audio from a larger station.

[coloradodem2005]

3. True.

The problem is that they are evil whether they are doing well or poorly. If they lose their hold on the media it is better for us ultimately. And from what I know, the DJ's on the stations in my area deserve to suffer a pay cut because they suck.