Clear Channel Rolls Out More Liberal Talk Radio

[wyldwolf]

Owner/Invetor Drobney credits success of Air America as a by-product of radio's consolidation with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which lifted ownership limits.


Clear Channel Communications Inc. on Wednesday said it converted three stations to a liberal talk format and this year could double to 44 the number of stations carrying such programming.

The nation's biggest radio operator said it switched underperforming stations in Washington, D.C., Detroit and Cincinnati carrying nostalgic or sports programming with talkers like Jerry Springer, Ed Schultz, Lionel, Phil Hendrie, Randi Rhodes and Al Franken.

"The election cycle last year gave rise to dissenting voices, which gave rise to a new format in talk radio. When the public says it wants more of this, we provide it," said Gabe Hobbs, vice president of programming for news/talk/sports for Clear Channel Radio.

Air America is now in 44 markets. Drobny describes its success as a by-product of radio's consolidation with the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which lifted ownership limits.

"At first the Telecom Act made it difficult to enter the market but now we're seeing the other side. They're (big radio companies) taking underperforming stations and giving them to us. We're saving a lot of dead stations," Drobny told Reuters.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050120/media_nm/media_clearchannel_dc