# Clear Channel **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151 "2012-08-30T15:42:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/21 "2012-08-30T22:17:51Z")
I am a bit disappointed by the OP. It complains about CC, but only the dead format of radio. What about TV, news, billboards, concerts (I think they’re less involved there), censorship, jackbooting, and baby raping? The CEO of CC, Satan, controls each part with one claw. > [@Loach](#): > > You can never explain to me why a big city needs to have 5 top 40 stations. By definition they are playing the same music. Station A plays songs 1-8, then station B plays the same songs while A does 9-16. Then A 17-24, B 9-16, C 1-8. It’s a tough formula, but it’s all to give you the newest, most original techno-rap-party-rock-neo-adult contemporary-screamo. > [@Ponch8](#): > > Plus there’s a dangerously low amount of Ke$ha music being played. Fortunately, that will change soon when her new album comes out. Hmm. We understand you like her, but start a thread if you want to talk about her. You don’t need to insert her into every vaguely musical thread, and many that do not. I know know you think she is smarter than you, that hurricanes at the RNC need a mention of her, that she can unite the political divide, and that she’s relevant to the Wisconsin Republican primary. 43 times. It’s not about whether I like her music or not (not much), but I’m starting to wonder whether you’re on her street team or getting paid for the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/22 "2012-08-30T22:19:37Z")
Satellite radio. Many choices, many options. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/23 "2012-08-31T00:22:42Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Satellite radio. Many choices, many options. I had a rental car last week with satellite radio. Within 5 minutes I found a station called Margaritaville that played about 70% Jimmy Buffet, and 30% similar vein stuff. It was wonderful. A lot of the Jimmy, well come to think of it maybe all the Jimmy, was live concert footage. I was very pleased with the results. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/24 "2012-08-31T01:10:12Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Satellite radio. Many choices, many options. yes, but radio - like TV - should be FREE. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/25 "2012-08-31T01:16:50Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > yes, but radio - like TV - should be FREE. Well sure if you want substandard programming that appeals to the masses with 33% commercial time blended in. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/26 "2012-08-31T01:35:00Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > What is this R.A.D.I.O you speak of? Is it like Pandora or Google music? It’s a bit kaotic–lots of obscure music, mostly appealing to the shut-in quadriplegic demographic. There are a few more stations like it, but I don’t know whether you could say the tide is turning. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/27 "2012-08-31T02:03:54Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > What is this R.A.D.I.O you speak of? Is it like Pandora or Google music? No, it’s more like a super-lame region-locked version of iHeartRadio or TuneIn for people who don’t have PC’s or smartphones. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/28 "2012-08-31T03:01:16Z")
As someone who has spent ten years in the radio business (in the 1980’s before local radio died), I have some answers for you. Clear Channel and other large companies (Cumulus, etc.) come to a market and try to buy as many frequencies as possible. Then they have a cookie cutter list of formats that they think will appeal to an attractive demographic for sales. They change formats without regard for history or local taste because they are not from the area and have no connection or interest in what came before. Each station will have one or two full time on-air people (usually doing a morning show) and then voice track other shifts with DJ’s from out of town who do the same thing for dozens of other stations. They will make do with one production person to make the commercials and a few part time people to do the rest. During off hours, you end up with seven radio stations run out of one building by one person being paid little better than minimum wage. One group of salespeople sell commercials for all the stations. Clients are given discounts for buying more than one station, which helps the weaker stations with what they call “inventory”, i.e. commercials, which make them sound successful. The “group” is sold to clients with the pitch of “We have listeners all across the spectrum. We can narrowly target your customers for you or give you a chance to speak to large numbers for less money.” The cities don’t matter. The formats are all the same. They are interchangable because new jingles, formats, etc. can be tested in one market and then moved into another without them having to start from scratch. The only thing missing is what made people connect with local radio in the first place…a local identity and personalities. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/29 "2012-08-31T03:17:38Z")
Yeah, I’m heartbroken. Now I’m not sure where I’ll go to hear Peter Frampton make his guitar talk 7 times a day. To be fair, they did rotate him with a few songs from _Dark Side of the Moon_ and _Rumors_ most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![ClintO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@ClintO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintO)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/30 "2012-08-31T11:43:12Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Satellite radio. Many choices, many options. +1 It’s worth paying for it. I never had it until I bought a new vehicle and never listen to the other. You actually hear a new song every now and then as opposed to Bob Seger for the 1,000,000,000 time. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/31 "2012-08-31T12:10:45Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Yeah, I’m heartbroken. Now I’m not sure where I’ll go to hear Peter Frampton make his guitar talk 7 times a day. > > To be fair, they did rotate him with a few songs from _Dark Side of the Moon_ and _Rumors_ most of the time. Back in the 1970’s, you could switch on 96 Rock at any moment and it’d be at least even odds they’d be playing either a Bob Seger or Bad Company song. Also all through the 80’s. Also all through the 90’s. Can’t vouch for the aughts onward, but I have a sneaking suspicion… ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/32 "2012-08-31T12:52:39Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Back in the 1970’s, you could switch on 96 Rock at any moment and it’d be at least even odds they’d be playing either a Bob Seger or Bad Company song. Also all through the 80’s. Also all through the 90’s. Can’t vouch for the aughts onward, but I have a sneaking suspicion… I’ve been here since the early 90s, and you can sleep well tonight knowing that the above was true up until they switched to project 9-6-1. I honestly think they played about 6 years of songs for over 3 decades. I won’t particularly miss the music, but it was nice knowing that 96.1 was always there doing their thing if you wanted to hear Smoke on the Water. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/33 "2012-08-31T13:00:36Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > When the revolution comes those auto-tuned MoFos are gonna be the first ones up against the wall. “And THAT one looks Jewish, THAT one’s autotuned! Who let all this riff-raff into the room?” ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/34 "2012-08-31T13:36:47Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Last song: Freebird. Freebird is Top 40? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/35 "2012-08-31T13:39:21Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Freebird is Top 40? I interpreted that as “last song before switching to top 40 was Freebird.” ---
**Author:** ![Bouncer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/36 "2012-08-31T14:58:56Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Plus there’s a dangerously low amount of Ke$ha music being played. Fortunately, that will change soon when her new album comes out. This is the one apparently brushing her teeth with Jack Daniels? I’ve been overseas the last few years, I’ve missed a bit. Regards, -Bouncer- ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/37 "2012-08-31T16:26:00Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > You can never explain to me why a big city needs to have 5 top 40 stations. By definition they are playing the same music. We want our radio just like our political candidates: the illusion of choice, with the comfort of predictability and homogenization. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/38 "2012-08-31T16:40:46Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > You can never explain to me why a big city needs to have 5 top 40 stations. By definition they are playing the same music. I don’t understand why they need _one_. All those Top 40 listeners must have graduated high school by now, surely? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/39 "2012-08-31T17:46:17Z")
Well, yes, but only because of rampant grade inflation. ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151/40 "2012-08-31T17:48:46Z")
To be fair, least you can get the vending machine in the car. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clear-channel/633151.md?page=3)