Clear Channel turning left?

[Gruenemann]

From today's San Antonio Express-News:

Talk radio with a liberal focus debuted Monday in San Diego, Calif., and Ann Arbor, Mich., on Clear Channel Communication radio stations.

In addition, the San Antonio-based company plans to introduce what it calls "progressive talk programming" on stations in two of the nation's biggest markets within 60 days.

The new format includes a combination of local hosts and syndicated content from "Air America," a 5-month-old liberal talk radio show featuring Al Franken and Randi Rhodes.

See it all here:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA082404.1E.Clear.1141b496.html

[tom_paine]

1. Plausible deniability, sheer avarice, or a legitimate move towards balance

Don't know, but I'm just happy it's happening...

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. It's all about money

They saw the pictures of a million women in DC and 20,000+ crowds showing up for Kerry. They see which way their audiences are going.

[chiburb]

4. Or their advertisers see which way the audiences are going...

Though I don't rule out a thinly-veiled "See! We're fair & balanced even though we're Bush Pioneers and Tom Hicks made Bush a millionaire, which favor was returned when Bush became Governor and opened up the Texas University Endowment Funds to Tom Hicks".

[americanstranger]

7. Yep, all about money.

Rolling Stone had a recent article about CC, and this is a choice quote:

Lowry Mays, who refused to be interviewed for this article, told Fortune in 2003, "We're not in the business of providing news and information. We're not in the business of providing well-researched music. We're simply in the business of selling our customers products."

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story?id=6432174

If they're starting to run librul programming, you can bet they're starting to see a profit potential. It's what they do.

-as

[sjr5740]

3. No just milking the profits

The bottom line is they care more about money than their political views. AAR has shown that there is actually a market and people will listen to progressive viewpoints.

They can undermine and bash libs the other 23 hours a day.

I am sure Franken has more listeners than Sludge. That guy is terrible the worst of the worst.

[rocktivity]

5. CC may also be worried about corporate media "reform"

should Kerry win (which he should do immediately, of course). Then they would be in a position to protest, "Whatever for? WE'RE fair and balanced!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[Gruenemann]

6. Whatever the reason,

I think it's good news. And it's been going on for awhile now--I just did a web search on 'clear channel' and 'franken' and it appears CC has been sneaking librul stuff onto their stations even before this announcement.