Clear Channel's practices are monopolistic in nature. Only three major companies own the majority of radio airwaves in the United States-EMMIS, Radio One and Clear Channel-, but out of these three Clear Channel is the one most infamously known. "Prior to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a radio company could only own 40 stations nationwide and only four in a particular market. Since that has changed Clear Channel now owns 1,170 radio stations nationwide". Clear Channel owns 1 out of 10 radio stations in the U.S., determining what listeners consume on a daily basis. This explains the constant repetition of the same music on different radio stations. Along with this Clear Channel bought SFX allowing them to completely manipulate and dictate concert tickets prices of many well known artists.
Clear Channel poses such a great threat because of its vast ownership of many products. Imagine if they attempted to create their own record label. They would be able to promote their own artists through their own Clear Channel Outdoors billboards and radio stations, present them in their own venues. This whole concept of one company owning all the products we consume is a bit frightening, but it's a serious reality. If we are only exposed to what one company is producing, we are completely controlled and manipulated by them. Just Clear Channel stations alone "take to the airwaves across all 50 states, in almost every major market, reaching nearly every demographic." So all 50 states and nearly every demographic is being controlled by Clear Channel to consume their products because there really isn't a choice to choose otherwise.
Works Cited
One, J. (2012, January 6). How The Music Industry Monopoly Really Works. Retrieved December 12, 2014, from http://raprehab.com/how-the-music-industry-monopoly-really-works/
This was very eye opening. I had no idea that 1/10 radio stations in the U.S were owned by Clear Channel. That is far too much power for one company to control what we can listen to. Unfortunately since they are "different" stations it gives the illusion of choices despite it fact it is already chosen for us.
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