Clear Channel Gets a New Name

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 10:31 am ET Sep 16, 2014 | Hannah Karp

[Dave346]

Most Americans are familiar with the names of their local radio stations but not with the cumbersome name of the company that owns most of them: Clear Channel Media Holdings Inc.

Now, after 42 years, the country’s largest radio broadcaster is switching its name to something it hopes will resonate more with listeners and advertisers: iHeartMedia Inc., a nod to the company’s three-year-old digital radio service, iHeartRadio.

Though most of Clear Channel’s revenue still comes from advertising on its terrestrial airwaves — iHeartRadio only accounts for 10% of total listening for the company — Clear Channel has been building the iHeartRadio brand beyond the Internet.

Its iHeartRadio festival draws tens of thousands of fans to Las Vegas, for example, and the TV broadcasts of the festival on the CW Network last year drew millions of viewers. Also televised are the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball, iHeartRadio Pool Party and several iHeartRadio concerts a year; Clear Channel’s inaugural iHeartRadio Music Awards on NBC in May attracted 5.5 million viewers.

Clear Channel’s 800-plus radio stations all now identify as iHeartRadio stations, while popular on-air personalities such as Ryan Seacrest trumpet iHeartRadio-branded events on the air.

To the extent that the public is aware of the name Clear Channel, it has often been synonymous with corporate consolidation of the radio and concert industries. After the company’s concert promotion division spun off in 2005, it ditched the Clear Channel name in favor of Live Nation.

The name-change is “a reflection of fact that company has changed radically over last several years,” said Clear Channel Chief Executive Robert Pittman, who came out of retirement to take the helm in 2011.

[GeronL]

The worst possible new name

lol

[Dilbert San Diego]

I know a few people who listen to I heart radio on their cellular phones.

Technology is changing the radio business. This is a reflection of that.

[bigbob]

This is a pretty smart move. Clear Channel means nothing to their current audience and they were smart enough to snag the “iHeart” brand and have built a solid listenership on it. I hate to see broadcast radio becoming obsolete but that’s what is happening and this is the future.

[ExCTCitizen]

I’m listening to Rush on my phone via I heart.

[Biggirl]

I use either iHeart or WTIC AM’s app on my phone.

[Vermont Lt]

They are the Comcast of the radio world.

They have ruined terrestrial radio.

[King Hawk]

idestroyedradio was already taken.

[Resettozero]

Technology is changing the radio business.

Bad new music (tone-deaf singers and ignorant young listeners) and segmenting of the main shared USA culture into too many sub-cultures killed music radio (including the still-diminishing FM influence) in America, but not all over the world.

I've wondered if this wasn't done deliberately for radical social engineering purposes. Probably.

[Vermont Lt]

Thats funny.

How about “WeBeCheapBastards”

[lonevoice]

I couldn't agree with you more. They've decimated the AM band. They're well on their way to deep sixing the political talk radio genre, and over the years it's become apparent that their budget for technology maintenance and repair of their AM stations has been slashed to the bone.

[Vermont Lt]

My wife was in the business for 25 years.

Luckily, she bailed about ten years ago. But they ruined every station that she worked for.

They are not really interested in local presence. I understand making money, but in some markets the local radio news was THE local news outlet.

Its too bad. But some day it will cycle around again.

[ExCTCitizen]

I got to get the WTIC app on my phone, so I can listen to Jim Vicevich and UConn fb and Bb.

[minnesota_bound]

They should have named the company Clear Radio Channel

[ROCKLOBSTER]

I know a few people who listen to I heart radio on their cellular phones.

Don't their arms get tired holding up their phone?

[zeugma]

I’m glad they are ditching the “clear channel” name. The term “clear channel” has a distinct meaning outside of the company that trademarked it. Ham guys/gals might be familiar with this. I do not know if it is still true, but for many years, there were a few stations on the air in America that were essentially the only station on their channel across the entire nation. I believe WLS in Chicago was one. I used to be able to pick them up on a night with good atmospherics all the way in Houston.