Free Republic

Activists are expressing serious concerns that Mitt Romney’s private equity firm Bain Capital owns one of America’s largest media conglomerates, Clear Channel Communications, Inc., which broadcasts numerous popular talk-show hosts with incalculable influence in the 2012 GOP primary. Among the radio personalities syndicated by Clear Channel or aired on hundreds of stations it owns nationwide are Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, and many others. Because of the San Antonio-based media giant’s enormous influence — it is the largest owner of radio stations in the United States, and experts point out that it essentially owns what...

Wouldn't it be great if a Republican presidential candidate could just buy the support of just about every major conservative talk show host in America? Well, it may not be as far-fetched as you may think. Clear Channel owns more radio stations (850) than anyone else in the United States. They also own Premiere Radio Networks, the company that syndicates the radio shows of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck, among others. Needless to say, Clear Channel basically owns conservative talk radio in the United States. So who owns Clear Channel? Well, it turns out that Bain Capital is...

San Antonio, Texas, April 18, 2007 – Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (NYSE: CCU) today announced that it has entered into an amendment to its previously announced merger agreement with a private equity group co-led by Bain Capital Partners, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P., providing for an increase to $39.00 per share in the price shareholders will receive in cash for each share of Clear Channel common stock they hold. This is an increase from the previous price of $37.60 per share in cash.

Clear Channel is beefing up the lineup on its 910 AM frequency, first by hiring fired KGO hosts Len Tillem and Gene Burns, and now by adding Rush Limbaugh. The new lineup starts Jan. 3. Limbaugh’s move was revealed publicly in a tweet by 910 morning hosts Armstrong & Getty. There are two schools of thought about why Limbaugh is changing stations. One is that his show is expensive and KSFO’s owner, Cumulus Media, is cutting costs. That’s why they laid off most of the talk hosts at KGO and replaced them with less expensive news staffers. Another theory is...

[UPDATE BELOW, AUDIO FOUND] WND's Dr. Jerome Corsi stated on the Bill Cunningham Radio Show that he's going to 'file criminal charges against the White House' over the latest birth certificate forgery. I listened to the live show and then went back to the radio station website to download the show podcast and lo and behold the interview with Dr. Corsi was scrubbed from the show podcast. I think maybe Bill O'Reilly gave them some tips on scrubbing show podcasts... ;-) The radio station in question is Cincinnati's 700 WLW which is owned by none other than Clear Channel Communications,...

Hyper-leftist commentators are getting punked a lot lately. That’s what happens when one is constantly parroting talking points without bothering to fact check. Earlier this week David Shuster torpedoed his credibility (or whatever was left of it) by pushing the Media Matters narrative that Fox was banned in Canada. Punked. The latest punkee? Keith Olbermann. A few weeks ago some hack decided to accuse Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck of using a service provided by the company that syndicates their radio shows: Premiere Networks (a subsidiary of Clear Channel). The job, the email indicated, paid $40 an hour,...

A Phoenix radio station said it has offered Bristol Palin a job alongside its morning show host. Clear Channel's Mix 96.9 (KMXP-FM) said it officially extended an on-air job offer to the daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. In a news release, station program director Ron Price denied the offer was a political job for Bristol, or a radio stunt. "It is an official offer to a very well known personality, who may be looking for a new career in what will most likely be her new home state," Price said. Palin closed on a home in...

The new home of Rush Limbaugh: Rush Radio 1200/ WXKS-AM BOSTON, MA – March 2, 2010 – A Boston radio revolution months in the making will take place on Monday, March 8, 2010 at noon as “Rush Radio 1200/WXKS” becomes the new home of The Rush Limbaugh Show. The historic launch will be led by radio giant and conservative talk master Rush Limbaugh, weekdays 12pm-3pm, followed by The Sean Hannity Show 3pm-6pm, The Jason Lewis Show 6pm-9pm, The Mark Levin Show 9p-12mid, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory midnight - 6am and The Glenn Beck Program 9am -12noon. “Boston...

Republican consultant Charley Manning is replacing the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh on WRKO radio starting Monday. Jason Wolfe, program director for WRKO-AM (680), confirmed to the Herald that Manning will take over the station’s weekday noon to 3 p.m. slot. Manning, who has served as a campaign adviser to former Gov. Mitt Romney, emphasized that his new show, “The Charley Manning Show,” will be local. The GOP strategist said his show will “touch on all of the local issues that everybody is talking about, but with a special look at politics.” “I’m looking forward to really getting into politics, especially...

Clear Channel plans to debut a new conservative AM talk radio station in April and is trying to steal WRKO lynchpin Rush Limbaugh - who has been on ’RKO’s airwaves for 15 years. Spanish music station WXKS-AM (1200) - which recently upgraded to 50,000 watts and is based in Newton - is flipping to a news talk format. Clear Channel is currently in talks with its subsidiary, Premiere Radio Networks, which syndicates Limbaugh’s show. Clear Channel also wants to snag Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, whose show airs on WRKO-AM (680) on Saturday night. “We haven’t signed anything. We’re trying...

Should stations pay artists to play their tunes? Get ready for one of the year's biggest battles. One of the biggest lobbying fights in the nation's capital this year could involve a traditionally non-Washington subject: rock and roll. At issue: whether AM and FM radio stations should pay royalties to performers on recorded music played over the airwaves, and if so, what those rates should be. Right now only composers and their affiliated publishers reap these payments. In one corner is the MusicFIRST Coalition, which includes the Recording Industry Association of America, several artist groups and SoundExchange, the folks who...

To Our Loyal Listeners... We regret that Rush Limbaugh is no longer a part of the Curtis Media Family, effective, December 31st, 2009. However, please know the following true facts: 1) The decision to move Rush from WSJS was NOT ours. 2) Rather, that call was made by the programs’ syndication company, Premiere Radio Networks. We were afforded no opportunity to discuss the matter, let alone renegotiate a new deal. Instead, we were given a 90-day notice of cancellation back in September. 3) Premiere Radio Networks are controlled by Clear Channel Communications, the same company that owns five of our...

Please excuse the vanity but searched and could not find answers about this elsewhere. My local AM Radio Station which has brought to the listeners in much of North Carolina and Southern Virginia, both Rush Limbaugh's and Sean Hannity's Radio programs for many years - has announced (but I only found out for sure yesterday) that it will no longer carry Rush's or Sean's Radio programs - as of 12/31/09.

A radio station's turkey-frying stunt turned into a recipe for disaster this morning when an attempt to cook the frozen bird in a van resulted in the vehicle catching fire. During a stunt for "The MJ Morning Show" on WFLZ, 93.3 FM, a grease fryer was placed inside the van, which had furniture in it that caught fire, Tampa Fire Rescue spokesman Capt. Bill Wade said. WFLZ employees were supposed to lower the turkey into the van using a crane but never got a chance before flames engulfed the vehicle. Firefighter Ken Licata injured his back during the incident at...

Soon to be up on their site. A radio station tower in Whitehall, PA toppled after cables were cut. Tower owned by clear channel and it was suggested it was an attempt to knock off the air a conservative talk station.

A FINAL FAREWELL LETTER FROM THE GUNNY TO HIS AUDIENCE Gang: Yes, this is the end of an era. But it also the beginning of a new one. It is hard to know where to start, but I figure I had first better thank you for making the Gunny Bob Show the top-rated evening news-talk program in the Denver Metro region. Without you, my show's ratings would never have been strong enough over all these years to always be the #1 show in that slot, even handily beating the fat cat syndicated hosts with ease. I owe all that to...

Sarah Palin is pursuing the idea of a talk radio show, reports say, but that’s not going to happen on Clear Channel, the country’s largest radio broadcaster. Inside Radio reported earlier this week that Palin’s representatives were approaching radio broadcasters to see if the ex-Alaska governor could host a nationally-syndicated show. Her lawyer Robert Barnett told the publication, “Many individuals and entities have expressed strong interest in Governor Palin. To date, she has not spoken with any of them, negotiated with any of them or made deals with any of them.” But after the Inside Radio report, Paige Albiniak wrote...

Clear Channel Radio has agreed to donate stations and equipment to the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council as part of a move to increase diversity in media ownership. Clear Channel Radio will donate a number of AM station to the council through the MMTC-Clear Channel Ownership Diversity Initiative. Initially, Clear Channel Radio plans to donate AM radio stations KYHN in Fort Smith, Ark.; WTFX in Winchester, Va.; KMFX in Rochester, Minn.; and WHJA in Laurel, Miss. The council will work with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Education Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training Program to use these radio stations for training...

Officials with Clear Channel Outdoor, which calls itself the world's largest outdoor advertising company, have joined two other large billboard providers in rejecting four simple words asking the question, "Where's The Birth Certificate?" Media buyers for WND have confirmed the company refused to accept a request to purchase billboard space for a campaign that is the brainchild of Joseph Farah, editor and chief executive officer of WND, who believes it is essential to force Obama to produce hard evidence that he is, indeed, a "natural born citizen" as the Constitution requires. He has called upon Americans to donate money to...

Some of the largest lenders to the private equity groups that led the $23.8bn buy-out of Clear Channel Communications intend to turn down a proposed debt exchange, hoping to drive the radio and outdoor advertising company towards default. The company, taken private in a leveraged deal that came to symbolise the excesses of the buy-out boom, has proposed a swap of some parent company debt for debt in Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, its listed billboard division, regarded as a crown jewel despite the current steep advertising downturn. However, some of its largest senior creditors say they would rather wait, in...

Radio personalities let go Some on-air talent get the axe MAITLAND, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ) - Clear Channel Communications on Tuesday laid off hundreds of employees across the company, including properties in Orlando. CC Media Holdings Inc., the parent company of the radio-and-billboard giant, said it was laying off about 590 people in its radio division and suspending its 401(k) company match. The layoffs target such areas as programming, engineering and customer service. They come on top of 1,850 layoffs in January, which mostly affected sales. In addition, Clear Channel said it would suspend its matching contributions to employees'...

When big media companies lose big money, the public gets unnerved. Some people wondered, for example, whether the New York Times would fold after it racked up $400 million in debt and was forced to borrow against its own office building to stay solvent a few months ago. The paper is still publishing. Now it is the moment of truth for CC Media Holdings - parent company to Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest radio conglomerate. The company announced that it lost $5 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter, following a layoff of 1,800 employees in January. Among its...

Conservatives ask: Is Durbin going after Limbaugh? By Alexander Bolton Posted: 02/26/09 04:58 PM [ET] Conservatives fear that Democrats are pursuing a “back door” approach to cracking down on Clear Channel Communications, the media conglomerate that airs "The Rush Limbaugh Show," a favorite among conservatives. The Senate voted along party lines Thursday to adopt an amendment sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), the second-ranking Democrat in the chamber, that directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest.” The measure passed 57-41 without...

The new owners of radio giant Clear Channel Communications will next week begin implementing a massive restructuring plan that seeks to cut $400 million in costs at the company, The Post has learned. According to three sources with knowledge of the plan, the restructuring will include layoffs across the company's radio, outdoor advertising and international divisions as well as cuts to programming budgets and consolidation of back-office operations. A precise headcount for the layoffs could not be obtained. Clear Channel has about 30,000 employees worldwide. The company is also likely to move toward a "national programming" model that would require...

Yep - January 20 sounds like the date Clear Channel's planning to "do it." Yes, that is also Inauguration Day, and I'm again saying that it appears to be the day Clear Channel managers are instructed to take whatever personnel actions they're going to. That's what they were told at last week's managers meetings in Dallas. Now - could that change, with an audible from San Antonio? Sure. But I'm increasingly confident that those personalized jump drives the market managers were handed contain the road map for what they're supposed to do on January 20. That presumably would mean the...

Yesterday the fourth law suit, challenging Obama's citizenship and Natural Born status reached the Supreme Court: 1. Philip J Berg, PA An answer from Barack Obama is due by Dec.1 2. Leo C. Donofrio, NJ The case is scheduled for conference by all 9 judges on Dec 5 3.Chris Strunck, NY filed with SCOTUS last week 4. Cort Wrotnowski, CT (second case)filed yesterday. many more to come... As explained earlier, Hawaii allows one to obtain a Certification of Hawaiian Live Birth based on a statement of one relative only. It means,that while Obama was born in Kenya, his grandma or...

"Rush Limbaugh Renews Long-Term Contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio as He Celebrates 20 Years on Air!!" July 2, 2008 LOS ANGELES, July 2, 2008 – Rush Limbaugh, who’s heard weekly by nearly 20 million listeners on about 600 radio stations nationwide, renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio, continuing syndication of The Rush Limbaugh Show many years into the future. The deal also includes continued syndication of The Rush Limbaugh Morning Update, a 90-second commentary that airs Monday through Friday. Furthermore, Premiere Radio, in partnership with Mr. Limbaugh, will continue to oversee...

The Air America network, which provides much of the programming on KKZN-AM (760) ended its relationship last week with hostess Randi Rhodes. Rhodes had recently been suspended from Air America for her humor presentation at a San Francisco nightclub, in which she called Hillary Clinton a "big f---ing whore" and Geraldine Ferraro "David Duke in drag" and "a f---ing whore." Such wit! But no sooner had Air America dumped her than Clear Channel hired her. So Rhodes is now back on 760, in the 1-4 p.m. weekday slot. Clear Channel's decision is not entirely consistent with the theory that Clear...

Excerpt - The two proposed buyers of Clear Channel Communications filed two lawsuits on Wednesday against six banks that agreed to finance the company’s $19.5 billion buyout. Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, two private equity firms, sued the bank consortium in New York state court for breach of contract, accusing them of refusing to honor their commitment to finance the deal. Additionally, the two firms and Clear Channel itself sued the banks in Bexar County, Texas, where the broadcaster is based, accusing the banks of interfering with the closing of the takeover. ~ snip ~

SAN ANTONIO - Shares of Clear Channel Communications Inc. plummeted in late trading Tuesday, following a report that the media company's private buyout is on the brink of collapse. Shares fell $1.89, or 5.5 percent, to end regular trading at $32.56, then fell 21 percent in after-hours trading to $25.82 — far below the $39.20 per share the buyout firms promised shareholders. The Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site Tuesday that the private equity firms leading the $19.5 billion buyout were having difficulty reaching terms with the banks committed to financing the deal. The report cited unnamed people...

Good riddance to Stern Posted: February 27, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Howard Stern is a filthy, profane, vulgar, obscene disgusting pig. He shouldn't be on the radio. He should be in the zoo. Three cheers for Clear Channel Communication's decision to pull his show off the air temporarily. It's late, after all these years of smut-peddling on the radio, but the decision should be applauded. It's a smart move. It's the right thing to do. It's a good business decision. Anyone who believes in right and wrong ought to know that a slimebucket like Stern has no place on the...

SAN ANTONIO – September 28, 2006 -- Clear Channel Radio today announced that it has renewed radio talk show host Sean Hannity’s contract for another three years on 80 of its stations. Some of the major markets in which “The Sean Hannity Show” can be heard include Pittsburgh, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Cincinnati and Minneapolis. Hannity commented, “Clear Channel program directors were early believers in my show five years ago, and I'm thrilled our partnership continues into 2010." Known for his passionate opinion on politics and the American agenda, Hannity boasts the second-largest radio audience in the country. “The Sean Hannity...

This is incredible. Mike Huckabee accuses Sean Hannity, who has announced he will vote for Mitt Romney on Tuesday, of being influenced by Bain Capital, which Huckabee says owns Sean's network — Clear Channel. First, the facts. Bain is trying to buy Clear Channel, or parts of it. Clear Channel does own many radio stations. Sean appears on many of their stations, as do many of us. But Sean's syndication partner is ABC Radio Networks, which was recently acquired by Citadel Broadcasting. So, not only does Huckabee get his facts wrong, like most conspiracy kooks, he makes a scurrilous charge...

Speaking at a news conference in Oklahoma, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee floated the idea that the reason the vast majority of America's conservative talk radio hosts aren't endorsing him or John McCain is because Mitt Romney's investment firm owns a significant share of Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest radio syndication company. "Some suggest that the fact that Bain Capital owns a major stake in Clear Channel is on Sean's network, maybe there's a correlation. I don't know." The Sean he was referring to had to be none other than Sean Hannity, America's number-two talk radio host behind Rush...

We are all about information.

http://www.chrisbrunner.com/2007/12/13/mitt-romney-to-buy-clear-channel-communications/ Mitt Romney's VC Firm to Buy Clear Channel TOP del.icio.us digg What would it cost to buy the support of just about every nationally-syndicated neocon talk show host in America? About $19.5 Billion, which is what Mitt Romney's private equity firm, Bain Capital, and Thomas H. Lee Partners have agreed to pay in a leveraged buyout agreement with Clear Channel Communications, the largest radio station owner in the country. This is part of a negotiation that has been pending for over a year. Clear Channel owns over 1,100 full-power AM, FM, and shortwave radio stations, twelve radio channels on...

Two Central Texas-based businesses are among the best places to work for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, according to a report released Tuesday by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Round Rock-based Dell and Austin’s Freescale Semiconductor were among the 195 companies to receive a perfect score based on the foundation’s Corporate Equality Index. The index “measures policies and practices implemented to promote fairness and equality in the workplace for GLBT employees,” according to the foundation. Seven other Texas-based companies made the list: AMR Corp., Fort Worth; J.C. Penney Co., Plano; Clear Channel Communications, San Antonio; Brinker International, Dallas; Waste...

Mitt Romney Buys Clear Channel by Chris Bowers, Thu Nov 16, 2006 at 01:44:50 PM EST Rochester Turning finds this disturbing nugget on the 2008 Presidential race: Clearchannel just recently went up for auction. Mitt Romney's Bain Capital bought it along with Thomas H Lee Partners, but I'm not sure who owns them. The rumor on the Street was that there might be regulatory problems because the firms own positions in other media companies, but I'm not sure which ones.

On his daily radio talk show, Glenn Beck portrays himself as an average guy, a recovering alcoholic and a comedian who regularly injects humor into his conservative politics. This week he can add another description: very wealthy. Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, is expected to announce today that it is extending Mr. Beck’s contract. Two sources with knowledge of the deal said it was valued at $50 million over five years, through a combination of salary and profit-sharing from syndication.

RUSH: Here's the transcript of what Dingy Harry said and we're looking for it, we'll have the audio, but this is what Dingy Harry said on the floor of the Senate at noon Eastern time today:   "Madam President, earlier this month I came to the floor to discuss some comments made by Rush Limbaugh.  Following my remarks, more than 40 of my Senate colleagues and I cosigned a letter to the chairman of Clear Channel, Mark May [sic--Mays], telling him we wanted him to confer with Limbaugh regarding the statements he made."  Is that not audacious?  The United States...

I spent the better part of Wednesday trying to get Democrats to say something bad about Rush Limbaugh. You’d think this would not be a difficult task — but it proved surprisingly hard. But first, some back story: As you might recall, there was a bit of back and forth between Republicans and Democrats over which was the most patriotic party. It started when MoveOn published the infamous “General Petraeus Betray Us?” ad in the New York Times. Subsequent revelations about progress in Iraq embarrassed MoveOn for questioning the General’s integrity. A recent Washington Post editorial noted: “It’s looking more...

Rush Limbaugh’s political jiu-jitsu masterstroke comes to a climax at 1 PM, EDT today, when the ebay auction for the letter sent by 41 Senate Democrats to the CEO of his syndicator Clear Channel ends. As this article is written, the highest bid has reached the neighborhood of one million dollars, with the purchase price to be donated to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, benefitting the education of children of deceased Marines and federal law enforcement personnel. Because Rush Limbaugh has offered to match the purchase price, the total donation will possibly exceed two million dollars. The Mainstream Media have...

<p>FLASH: Rush Limbaugh to auction off Harry Reid's letter to CLEAR CHANNEL on EBAY; Money goes to Marine Charity.... Developing...</p>

WASHINGTON – In a prelude to likely efforts to legislate the Fairness Doctrine in 2009, Democratic Party leaders in the Senate, including the party's likely presidential nominee next year, Sen. Hillary Clinton, are turning up the heat on Rush Limbaugh's network, attempting to force him to apologize for maligning anti-war soldiers as phonies – something he didn't say. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent a letter, signed by 41 Democrats, to Clear Channel Chief Executive Officer Mark P. Mays demanding he repudiate Limbaugh's comments and extract an apology from him. Mays responded the same day in a letter...

" Talk-show giant Rush Limbaugh sharply escalated his war of words with Democrats in the Senate Tuesday, calling for the resignation of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. He also characterized as "boneheaded" Reid's effort to enlist senators to pressure Limbaugh's syndicator, Clear Channel Communications, to censor him. "And the thing that we ought to demand here," Limbaugh told his listeners, "is that Harry Reid step down and resign as the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, for his constant, uncontrollable contempt of our armed forces; his repeated use of our troops for political purposes. Harry Reid has failed in his...

<p>Clear Channel CEO Mark P. Mays responded to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a letter hand-delivered to his office this evening.</p> <p>"While I certainly do not agree with all views that are voiced on our stations, I will not condemn our talent for exercising their right to voice them," Mays wrote.</p>

Today (Monday October 1), the Rush Limbaugh radio talk show featured an astounding interview with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, but I was equally intrigued by some of the programming which aired after the interview. As it turns out, a number of Democrats in the United States Senate (in conjunction with some liberal groups) have been trying to make a stink over some remarks Rush Limbaugh said in conversation, about our fine troops in Iraq. Well, not exactly. I listen to Rush on occasion, and I heard his original remarks—far from being disparaging of the troops, they were harsh words...

Media Research Center From the Desk of: Brent Bozell, Founder ++ Rush Limbaugh is under attack. Your immediate action is needed. See details. To All; The radical left activist group, Media Matters (funded by George Soros and others) has launched an all-out smear attack against Rush Limbaugh. And the liberal media are shamelessly promoting the assault. Their goal? To force Rush off the air. Unless our MRC Action Team takes a stand right now, they could actually succeed. Here is what is happening: Media Matters is claiming that Rush called any soldier that opposes the war a "phony soldier." In...

The board of directors at Clear Channel Communications (NYSE: CCU) finally decided to endorse a $19.35 billion buyout package that is nearly identical to the one it rejected last month. Bain Capital (founded by Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney) and Thomas H. Lee Partners won with an offer of $39.20 per share, up from the $39 offer the board rejected in April.

xBarb Stanton fired from radio talk show By Mitch Deacon VICTORVILLE — In the wake of controversial statements aired on Talk 960, talkshow host Barbara Stanton was fired Monday by Clear Channel Victorville. Stanton ignited criticism on April 26 by falsely declaring the president of East West Bank to be a “foreigner,” accusing the president of Desert Community Bank of lying on her show, and encouraging her listeners to “suck your money out of DCB.” The Daily Press obtained an internal memorandum from Clear Channel stating: “Barb Stanton is no longer employed by KIXW-AM.” Clear Channel officials on Monday confirmed...