Pitchfork

Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) appeared in front of the Senate Commerce Committee on January 30th to argue for stricter regulations regarding radio-station ownership. Joining them at the meeting was The Vultures' Don Henley, who, apparently tired of just singing about desperados has decided to become one. Since deregulation of the communications industry occurred in 1996-- right around the time we were digesting the effective end of decent material from the Smashing Pumpkins-- conglomerates like Clear Channel Entertainment (now the owner of over 1,200 radio stations nationwide) have added a third head to the media-Cerberus that has been plaguing mass-consumed music for the last seven years. We've got a handful of major labels, we've got Ticketscammer, and we have like one fucking radio station that controls what you listen to. Hmmm, maybe Vince Van Gogh was ahead of his time.

So while most of us steer clear of radio, save for select hip college stations and online sites, Feingold is looking to get fairplay restored. He doesn't like how his Milwaukee station sounds just like another in Chicago. He wants to hear more of Madison's very own Garbage on the air, rather than the typical garbage that passes for music now. But he probably doesn't quite realize that the singles off that band's last disc prove that they're sadly past their prime and, since it's radio, significant pleasure is lost from any Shirley Manson performance. (Sorry, babe.)

So what's the case against Clear Channel? Well, among other things, they're accused of anti-competitive practices that include shaking down labels to get their artists on the radio (with the labels then making up the cost by turning a, like, 500% profit on the CDs they sell you), refusing to play artists' work should those artists not agree to play shows at certain Clear Channel venues (which are probably the biggest in your city), and muscling artists into letting Clear Channel sponsor their tours (which coincidentally means that ticket sales go exclusively to Ticketmaster). And thus, the monster feeds itself.

Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), who more than likely feels that being subjected to perpetual Puddle of Mudd may be somewhere in the stratosphere of his POW experience, is expected to sign on with Feingold in sponsoring a bill. Meanwhile, Republicans have argued that competitive market factors should decide individual companies and artists' fates. They cite the improvement in station conditions and profits as signs that further deregulation is the way to go.

On a side note, Clear Channel is headquartered in San Antonio, TX-- the very state where one George W. Bush once presided as governor. While Mr. Bush is busy waging war against Islam, he'll probably still support his mates of state by rejecting any legislation, should he still be in power if the bill finally graces the Oval Office desk. Clear Channel has begun to quiver at the new attention being shot its way. In true "old money" fashion, the company has reportedly made the most astute of right-wing political moves: Going with diversification and placing former Congressman/Republican party utility black man J.C. Watts on their board. If that's not an admission of guilt from these whithered old Thurmond types, you tell us what is.