Clear Channel Presses FCC To Raise Ownership Caps In Largest Markets

CLEAR CHANNEL PRESSES FCC TO RAISE OWNERSHIP CAPS IN LARGEST MARKETS
[SOURCE: RadioandRecords, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Yorke and Carol Archer ]
Clear Channel’s legal eagles landed in two FCC Commissioners’ offices last week to influence their positions on expanding ownership cap limits in the largest radio markets. For months, Clear Channel lobbyists have been pressing the flesh on Capitol Hill and in the halls of FCC headquarters. On Aug. 29, Clear Channel's executive VP and chief legal officer Andrew Levin, senior VP of government affairs Jessica Marventano, and outside legal advisor John Fiorini III of the influential K Street law firm, Wiley Rein & Fielding, held separate meetings with both Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate and her legal assistant Chris Robbins, and with Commissioner McDowell and his legal assistant, Cristina Chou Pauze. A Tate staffer said that it was obvious that Clear Channel’s interest in expanding market presence was due to its concerns about “audience fractioning” caused by growing competition from iPods and satellite radio operators Sirius and XM. The discussions are part of the on-going 120-day comment period initiated by the FCC earlier this summer when it invited public comment its obligatory review of media ownership rules. Current caps on large market ownership limit one group to owning up to eight stations ­ five on one band, three on another ­ in a market the size of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington or even Baltimore. But based on a document obtained by R&R, Clear Channel specifically uses New York City -- with 149 stations in the area -- as an example that it says shows that owning eight stations in markets with 45-to-59 stations is just 18% of the market, owning 10 stations in markets with 60-to 74 stations would be 17% of the market and owning a dozen stations in markets of 75 or more stations would be 16% or less of the market.
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