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Corporate radio and the dearth of dissent
Posted by James Grimmelmann on Thursday, February 20 @ 12:02:41 EST Media Regulation
Today's "Editorial Observer" in the New York Times does a nice job connecting consolidation in the radio industry to the disappearance of anything "edgy" from the airwaves. As Brent Staples writes,
After the National Guard killed four antiwar demonstrators at Kent State University in Ohio in the spring of 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young recorded a song, simply titled "Ohio," about the horror of the event, criticizing President Richard Nixon by name. The song was rushed onto the air while sentiment was still high, and became both an antiwar anthem and a huge moneymaker.

A comparable song about George W. Bush's rush to war in Iraq would have no chance at all today. There are plenty of angry people, many with prime music-buying demographics. But independent radio stations that once would have played edgy, political music have been gobbled up by corporations that control hundreds of stations and have no wish to rock the boat.

Full version here.
 
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Re: Corporate radio and the dearth of dissent (Score: 0)
by Anonymous on Thursday, February 20 @ 13:02:07 EST
On the other hand, it was a ClearChannel station that
tried to photograph a CA state assemblyman (who has
a history of prostitution arrests) with an inflatable sex
doll.

It is an interesting story, thanks to the way the police
got involved.

Story at metafilter (18 Feb 2003)


[ Reply to This ]


Re: Corporate radio and the dearth of dissent (Score: 1)
by justene on Friday, February 21 @ 22:30:31 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.calnewsblog.blogspot.com
Color me doubtful. In Kent State, Nixon sent in National Guard troops and 4 protesting student were killed. Bush stands at a podium and says he's not listening to them. I'm supposed to think a song critcizing Bush is as edgy as Ohio?


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