evil empire

clear channel is soon to be no more.

okay, technically the consortium of major-market radio stations will still be around, but it’s likely that their iron grip on the medium is finally at an end. no more bland, recycled music. no more monopolistic practices, trampling on free speech, or underhanded tactics and corruption.

good riddance. the fools brought this upon themselves. with satellite radio on the rise and cheap music downloads available nearly everywhere, there was no way that their strategy of repeat tracks and me-too content was going to last much longer. people don’t want to hear the same song over and over, no matter how many times it was on american idol. they crave variety.

clear channel, by the way, was the company that had that ridiculous list of banned songs in the days following 9/11. apparently louis armstrong’s “wonderful world” incites mass panic. I’m sure he intended it that way.

at least here in columbus, we’ve had some independently-owned stations willing to fight the good fight. cd101, for instance, has daytime programming more colorful than richard simmon’s wardrobe. what’s with all the nirvana and r.e.m., though? I had enough of them in 1996.