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Clear Channel: FCC 'missed the mark by a mile'

Tuesday, June 03, 2003
SAN ANTONIO, TX -- The official response from Clear Channel Communications to yesterday's rule changes by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is that the commission chose politics over the public interest and that radio listeners will be the "ultimate victims."

Clear Channel, which owns 16 radio and two television stations in Central New York, had hoped the FCC would further ease radio ownership caps that were put into place in 1996.

Clear Channel's president and chief operating officer, Mark Mays, released the following response to the FCC's ruling:

Clear Channel is deeply disappointed with today's FCC vote
to re-regulate the radio industry. While the FCC is supposed to
act in the public interest, today they missed the mark by a mile.
This FCC action will extinguish the substantial consumer benefits
brought on by radio deregulation in 1996.

Just ten years ago, nearly 60 percent of the nation’s radio
stations were operating in the red, cutting news budgets and
laying off employees. Deregulation changed all that. But
instead of letting radio stations find better and more
innovative ways to serve their listeners, the FCC is intent
on turning the clock back to a time when the industry was
incapable of providing consumers the variety of programming
it does today.

Unfortunately, the FCC chose politics over the public interest,
and American consumers will be the ultimate victims. We at
Clear Channel will continue to keep our eye on the consumer,
striving to provide the absolute best in entertainment,
local news and information each and every day. Our listeners
and the communities we serve deserve nothing less.
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