Topic: ClearChannel HELPS Indie Rock...?!?! (Read 16105 times)

unknowner · « **on:** 15 Jun 2005, 08:20 »

That's right.

I just moved to Missoula, where the only job I could get is setting up remotes for the local ClearChannel affiliates. Please don't stone me yet, I have a point to make. Anyway, it seems that their rock station (96.3, The Blaze, KBLZ) has started to play 100% bona-fide INDIE ROCK from local groups - specifically, Casual Drama and Your Divine Tragedy. Back that up with the fact that they were sponsors of a (relatively poorly-planned) free concert with those groups... and whaddayaknow, the Evil Empire ain't so Evil. If you're in Montana, anyway.

Spamminacan. 0__o;

heretic · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Jun 2005, 08:40 »

wow, very different from the clearchannel i know here 'round DC

deborah · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Jun 2005, 09:43 »

and different from the one that's been trying to gobble up the smaller venues here in minneapolis.

yipjumpmusic · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Jun 2005, 14:24 »

They must have rebels and traitors. Good.

Johnny C · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Jun 2005, 18:24 »

Or they're attempting to co-opt independent culture and once more dip a needle of soul-sucking into the veins of indie music as a sophisticated and underhanded method of turning art into money.

You know, whichever ClearChannel is more known for.

SeanBateman · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Jun 2005, 19:40 »

No no I like it better as a sort of Rebellion against the Clear Channel Empire. Just wait, pretty soon Non-Clear Channel music will be officially banned from Wisconsin example of their power. All the while they will be searching for the secret base deep in the woods of montana. Someone needs to make this movie

yipjumpmusic · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Jun 2005, 23:57 »

Also besides, if co-opting independent culture was actually more profitable than corporate crap they'd be going at that instead and not waste time on independent shtuff.

unknowner · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Jun 2005, 23:33 »

Here's the update:

The decision to play music from the local bands was entirely that of The Blaze's program director, Angel. It seems that ClearChannel gives the PD's more leeway than people think; it's just that most are too lazy to do anything other than what's already in the system. Whilst it's SOP for CC to swallow up small, independantly-owned stations and other venues, and just as standard for the PDs to ignore all non-mainstream music, it's not in the corporate handbook.

The solution;

Flood the management of ClearChannel radio with fellow indie freaks that are (at least mildly) apprised of what tests well in the realm of the mainstream. Wait six months, and Indie Rock will hit a new rennaissance. Wait ten months, and Time Magazine will release the "Indie Revolution" issue. Wait ten and a half months, and all of the PDs will be fired, and the revolution will be over...

...

Well, it's a temporary solution, anyway.

ahsaehr · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Jun 2005, 08:27 »

Quote from: unknowner

Here's the update:

The decision to play music from the local bands was entirely that of The Blaze's program director, Angel. It seems that ClearChannel gives the PD's more leeway than people think; it's just that most are too lazy to do anything other than what's already in the system. Whilst it's SOP for CC to swallow up small, independantly-owned stations and other venues, and just as standard for the PDs to ignore all non-mainstream music, it's not in the corporate handbook.

The solution;

Flood the management of ClearChannel radio with fellow indie freaks that are (at least mildly) apprised of what tests well in the realm of the mainstream. Wait six months, and Indie Rock will hit a new rennaissance. Wait ten months, and Time Magazine will release the "Indie Revolution" issue. Wait ten and a half months, and all of the PDs will be fired, and the revolution will be over...

...

Well, it's a temporary solution, anyway.

I ask myself, do I really want everyone to listen to Indie, or do I want to be stubborn and hoard my music and only let it grace those who's ear's are intelligent. Meh.... who cares...
We don't have ClearChannel here, just a lot of country, and a lot of mainstream pop stations.

Kai · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Jun 2005, 08:29 »

Country and mainstream pop stations is what ClearChannel excells with.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Jun 2005, 08:39 »

The UK has two national classical music stations, and BBC 6 has Bruce Dickinson DJing the rock show.

WE WIN.

unknowner · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Jun 2005, 23:05 »

Quote from: KharBevNor

The UK has two national classical music stations, and BBC 6 has Bruce Dickinson DJing the rock show.

WE WIN.

Actually, you win automatically because you have Craig Charles, and were the original home of both Monty Python and Robot Wars.

Reno · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Jun 2005, 13:50 »

Quote from: unknowner

Time Magazine will release the "Indie Revolution" issue. Wait ten and a half months, and all of the PDs will be fired, and the revolution will be over...

Time Magazine Canada already released that issue.

sp2 · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Jun 2005, 15:20 »

I was pretty much certain Clear Channel helped indie rock by giving college radio DJs something to rage against.

Johnny C · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Jun 2005, 20:37 »

Quote from: Reno

Time Magazine Canada already released that issue.

Giving credibility to my suggested Canadian motto, "Canada: We Own The Future."

Kai · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Jun 2005, 21:12 »

Even though it's more like this:

"Canada: We Hate Rock and Roll"

Although I guess that's not fair, you guys had Rush. But that was only luck!

Johnny C · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Jun 2005, 22:23 »

"The United States Of America: We Present To You The Backstreet Boys"

Kai · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Jun 2005, 22:41 »

You Guys still came up with Celine Dion, Avril, and Sum 41. Also, you guys stopped Judas Priest when they were coming up there. What is wrong with your border guards? Murder them and replace them with Lumberjacks and metalheads.

McTaggart · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Jun 2005, 03:21 »

"Australia: Our music industry can beat up your music industry."

...and get more drunk!

Kai · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Jun 2005, 07:31 »

Ireland: We are probably drunker than Austrailia.

heretic · « **Reply #20 on:** 24 Jun 2005, 07:38 »

i wish i lived in ireland...

Merkava · « **Reply #21 on:** 24 Jun 2005, 08:58 »

Quote from: Kai

Even though it's more like this:

"Canada: We Hate Rock and Roll"

Although I guess that's not fair, you guys had Rush. But that was only luck!

They also have Hot Hot Heat, The Dears, Arcade Fire, etc.

There are more, but meh.

Kai · « **Reply #22 on:** 24 Jun 2005, 09:29 »

I can't stand Hot Hot Heat. >_<

unknowner · « **Reply #23 on:** 25 Jun 2005, 16:49 »

England: We can kick all your wanker band's asses and get drunker than all of ya's... simultaneously.

And, whilst I'm at it...

Iraq: Our arythmic chanting is more annoying than yours is... nyaah.

Uganda: Yes, we have rocks AND we have music! Does that count?

Loser · « **Reply #24 on:** 25 Jun 2005, 17:34 »

and then when your music become popular and everyone starts listening to it, you will decide you were indie before it was cool, and find different music to listen to

KharBevNor · « **Reply #25 on:** 25 Jun 2005, 18:08 »

THE MUSIC I LIKE WILL NEVER, EVER GET POPULAR.

Fact. If it did, the world would be a perfect and beautiful jewel of a place.

Kai · « **Reply #26 on:** 25 Jun 2005, 19:20 »

Infact, I can say a good 97% of my music will never get popular, because Zappa is dead, Beefheart is retired, The Residents are too uncommercial, Primus' time has passed, Les Claypool and his thousands of side projects are too uncommercial, Buckethead/Bill Laswell/Praxis is too weird, Jam Bands never get popular except with hippies, Mr. Bungle is too uncommercial for radio play, and the rest broke up or are pulling a Dead Kennedys/Misfits thing.

bluebear · « **Reply #27 on:** 25 Jun 2005, 19:45 »

i thought it was more like-
australia- it's the end of the universe.

Kai · « **Reply #28 on:** 25 Jun 2005, 19:49 »

Austrailia - Wtf Mate?

Freelance Physicist · « **Reply #29 on:** 28 Jun 2005, 02:29 »

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Indie 103 in Los Angeles. Before anyone reaches for their knives, I know it's not really an indie rock station (they play mainstream music like Nirvana and Pearl Jam as well as the more obscure). But, it's still the best station in Los Angeles and has forced KROQ (the only other non-classic rock station in the entire city) to start adding more than one song a week to their playlist (just this afternoon, Arcade Fire played live in their studio--fucking awesome).

The station started out with a weird deal with ClearChannel: CC didn't own the station, but bought all of its advertising time and sold it for them, thus leaving the DJs (one of which is Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols) to do what they want. Recently, the FCC declared that this deal constituted "owning" a station, thus declaring that CC had too large a stake in Los Angeles, forcing them to divest a few months ago. Luckily, the station is still going strong (even LA Weekly was panicked over CC leaving since Indie 103 doesn't cater to a niche audience (I've heard Frank Sinatra's "I've Got The World On A String" follow the latest Foo Fighters single) and they were afraid that advertising revenue wouldn't materialize).

A deal with the devil that actually worked out for everybody.

- station website

- stream of the broadcast

P.S. I've just noticed that 'clearchannel' appears in the website for the webcast, so now I have no idea what kind of relationship the two entities maintain.

Kai · « **Reply #30 on:** 28 Jun 2005, 05:39 »

You see, you're in LA, so you guys tend to have that kind of stuff.

...

Kansas isn't so lucky. Although we do get to hear that one radio hour that Alice Cooper hosts, so it's awesome.

Mrs. Firefly · « **Reply #31 on:** 30 Jun 2005, 00:52 »

Quote from: ahsaehr

We don't have ClearChannel here, just a lot of country, and a lot of mainstream pop stations.

That's mostly true, but one day on my way to the library, I was pushing the scan button, (trying to get to the jazz station) and Chris Michaels by The Fiery Furnaces was playing. On other different occasions, something by The Go! Team and Rebellion (Lies) by The Arcade Fire came on. Of course, I probably live in a different part of Tennessee. Although If you live near the Nashvegas area, it's 91.1 FM.

(My sneaky ninja senses told me you live in this fine state. As well as the fact that you said so in your information.)

Keith Decent · « **Reply #32 on:** 30 Jun 2005, 13:07 »

CLear channel's stilla company, and needs customers, so if listeners in a certain region want INdie rock, they're gonna give 'em Indie Rock. However, as soon as that shifts a little, thay'll go back to mind-numbing pop.

I mean, even McDonald's has salads these days, because people were complainging about 'not being able to' eat healthier.

After years of doing the devil's work, it's not like either company is seeing the light, it's just that their main customer base is, so they'll adjust... for now.

Oerdin · « **Reply #33 on:** 05 Jul 2005, 00:23 »

Quote from: yipjumpmusic

They must have rebels and traitors. Good.

Clear Channel is the devil incarnated and they need to be shot. In San Diego they control a total of 14 radio stations which is over half of the total local stations. The reason they can grab so much of the dial here is because, by treaty, Mexico gets half of the available radio spectrum and Clear Channel has bought out many of those Mexican stations and has switched them to broadcasting in English. Clear Channel also breaks both Mexican and American laws by jacking up their broadcast power so that they're stations easily make it all the way to LA. The problem is their broadcasting with so much juice they're bleeding into other stations and washing them out.

Luckily, we still have a few quality local stations like 94.9FM and 94.1FM which haven't given in to the Clear Channel beast but that's about it. I'm still hoping someone sues the crap out of Clear Channel for breaking international braodcasting rules because if Clear Channel could be made to follow the law then we could fit in several more stations using spectrum which is currently being washed out.

Oerdin · « **Reply #34 on:** 05 Jul 2005, 00:25 »

http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,54036,00.html

A nice article by wired.com about the San Diego radio market and why Clear Channel are a bunch of bitches.

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Author Topic: ClearChannel HELPS Indie Rock...?!?! (Read 16105 times)

unknowner

heretic

deborah

yipjumpmusic

SeanBateman

yipjumpmusic

unknowner

unknowner

Reno

sp2

heretic

Merkava

unknowner

Loser

bluebear

Freelance Physicist

Mrs. Firefly

Keith Decent