King of Pain

The Broadcasters Foundation of America honored Clear Channel Media founder Lowry Mays as one of the recipients of their Ward L. Quaal Pioneer Awards April 22 in the beautiful Monet Ballroom of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Jerry Del Colliano, who writes the Inside Music Media blog, had his torch and pitchfork ready when the news broke in early March.

"Broadcasters Foundation Chair Phil Lombardo made an ass of himself when he approved a news release that has him quoted as saying, 'Once again we are privileged to honor an esteemed group of broadcasters who have left a permanent legacy of commitment to the betterment of the radio and television industry.'

"Okay, let's put a stop to this bull right now.

"Lombardo is right that Mays has 'left a permanent legacy' on the radio industry but it was not for "the betterment of the radio and television industry'."

There's plenty more where that came from. Jerry talks a lot.

When you search "clear channel" on Google, the second auto complete option is "clear channel layoffs." You see, Mays strategy (once radio ownership limits were lifted and the floodgates were opened) was one of raw monopoly... own as much as you can.

Clear Channel acquired over 1200 US radio properties... highly leveraged empty shells, where (then publicly traded) CCU found they'd paid too much for the properties, then tried using technology, inter connectivity, mass cloning of generic programming plus relentless pay cuts and staff reductions to recoup. It didn't work.

When I was a broadcaster, I used the analogy of sustained yield agriculture in explaining our stewardship of our listeners, license and local economy.

In contrast, I'd describe Clear Channel as strip miners... Mays has left an ugly scar on the media landscape, killing many careers in the process of however many deadly sins he's racked up.