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Clear Channel is as big as NBC or Gannett. Chances are it owns a half-dozen radio stations in your town. And it's fighting employee suits alleging everything from broken contracts to sexual harassment.

Prior FCC enforcement actions failed to deter Ibar Mohamed from operating an unlicensed station at 89.3 FM in Queens and Brooklyn, so U.S. marshals arrested him on May 22. The marshals had seized Mohamed's radio equipment on two previous occasions.

For 40 years, federal law has prohibited broadcasters from accepting money or anything of value in exchange for playing songs on the radio without disclosing the practice to listeners. But internal documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times indicate that several independent promoters keep detailed logs--called "banks"--listing the date a station airs a song followed by a dollar amount collected from the artist's label. The stations that add the most songs over the course of a year build the biggest banks and consequently earn the largest fees....The documents show that each of the five major record companies--Vivendi Universal, Sony, Bertelsmann, AOL Time Warner and EMI Group--paid fees to an independent promoter associated with a Portland, Ore., radio station that played songs produced by their labels. Officials for these record companies declined to be interviewed.

When the founding fathers established the right to free speech, they hardly could have had AOL Time Warner Inc. and AT&T Corp. in mind.

But major corporations are increasingly casting themselves as 21st century Thomas Paines whose commercial pursuits are a form of speech that should be shielded from government regulation, just as anti-war activists and abortion opponents believe they should be free to express their views.

In recent months, some federal court rulings have suggested that corporate America is making headway, particularly in the cable television, Internet and information industries.

These successes are rekindling a debate over how far to extend free-speech protections and whose constitutional interests should prevail when citizens are pitted against corporations. (visit story link for more)

From Minnesota Public Radio-from Los Angeles, this is 'Marketplace.' " For more than a year now, listeners of several local public radio stations, along with listeners across the nation, have heard this curious opening. The unlikely geographical aggregate-from Minnesota from Los Angeles-glances quickly off the ears of those tuning in to the distinctive half-hour business magazine aired daily on KCRW and KPCC and once carried on KUSC, where it originated, for 10 years. But, in fact, those quickly forgotten opening credits bear some scrutiny. They are a signpost to the changing world of public radio, both in Los Angeles and beyond, where many things don't sound the way they used to. (visit story link for more)

The FCC proposed a $7,000 fine against noncommercial KBOO-FM/Portland, OR for broadcasting the rap song "Your Revolution," which the commission says contains "unmistakable patently offensive sexual references." KBOO counters that its mission is to provide a forum for "unpopular, controversial neglected perspective," and that "Your Revolution" is "a feminist attack on attempts to equate political revolution with promiscuous sex" - the opening lyric is, "Your revolution will not happen between these thighs" - and thus is not indecent. The FCC rejected that argument and has given KBOO 30 days to respond.

More from John Anderson at pirateradio.about.com on the recent issue of additional LPFM construction permits (visit story link for the complete commentary).

There is much news to report as the introduction of America's new low power FM (LPFM) service continues. While progress is good, it's definitely apparent now that the service - and its new constituients - are working to separate themselves from the movement of electronic civil disobedience which spurred its creation.

The FCC has quietly been issuing new LPFM station construction permits in small batches; the current count is now up to 41, and it's expected that handfuls will continue to be released throughout the year.

As with the first 25 construction permits that were issued a few months ago, the FCC is going about its business with little fanfare.

The reasons for this could be two-fold; the first is obvious, but the second may be more sinister.

PRESS RELEASE
CONGRESSMAN MAJOR R. OWENS
MAY 9, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT: DEBORAH GARRAWAY-STAYERS at (718) 773-3100 or ROBIN BRAZLEY (202) 225-6231

OWENS TAKES ON MEDIA ACCESS FIGHT.

Congressman Major R. Owens, an executive member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has announced that The Progressive Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives is conducting a forum "On the State of Community Radio: Pacifica Radio Foundation, Free Speech And Citizen Access To The Spectrum." The forum will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2001 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Room 2261 Rayburn House Office Building.

The Progressive Caucus is chaired by Congressman Dennis Kucinich and co-chaired by Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

"Any action that serves to restrict and delimit the progressive voice in this country any further is dangerous and an intolerable threat to our democracy" Owens said recently when asked about the purpose of the forum. "Since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, there has been a savage consolidation of ownership and control of radio and television stations that seriously limit access of alternative views and grassroots voices to the media. This Pacifica conflict threatens one of the few significant radio access points open to all of the people. Open access to the airwaves is a critical part of democracy," Owens said.

Two Panels will discuss public access to the airwaves, obstacles to such access, and the free speech implications of limited access. Specifically, the Caucus will be reviewing the growing conflict between the Pacifica Foundation Board and Pacifica listener supporters across the country over democratic principles of free speech, access, and the
mission Pacifica was licensed to meet.

Low power radio broadcasting, the impact of the Telecommunications act of 1996, and changes at the FCC, will also be reviewed.

The main objective is to open the debate on the democratic principles at the heart of the Pacifica Foundation conflict: censorship, equal access, future viability of non-profit status, and national vs local control in public supported organizations.

Owens became a major player in this conflict after he was cut off the air during a live broadcast on WBAI in March. Speaking about the incident on the floor of the House of Representatives, Owens blasted the irresponsible act of censorship calling it a " weird and
frightening experience of being gagged by a radio station manager in my own home city of New York." On Monday 5 March, Congressman Owens was rudely interrupted and turned off the air when he called in as a guest on WBAI. Speaking on "Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report," Owens was several minutes into a discussion on recent changes at the listener-sponsored station, when WBAI's interim general manager pulled the plug on his interview without explanation or apology.

Representatives from both sides of the conflict will present testimony on the democratic principles of free speech, access and the mission of the Pacifica Foundation.

Back in August, the world's largest radio corporation, Clear Channel Communications, made headlines when it sold 40 of its stations to minority owners -- a move then-chairman of the FCC, William Kennard, called ``the most significant one-time increase in minority ownership in history.'' But what didn't get reported was that two weeks later, after a wave of positive press about one of the most controversial and expensive media transactions ever, Clear Channel bought back the rights to at least six of the stations' ad revenues, and in essence, a good deal of control of the supposedly minority-run stations... The goal of diversity appears to be just talk -- although corporate Clear Channel officials say they are within the law. But the FCC, which approved the sales, has done no follow-up and did not know
that Clear Channel had bought back the ad revenue rights or is simulcasting KSJO-FM on Walnut Creek's KFJO.

ACCRA, Ghana — The information revolution has come to Africa, and last December it had a direct impact on bringing about the first-ever peaceful transition from one elected civilian government to another in Ghana. This was a hugely important political event for West Africa, but it got lost in America's post- election ruckus. Ghana's turnabout would not have happened, though, without the information revolution here. Thank the Lord for the information revolution. You gotta love technology. Oh, I'm not talking about the Internet. I'm talking about FM radio. (see story link for details)