[BC] Clear Channel Wants More?

[SHAFFER, RANDY L]

>> They are bitching about having the cost of  the technical upgrade (ie HD 
>> Radio) then don't install it. HD is not mandated technology. IF you want 
>> to dance pay the piper. Don't bitch about the cost of paying the piper ... 
>> if you can't afford it then don't dance.

>      Clear Channel is simply stating a fact that to stay competitive new 
>technology must be installed.  We are more concerned about the cost to other 
>broadcasters than to CC.  For HD to truly succeed all broadcasters will need 
>to adopt it.  No company has converted more stations to HD than Clear 
>Channel, and we continue to aggressively convert stations every day.  We're 
>only saying that we can provide a higher level of service, and afford a 
>faster rollout and a greater level of capital investment, if we and others 
>could own a few more stations in the very largest markets.

Not trying to stir the pot, but on the TV side, HD or DTV was mandated. CCC had to put far more money into converting TV to digital than it would cost to convert a radio station.

I know it wouldn't have happened under our previous small group owner. Our "big" upgrade under them in the mid 90's was to convert from 2" Quad to a used M (not MII) automation system.(I use that term lightly) You had to manually load all ten decks (when they worked). After the owner sold to CCC, we installed BetacamSP for program playback, a server system for spot playback, new stereo switcher, installed the exciter upgrade that the previous owner bought 10 yrs earlier but wouldn't pay to install, new DA's, new router, new A/C for studio control, new live truck, new traffic system, added computers, (previous owner had 2  PCs, 1 for business and one for the rest of the building to use) and changed networks so that we could dump our 11pm Love Connection for a 10 o'clock News. That was just on one station.

A few years later CC had to convert both stations to digital with new transmitters and all of the associated equipment required. I know the previous owners wouldn't have done that. The company later sold its' remaining stations rather than spend the cash to do the DTV conversion.

CC bought a near bankrupt stand alone CBS affiliate with 2 newscasts and a small group owned CBS affliate with one newscast in the same market. One year later, that same market had a strong CBS affiliate with six strong newscasts and a UPN affiliate also with news. The only problems came not from corporate management, but from local head butting by combining 2 stations staffs that for years were strong competitors. We still are not where we should be, but that is largely due to small time owners that refused to compete and left their stations wither away in the process.

Randy Shaffer
WLYH-TV/WHP-TV
Harrisburg, PA