iHeartRadio Music Awards Faces Lawsuit

The Challengers

Before the first award is handed out TONIGHT at the iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS (NET NEWS 5/1), CLEAR CHANNEL finds itself involved in a lawsuit over the event. RADIO DOGS INC. claims CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS and its subsidiary PREMIERE RADIO NETWORKS came a little too close to a brand name of the RADIO MUSIC AWARDS, which aired on network TV from 2000-2005.

The principles at RADIO DOGS include LINCOLN FINANCIAL MEDIA/MIAMI Marketing Dir. VON FREEMAN, consultant PAUL JOSEPH and TV producer TONY EATON.

A copy of the lawsuit, obtained by ALL ACCESS, notes, "The RMAs aired in 1999 on the WARNER BROS. TELEVISION CHANNEL (“WB”), from 2000-2001 on the AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY (“ABC”), and from 2003-2005 on NBC. Since 2005, the RMAs have not been produced for public airing. When Plaintiff produced the RMAs, its major sponsors were Defendants and it used RYAN SEACREST as the host."

The suit also notes, "In 2013, Defendants, without authorization or license from RADIO DOGS, began knowingly and willfully using the 'Radio Music Awards' mark in connection with the 'iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS' event, which is to be televised on NBC, and like Plaintiff’s RMA, will be using RYAN SEACREST as the host."

The lawsuit asks a federal judge in the U.S. District Court in MIAMI to issue an injunction preventing CLEAR CHANNEL from using the name iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS, and asks for an unspecified monetary damages.

Comment From The Plaintiff

RADIO DOG counsel WOLFE LAW/MIAMI Pres. RICHARD WOLFE told ALL ACCESS, "I think it's obvious that the name RADIO MUSIC AWARDS was once used by my clients when they worked together with the defendants.  They took the concept's name and cut our clients out of the deal.  We just got a trial order and it's set for APRIL, 2015.  And, we expect an order for an injunction to be in place early next week."

When contacted, CLEAR CHANNEL had "no comment" about the matter.

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