Clear Channel Communications/iHeartMedia Co-Founder B.J. 'Red' McCombs Dies At 95

McCombs (Photo: Red McCombs Automotive Group)

BILLY JOE "RED" McCOMBS, the SAN ANTONIO car dealer who became a co-founder of CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS (now iHEARTMEDIA) and owner of the MINNESOTA VIKINGS, SAN ANTONIO SPURS, and DENVER NUGGETS, among many other companies, died SUNDAY (2/19) at 95.

McCOMBS built an auto sales empire in TEXAS, the RED McCOMBS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, and diversified into oil, cattle, media, real estate and sports. He partnered with LOWRY MAYS to form CLEAR CHANNEL, the successor to SAN ANTONIO BROADCASTING INC. (which started with KEEZ (now KAJA)/SAN ANTONIO, purchased by MAYS with SAM JORRIE and THOMAS MORAN in 1972).

The billionaire and partners bought the ABA's DALLAS CHAPPARALS and moved them to become the SAN ANTONIO SPURS in 1973, selling them after the team entered the NBA in the 1976 merger and buying another former ABA team, the DENVER NUGGETS, selling them in 1985. He owned the NFL's MINNESOTA VIKINGS in 1998-2005.

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