FOX Faux News: CC Plays Politics With Boss

FOX NEWS may proclaim that it offers "Fair And Balanced" reporting, but some of its work is about as "fair and balanced" as saying that someone is "a little bit pregnant." A recent column by FOXNEWS.COM entertainment reporter ROGER FRIEDMAN reprised the familiar "corporate radio won't play great artists" canard --the "victim" this time being BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and his new album, "Magic."

In a recent column, FRIEDMAN asserts that "sources tell me that CLEAR CHANNEL has sent an edict to its Classic Rock stations not to play tracks from "Magic" -- either because SPRINGSTEEN's album contains liberal, anti-war lyrics, or that SPRINGSTEEN is passe. Apparently, some CLEAR CHANNEL Classic Rockers didn't get the memo. According to MEDIABASE data, the lead track off the new album, "Radio Nowhere," is currently getting airplay on no less than 11 of the group's Classic Rock stations.

FRIEDMAN went even further, declaring that "The No. 1 album is not being played on any radio stations, according to RADIO & RECORDS, which monitors such things. Nothing." If R&R monitors the same stations MEDIABASE does, it may have to make a public correction. At least 100 different "corporate" radio stations are playing "Radio Nowhere."

More contradicting data: Over 22% of airplay on all of the tracks off "Magic" has been aired on CLEAR CHANNEL stations. They also provided 25% of all the airplay for "Radio Nowhere," which has already been the most-played song on AAA radio.

FREIDMAN apparently doesn't believe AAA is a legitimate format by writing, "SPRINGSTEEN [and] 'older' artists have been relegated to something called Triple-A format stations (i.e. either college radio or small artsy stations such as WFUV in the BRONX, N.Y.) which are immune from the CLEAR CHANNEL virus of pre-programming."

That, of course, will come as news to the half-dozen AAA stations are owned by the so-called "virus" known as CLEAR CHANNEL, including the "small, artsy" KBCO/DENVER, which has been one of the top-5 stations in the market; as well as top-10 AAA stations KTCZ/MINNEAPOLIS and KWMT/TUCSON.

While one would be tempted to dismiss such reporting as typical, considering the source, the problem is that stories like these perpetuate other lies. Indeed, other websites that spout anti-consolidation views have linked this report to the historical "fact" that CLEAR CHANNEL banned the DIXIE CHICKS because of their anti-war views -- when, in fact, it was CUMULUS that issued the ban.

And so it goes...

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