Clear Channel Promoting Anti-Downloading Message And Cheap (Channel) Music Downloads (11-22-02)

Answer: free music downloads are Clear Channel's biggest enemy as a whole!

That's right folks! You'd think that record labels are ticked off enough when people download mostly horrible sounding MP3's for free and tolerating their imperfections while not bothering to think about buying a better sounding CD Audio disc (be it a single or an album) at a record store? How about radio stations losing listeners to people listening to 10-hour MP3s on CD-R's they burned on their computers?

Believe it or not, Clear Channel has a valid reason why they're doing this kind of promotion, and letting their own terrestrial competetors use their house-produced anti-piracy ads for free on their radio stations. Less listeners to MP3 listening at home, in their cars, and in their walkman-like players mean less advertising revenue to the broadcasters as a whole, not just Clear Channel, but everybody else.

I'm not saying that illegal MP3 downloading is the problem, rather, it's the solution for fans to hear music radio stations are not bothering to play such as the latest in mature classic rock, traditional jazz, male country, Dr. Demento-type novelty, and pop dance (my favorite musical genres ignored on San Diego radio), and radio stations such as those by Clear Channel are at fault for not practicing musical diversity such as this in radio programming.

It's a two-pronged problem for radio stations. People listening to MP3 downloads whether they heard them on the radio or not, and radio stations not playing what people want to hear, choosing, instead, to use their eight station clusters to program mostly old music people are long tired of such as dinosaur rock KGB, bland oldies KOOL, and worn-out chick music My 94.1.

It's ironic that Clear Channel, say, Rock 105.3, is now promoting anti-downloading MP3 messages on their radio stations, when in fact, back in Christmastime 2000, during their play anything for $25 drive weekend, they downloaded numerous MP3s by using Napster, as they announced over the air, I heard it correctly, then playing them over their airwaves. Is this practice illegal or not? For some radio stations, since they get promotional radio albums by the labels for nothing, then downloading the same tracks for free is the same basic thing. If that's so, then why is Clear Channel sending out criminalizing messages about downloading MP3s over the airwaves?

MP3s are the same thing as promotional music, dimwitted radio station groups! If radio stations don't play the songs they like, and more and more, you can blame indie-based payola for Clear Channel not playing what the listeners like to hear, then people will download them to hear what the music they are missing sound like, and if they like the songs, why should they come to Clear Channel's websites to pay for a music download that sounds just as crappy as an MP3 file?

MP3s are the best promotional material a label has ever had outside of radio, which ignores most of the music the big five put out. The record labels have the mistaken idea that downloading music is as illegal as taping the songs off the radio, which are, in fact, the same thing. I tape songs off of Dr. Demento and the rock and dance music stations for years off the radio, and download what I don't hear on the radio off the Internet. Are they both illegal? They both sound equally as inferior as a CD Audio, and even the now-outdated pre-recorded cassette is as inferior as anything taped off the radio, but last I heard, it's still illegal to steal pre-recorded cassettes and CDs. You can't steal the medium the music is on, but the music you hear on the radio is just as ripe for taping off the radio for free as an MP3 download of the same song!

So Clear Channel and other websites are joining up with the big five record labels for an inferior solution to a widespread problem. Illegal MP3 swap sites will not go away anytime soon. Buying a $20 album is out of the paying range of the average teenager when they like only one or two songs worth paying for, and why should they be offered a crummy fidelty download for $1 when they could be buying the good old 3 1/2 inch CD single with two songs on it for $1, about four times as much as it costs to manufacture a blank CD of any size with a jewel case! Bring back the 45 RPM vinyl single and sell those for 50 cents apiece!

Instead of going to Clear Channel, come to David Tanny's Amazon/CD Now store right here. Click on the link and buy actual CD Audio discs full of 1411kbps, 44kHz, 16-bit, stereo audio WAV files that are much more pleasing to your ear than a crappy-sounding Microsoft WiMPy music file anyday!

http://store.davesfunstuff.com/

And best of all, I make about a $1 for every album you buy there. That's the American way to do things! You like the music? You reward them by giving them an incentive for the label to make more of them! You like the music but don't want to pay for them? Imagine Eminem and Ashanti giving up on music because not enough people bought their latest albums because free music downloads that don't translate into album sales do not count towards the earning level of their success. You like the music but can't afford to pay for them now? Save up your money until you get a career going, then take out a loan and buy the albums before the artists decide to quit and not make any more music for you. Get through college as fast as possible!

Here's the official press release in its entirity without any PDF problems right here...

Download the 30 second spots here... http://www.clearchannel.com/piracy/index.php

The Clear Channel Press Release (11-22-02)

November 21, 2002 San Antonio, TX.Clear Channel Radio today announced it is contributing its worldwide resources to the fight against Internet music piracy. Recognizing the struggle that recording artists and their labels face with Internet piracy, Clear Channel is launching a public awareness campaign to inform its listeners that downloading pirated music is a serious problem for musicians.

The campaign kicks off today with anti-piracy commercials on Clear Channel radio stations across the globe, on syndicated Premiere Radio Network programs and on the company's XM Satellite stations. Clear Channel will support the campaign with advertisements on station web sites and in company operated publications.

The company is making the commercials available at www.clearchannel.com to any broadcaster who wants join Clear Channel in supporting the musicians and their art.

Clear Channel Radio CEO John Hogan says the 30-second commercials carry a powerful message: downloading pirated music hurts the artists. "It's no secret that illegal music downloading is the most pressing issue that the recording industry is faced with today. I believe it's the responsibility of those of us in the radio industry to help raise awareness on this issue, letting our listeners know that their actions are in fact threatening the future success of the artists that they love," says Hogan.

RIAA Chairperson Hillary Rosen applauds the radio company's support of the music industry. "We want to thank Clear Channel for this effort and encourage others to follow their example in this campaign," says Ms. Rosen. "We need more media companies to help educate the consumer on the pressing issue of Internet theft and its consequences. In the end, the music lover pays the price for illegal down loading through the increased cost of distributing music through legitimate delivery systems."

Record Labels Speak Out

The recording industry, including the labels and their artists, lose millions of dollars a year to Internet theft. According to information released by the RIAA, US music shipments in the first half of 2002 were off 10% over the same period in 2001, with sales down nearly 7%. Clear Channel's move to lead the radio industry in publicizing the issue of music piracy struck a chord among the record labels:

Arista Records, Antonio "L.A." Reid, President and CEO: "The plague of music piracy is spreading in geometric numbers and the industry is faced with the challenge of turning around the mind-set of a generation that thinks its 'cool' to obtain recorded music for free. Arista Records, its staff and its artists all support Clear Channel's efforts to bring the message across in a way that demands radio listeners' attention and dares them to confront a serious issue."

Atlantic Records, Craig Kallman, Co -President: "Everyone involved in music has to commend Clear Channel for partnering with our artists to get the truth out about Internet piracy and the terrible impact that it's having on musicians. Their PSAs are humanizing an injustice that threatens every musician's livelihood."

Columbia Records, Charlie Walk, Executive Vice President Promotion: "We're happy to see Clear Channel coming on board and educating young fans that music has real value that should not be taken for granted. Artists deserve to be compensated for the music they create, just like anyone else deserves to be paid for the work that they do."

Elektra Entertainment Group, Sylvia Rhone, Chairman/CEO: "Illegal downloading and other forms of music piracy have had a devastating effect on consumers perception and value of music. With Clear Channel's enormous reach of over 100 million listeners, they possess the ideal platform to educate consumers about the negative impact of Internet music piracy."

RCA Music Group, Clive Davis, Chairman: "Clear Channel's efforts to educate the consumer on the destructive impact of Internet music piracy will be invaluable. We must protect our creative community even from well meaning fans who just don't know that with every file they download or CD they burn, they are undermining the future of the very music they profess to love."

For further information contact Pam Taylor, Clear Channel Radio (859) 655-6523 or Diane Warren, Clear Channel Worldwide, 210-822-2828.

About Clear Channel Communications, Inc.

Clear Channel Communications, Inc., (NYSE: CCU) headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a global leader in the out-of home advertising industry with radio and television stations, outdoor displays, and entertainment venues in 65 countries around the world. Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements. Visit our website at www.clearchannel.com

Universal Music kicks off digital download plan (11-22-02)

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, on Wednesday announced it would make more than 43,000 song tracks available for download at retail outlets and music Web sites, opening a new front in the marketing of digital music.

The initiative is aimed at attracting fans who may want to buy songs or albums on a one-off basis online rather than through monthly Internet subscriptions, the alternative the major labels have offered to peer-to-peer song swapping services.

Universal Music, a unit of Vivendi Universal (V) (EAUG), said the downloads will be burnable to CD and transferable to secure portable devices. The digital tracks will be available for purchase by consumers in the U.S. for 99 cents for individual tracks and $9.99 for albums.

The digital downloads will be available through over 25 retailers and music sites, including Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY), Circuit City Stores Inc. (CC), MP3.com, Rolling Stone, Tower Records and others.

"This is a direct blow to the peer-to-peer services by providing consumers with a cheap and easy way to get a trusted file," said P.J. McNealy, analyst with GartnerG2.

The labels all attempted to sell limited digital downloads in the early days of their online efforts, but at about $2.99 or $3.99 a track or higher and with heavy restrictions.

McNealy said he expects the other major labels to wait and see how Universal fares before attempting a similar push.

Universal's downloading program follows on the heels of a spate of online licensing deals announced last week by members of the recording industry as the sector attempts to lure a fan base to their online products and away from popular, free, unauthorized peer-to-peer services like Morpheus and Kazaa, which it claims has eroded music sales.

Using technology from Liquid Audio Inc. (LQID), music fans can buy tracks from the UMG digital catalog, including such artists as Eminem, Diana Krall, Jay-Z, Nelly, Shaggy, Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, and U2.

The digital catalog includes current and catalog releases. Music fans can preview and purchase music tracks in both the Liquid Audio and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) Windows Media formats.

Universal said it was kicking off the initiative by making the new single from superstar Mariah Carey available online before the release of her upcoming album.

From the Wall Street Journal: "In an effort to discourage music piracy and make its music more easily accessible to Internet users, Vivendi Universal SA's Universal Music Group said it has partnered with several retailers and music Web sites to sell downloaded music through their respective Internet sites.

"Starting Wednesday, more than 43,000 tracks will be available to consumers who can purchase and download the music through a service provided by technology concern Liquid Audio Inc. for 99 cents a track, or $9.99 for a whole album, the company said...

"People with knowledge of the matter say Universal is close to signing a deal with San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications Inc., the world's largest radio company, which wouldLink: Clear Channel sell the music through its radio-station Web sites. A representative for Clear Channel said the company wouldn't comment on pending deals."