Michael, first of all - you are wrong, Clear Channel did not "ban" the Dixie Chicks.   MANY of the Clear Channel stations made a public statement that the Dixie Chicks would not be aired on their SPECIFIC stations. This was not an edict issed to all over 1200 plus radio stations in the U.S., but I will grant you that many of their stations followed suit.   Also, Cumulus Radio and Cox radio did the same thing. Still, there were and continue to be Clear Channel stations that play the Dixie Chicks.

More than a political statement, it was a business move. Frankly, if you own such a large piece of the pie and your business depends on government support, who are you going to try to favor? What does the Dixie Chicks put in their pocket?

Also, when you are talking about a network deciding not to play a group - that is blacklisting.   It may be semantics, but the way "banning" is referred to usually deals with a thought that there is a government regulation forbidding something.    By drawing attention to urban legends like this, you are taking attention away from the real disturbing power that the F.C.C. has been given since "Nipplegate". Instead of complaining about a song that doesn't get played, people should be outraged by all the fines the F.C.C. has bestowed on stations for uttering certain words.

Clear Channel is run by right-wing idiots who only look at appealing to the lowest common denominator.   I don't support what they did, blacklisting is wrong. I don't care for the power that the F.C.C. is wielding these days, and I am shocked that the public outrage isn't there.   People whine about the Dixie Chicks and miss the boat.