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songs being banned by ClearChannel
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: JohnInKansas Date: 25 Dec 11 - 02:28 PM http://www.snopes.com/rumors/radio.asp This is an ancient thread, so it might be worth commenting that "fuckedcompanydotcom," mentioned above as a source, was considered a credible source for some kinds of information not otherwise available in 2001 or so. Around 2004, the site was "suffering neglect" and possibly lack of interest, and appeared to be in decline. I don't know whether it may have been resuscitated as it's been at least 3 or 4 years since I looked in. The operator, known on the web as "Pud,"(?) was respected as a "web innovator." His last venture (that I heard of) was a "free web site for phonecam pictures" ca. 2002. That site was possibly a "first" among sites allowing free posting of picutures, but limited posts to pictures taken with phonecams (also a novelty then) and sent from the phone. It also suffered from "casual management" for a while, was shut down (2005?) for about a year (possibly over censorship/FCC complaints?), but has reappeared and appears to be thriving (with improved layout?) now; but new rules prevent browsing without registering so I haven't looked in since it reappeared. John |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SINSULL Date: 25 Dec 11 - 11:12 AM From Snopes http://www.snopes.com/rumors/radio.asp This dates back to 2001. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: GUEST Date: 27 Sep 01 - 02:22 PM Regardless, the inclusion of all the songs by Rage Against The Machine distinguishes them from the rest of the list. Those boys definitely must be doing something right (as in exercising their First Amendment rights).... Gotta love 'em. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Joe Offer Date: 26 Sep 01 - 06:38 PM The trouble with something like this is that the nuances get lost early in the game. Same with ABC's request that newscasters not wear flags on their lapels. Certainly, many of the songs on the list are not objectionable in any way. However, they could pose some problems if played at certain times. At a time like this, broadcasters need to be sensitive about the images they present to people. Would it work well to have a news item about terrorists having flight training, immediately followed by a DJ playing "Leaving on a Jet Plane"? Isn't Sinatra's bouncy recording of "New York, New York" a bit hard to take right now? Maybe there's no intention to ban anything. Maybe the now-anonymous originator of the list was somebody who wanted to alert DJ's to use a little extra care when playing songs that might evoke misunderstanding. It's easy to call people stupid, but most people aren't as stupid as we think they are. Was this list originated by a desire for censorship, or for sensitivity? -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: M.Ted Date: 26 Sep 01 - 06:04 PM This discussion doesn't take into account the kind of controls that Clear Channel and other corporately owned stations no normally excercise over what is played normally, which is total--DJ receive a list of what they are to play that has been generated by a computer program which prioritizes songs based on market research that has determine how the station's target audience will respond to them. Most stations are what is called "narrowcast" which is to say that they have a very narrow range of artists and recording styles that they play, regardless of what is "popular"--The format always dictates what will or will not be played--Even the seemingly wild and crazy "Shock Jocks" don't have much say in what they play-- There is another factor here--all stations have a list of commercials, recordings, announcements, and even certain kinds of feature/news items that are to be immediately blacked out when certain events occur--airline commercials, for instance, are immediately pulled, as a routine matter, when there is a plane crash--this is all business as usual--
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Wolfgang Date: 26 Sep 01 - 06:13 AM Sometimes the reason was not the song or its title but a single line.
In the case of Sinatra's 'New York, New York' it was the line: Wolfgang |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 20 Sep 01 - 02:58 AM I still haven't heard back from ABC, but I HAVE been seeing the same info Alice mentions above. It seems as if the list was originally sent out as "songs to be aware might be considered sensitive", which was taken as a list of banned songs by (apparently) several stations. Shortly thereafter (from the interviews with DJ's, within minutes) came a clarifying email stating that the list was not a "ban" list, but a list of songs that might be considered sensitive to the community, and that Station Managers should take it under advisement. As to where that list originated, nothing but speculation is currently available. M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: marymarymary Date: 19 Sep 01 - 09:06 PM Ok, I am going to play devil's advocate here. Even assuming that the list of songs reported on fuckedcompany.com is accurate, and that the station owners are actually *commanding* (not just recommending) that their radio stations not play those songs for a while... so what? Don't the owners of a set of commercial (not NPR, not community, not public) radio stations have the right to play (or refrain from playing) any song that they want to? And is it such a terrible thing for them to be sensitive enough to direct that their disk jockeys refrain for a while from playing songs that might be taken to be making light of last week's events, or songs into which listeners might read upsetting connotations that they normally would not? I mean, a set comprised of, say, "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "The Roof is On Fire" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" would be in damn poor taste, to say the least. After reading the Salon article, I think that ClearChannel's management style is the pits. I think that there should be a law against any single corporate entity controlling that number of stations. I disagree with their "no play" list; I think that the only reason that songs like "Imagine" and "Blowin' in the Wind" were placed on the list is that some tight-assed ClearChannel exec stuck his finger in the wind and determined that public sentiment among their advertisers' target audience of 13-25 year old males (or whatever) was running in favor of military action. So, I'm not saying that there is anything to admire about the ClearChannel company at all. But -- they own the radio stations and can play/not play whatever they please on their stations. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: GUEST Date: 19 Sep 01 - 05:33 PM Hi. I started this thread; note that I pointed out that it was unclear whether the songs on the ban list would actually be banned or not. I still hope they don't, but as the salon.com article highlights, Clear Channel has a history of playing hardball. One point from the discussion above that I can comment on: "fuckedcompany.com" is a legitimate source of information; in fact, it is so much so that a lot of companies block access to the site so that their employees cannot find out that they are about to be fired. It and slashdot.org (where I originally found out about the list) are daily must reads for us dot-communists. Ciao, A.N. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Alice Date: 19 Sep 01 - 03:21 PM Here is a quote from Clear Channel from an article on the New York Post website: Bob Buchman, host of Q104.3's "Rock 'n' Roll Morning Show" and the station's programming director, said he got the list by e-mail last week from Clear Channel corporate executives and immediately deleted it. "Are you kidding?" he said he asked himself when he saw the list. "A national no-play list?" Buchman said that moments after he received the list, a second notice was sent, saying the list was merely a selection of titles deejays should consider avoiding. Execs at Clear Channel stressed that the list was not an attempt to ban songs, only a guide for programming directors. "It was never a mandated list to say, 'Pull these songs off the air,' " said Jack Evans, a senior regional vice president of programming at Clear Channel, who created and distributed the list. And he claimed that Clear Channel, based in San Antonio, had never sent any such request to its stations. Evans said he compiled the list after fielding e-mails from some station programmers asking what songs might be considered in poor taste. "We don't need the help at Q104.3, but some stations might," said Buchman. Among Evans' suggestions were some songs by Metallica and AC/DC, all songs by Rage Against the Machine and many pop songs mentioning planes, such as Elton John's "Daniel," Steve Miller's "Jet Airliner" and Peter, Paul and Mary's "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Several Beatles tunes, including "Obla Di, Obla Da," "Ticket to Ride," "A Day in the Life" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," were on the list. Even Lennon's call for peace, "Imagine," was listed, as was Peter, Paul and Mary's "Blowin' in the Wind," which was written by Bob Dylan, and Dylan's "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Clear Channel's New York deejays have been ignoring the list. Z100 has been spinning many of the songs. At Q104.3, some of the tunes - such as "New York, New York," "Imagine," and "Stairway to Heaven" - have been the most requested tunes of the week. Joe Levy, the music editor at Rolling Stone, said he was concerned that the world's largest radio network had overstepped its boundaries. "When does the action of a corporation slip over the line into censorship?" he asked. "To ask that all Rage Against the Machine songs be taken off the air is disturbing." |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Alice Date: 19 Sep 01 - 03:08 PM Another note - the list isn't banned songs, but songs that they suggested their program managers should consider being sensitive, to be aware of what their listeners may want. I do think they over-reacted. The Clear Channel site as of yesterday has a document that says there is no banned song list, but today their representative who was interviewed did admit to a list of sensitive songs. She declined to give the name of the executive who made up the initial short list. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Alice Date: 19 Sep 01 - 03:00 PM I did hear a Clear Channel representative interviewed on the radio about this a couple of hours ago. Yes, they have a list. It started with a short list, then expanded to the longer one we are discussing, and now they are trying to back-pedal because so many people, including some of the musicians whose songs are on the list, are protesting the choices - Jesse Colin Young's comment was that he even sang the song they had on their sensitive list in church the other day, and the song was very comforting for people. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Kim C Date: 19 Sep 01 - 01:08 PM What I heard on NPR was that Clear Channel had received an e-mail with a list of songs on it that might be questionable just at this time. Apparently they have shared this information with their stations but have made no company directive about banning any songs. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: GUEST,just a nobody Date: 19 Sep 01 - 12:04 PM Ok... whoa... WHOA!!! *shoot that damn horse* Ok... It was said earlier, perhaps www.fuckedcompanies.com is not a credible source of information. Will you people please calm yourselves. Have you heard these songs on the radio? Probably.. I know I have and Clear Channel owns most of the stations in the Tampa Area. so.... lets see why this list would come about. Perhaps, the list is a compiling of songs banned by many stations owned by clear channel. That would also mean religious radio (yes they own a couple of them too). So.. take a deeeeeep deeeeeep breath. Relax... in with the good air... out with the bad.... Also, comming from a source as reputable and businesslike as www.fuckedcompanies.com, I have a wild wild theory....Brace yourselves on this... It may be just a hoax. Calm down, look at the sources before someone gets a rope and a few torches. Just a nobody *It's all fun and games till someone gets hung* |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: mousethief Date: 19 Sep 01 - 11:21 AM Peace Train? |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: katlaughing Date: 19 Sep 01 - 11:10 AM Great Irony, PT. WM - oops, thanks for the clarification. I knew I had part of the name right! Will go back and change it. Sean, thanks for working on confirmining this. kat |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Peter T. Date: 19 Sep 01 - 10:40 AM I am sure the reason they were worried about ObladiOblada is that it contains syllables that resemble Osama bin Laden. To say this is completely insane is an mild understatement. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Kim C Date: 19 Sep 01 - 10:22 AM I believe the actual song title IS "Mairzy Doats." Someone correct me if I'm wrong. As in mairzy doats and dozey doats and little lambsy divy... NPR reported on the Clear Channel story this morning, saying the list of songs was a "guideline" and not a directive meant to ban anything. The responsibility lies with the station programmers. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: A Wandering Minstrel Date: 19 Sep 01 - 09:46 AM Kat... Dougie Maclean is going to be surprised to discover he wrote American Pie. I think you may mean Don Maclean. Equally insane is the BA security folk proudly showing off the enormous pile of nail scissors they had confiscated from their intending passengers. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 19 Sep 01 - 02:50 AM Well, I have emailed ABC.com questioning the veracity of their story. I shall post the response (if any) when I get it. M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 19 Sep 01 - 02:41 AM It wouldn't be the first time the network news industry has picked up on a fallacy and reported it widely. In the face of a lack of attribution beyond "sources claiming anonymity" or in ABC's case, "A representative from Clear Channel", I'm still doubting the validity of this. Heck, given the occasional slipshod research involved in any major news organization, I'd be entirely unsurprised if this "representative" was the same one the original source list came from. It may be true. It's likely not. Until there's an actual shred of hard evidence, why jump on the company for it? M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Rev Date: 19 Sep 01 - 01:26 AM This story is now being reported on the ABC News site, and they've printed a list of songs, sounds like the same list everyone here is talking about. Here is the URL -- http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/entertainment/DailyNews/songs010918.html# I must say, on tuesday night (or early wednesday morning) as I was driving home after watching the tv coverage at a friends house, a radio station here in Santa Barbara was playing the Steve Miller Band version of "Jet Airliner" and although I instinctively began singing along I soon felt a bit uncomfortable. It seemed kind of inappropriate. So maybe "Leavin' on a Jet Plane" or "It's the End of the World as We Know it," can be seen as a bit tasteless right now, but for Heaven's sake, Clear Channel should give people some credit! I heard Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" the other day and found it surprisingly uplifting! A lot of the songs on the list are the kind of emotionally cathartic songs that we all need right now. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 19 Sep 01 - 01:19 AM OK, having read their site, and having read Clear Channel's site... There is no evidence that this is true in either location. The site with the list says "some people" at the Clear Channel office confirmed it. No link, no credit to any actual confirmation. The Clear Channel site offers a direct denial that they've instructed censorship of the playlist (see above). Given the fairly gossipy and anti-corporate nature of the the first site, I'm less than confident in the veracity of their 'list'. M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Liz the Squeak Date: 19 Sep 01 - 01:12 AM Have just realised the phrase 'get a life' may offend someone. Tough titty. LTS |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Liz the Squeak Date: 19 Sep 01 - 01:11 AM Oh Puleeeeessee, someone out there tell these people to GET A LIFE and stop interferring in others. There is no way this should be allowed to happen. Jeez, the only comfort we have is knowing that when the Queen Mother finally shuffles off this mortal coil, they might actually make singing 'Grandma, we love you' a criminal offense! There's sensitivity and there's going too far. Should we ban 'Obladi Oblada' because it mentions living happy ever after, or because it mentions cross dressing - 'Get Back' does as well, are they going to ban that one too? What about 'Revolution'? Hell, why not just ban anything the Beatles ever did, I'm sure there are people somewhere who'll find some of the lyrics offensive? PC has made this world a minefield to live and talk in. It's about time someone with a good dose of sense gave it a shake up. LTS |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Jeri Date: 18 Sep 01 - 11:44 PM Louis Armstrong, "What a Wonderful World"...!!! Sounds like a case of extreme hypersensitivity, and they're being very careful about the remote possibility someone might be upset by these songs. I'd think songs like What a Wonderful World or Imagine might comfort more folks than upset them, though. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: katlaughing Date: 18 Sep 01 - 11:43 PM We have a Clear Channel station here. Never listen to it, but you can bet I am calling their programming director, tomorrow. This is a bunch of bull. I saw lots of songs on there that are harmless. It does look a little slanted against songs of peace, too, for krisesakes they've even got PPM's Blowing in the Wind and poor Dougie McLean's American Pie on there!! kat |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 18 Sep 01 - 11:34 PM Regardless of whether the site the list is from is bogus or not, the insistence that Clear Channel is censoring the songs looks to be. They do state that regional station managers are encouraged to exercise discretion. So, yes, there is a chance that somewhere out there in the country these songs ARE being censored by a Clear Channel station. It just doesn't look like it's a corporate directive. M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Jeri Date: 18 Sep 01 - 11:14 PM Then again, maybe it's not bogus. A bit more here. Songs about war, songs with "Tuesday" in them... |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Jeri Date: 18 Sep 01 - 11:04 PM I don't suppose anyone's considered the possibility that a list posted at a website called "www.fuckedcompany.com" might be bogus, eh? |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Alice Date: 18 Sep 01 - 10:27 PM That still doesn't explain how some of those songs could be considered a risk to listener's sensitivity. I mean, Obladi Oblada... there's nothing insensitive in those lyrics. Is the phrase 'life goes on' somehow insensitive? Sheesh. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 18 Sep 01 - 10:00 PM Funny, I always thought that does eat oats? M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Julia Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:56 PM That's Mares Eat Oats |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: SeanM Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:52 PM Before getting too wound up over this one, you might want to read this here. For those without Acrobat Reader, I'll quote the relevant part: "Clear Channel Radio has not banned any songs from any of its radio stations. Clear Channel believes that radio is a local medium. It is up to every radio station program director and general manager to understand their market, listen to their listeners and guide their station's music selections according to local sensitivities. Each program director and general manager must take the pulse of his or her market to determine if play lists should be altered, and if so, for how long. 'In the wake of this terrible tragedy, the nation's business community is responding with a degree of hypersensitivity," explained Mark P. Mays, President and Chief Operating Officer of Clear Channel. "Even some movie companies have altered some of their release schedules in light of the mood in America today. Clear Channel strongly believes in the First Amendment and freedom of speech. We value and support the artist community. And we support our radio station programming staff and management team in their responsibility to respond to their local markets.'" Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were. I hear chains being yanked on this one. Sad that tragedy can't just be tragedy, but it also has to involve 'sinister corporate motives' as well. M |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: marymarymary Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:48 PM After thinking on it for awhile, the only thing I can see that might upset someone listening to Ob-la-di Ob-la-da are the facts that "Desmond has a barrow in the market place" and that he and Molly are "happy ever after" there. I guess that, by a g-r-e-a-t stretch of the imagination, someone might reason that people *trade* things in a market place, and that World *Trade* Center was destroyed, and that "ever after" is something like "the great Hereafter", or "the Great Beyond", so that implying that Desmond Jones was "happy in [the] ever-after in the marketplace" is extremely insensitive. I guess to be a censor you need a fertile imagination... |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Alice Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:36 PM I saw that too, Mary... Obladi Oblada! Banned - what for? |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: marymarymary Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:25 PM I must be missing something... what in the world is so offensive about "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da"? |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Alice Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:17 PM Bridge Over Troubled Water on the banned list... what's up with that? |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Troll Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:15 PM All we'll be left with is "Mairzey Dotes". troll |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: raredance Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:14 PM For a little different view of Clear Channel copy and paste the following link to: "Radio's big bully Dirty tricks and crappy programming: Welcome to the world of Clear Channel, the biggest station owner in America" http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2001/04/30/clear_channel/index.html rich r |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: RangerSteve Date: 18 Sep 01 - 08:53 PM Great Balls of Fire? Did they listen to the lyrics? It's an expression, like "holy cow!". What about Light My Fire? I didn't see that on the list. Or "Fire" by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. (Ok, that should be banned under any circumstances). I always knew that Shelley Fabares, Skeeter Davis, and Rick Nelson were subversive. Heck, the whole Nelson family were probably Commies. Ever notice on the TV show that Ozzie never had a job? Probably dealing drugs or spying for the Commies. Old-time country songs to be avoided: Fire on the Mountain, Baltimore Fire, any cowboy songs mentioning campFIRES, Dark and Stormy Weather, Storms Are on the Ocean (not on this occasion, but if there's a hurricane, we don't want to upset any victims), anything involving death, which amounts to quite a few. Country & Western songs: Please Help Me, I'm Falling (Hank Locklin), Gone, Gone, Gone (Lefty Frizell), Remember Me, Pick Me up on Your Way Down, Walking the Floor Over You, Ashes of Love, Ring of Fire, To Hot to Handle. OK, someone else take it from here. |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Nemesis Date: 18 Sep 01 - 08:11 PM Hmmm.. so, none of the hate-spewing lyrics like some of those of Marilyn Manson's or Eminem's are unacceptable then? Actually, I watched the Simpson's yesterday and the episode included Maggie's cradle "falling" a very long distance from the "bough" and I thought .... er, yes, but no, and where do we draw the line? ?? Hille
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 18 Sep 01 - 05:49 PM These guys I imagine |
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Subject: RE: songs being banned by ClearChannel From: Kim C Date: 18 Sep 01 - 05:30 PM Johnny Angel? who is Clear Channel, anyhow? |
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Subject: songs being censored by ClearChannel From: GUEST Date: 18 Sep 01 - 05:22 PM This just in. The huge radio conglomerate, Clear Channel, has put out a list of songs with "questionable content". Among them, John Lennon's "Imagine" and many other classic peace-promoting songs. No word on whether these will be banned from airing on their 1,200 radio stations across the country or not. Imagine that.
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