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Mitt Romney Just Bought Clear Channel |
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That’s right. He just went and bought up one of the largest media companies in America for just under $20 billion.
This is why media consolidation issues are so important. One rich guy who wants to be president can buy a media empire overnight. Now of course, Romney will argue that he didn’t buy Clear Channel, his private equity company Bain Capital did. And of course, there is no conflict of interest because Romney doesn’t tell Bain Capital what to do as he’s no longer officially with the company.
Still, seeing as how Clear Channel hosts Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity and controls over 1,000 TV and radio stations nationwide, does anyone here really think Romney won’t use this newfound pedestal to promote his candidacy, however subtly?
Damn…
Clear Channel was always wack.
For the low, low price of less than $20 billion dollars, you too can brainwash the minds of America.
Speaking of Romney, do you know, J-Ro? Are there regulations on media coverage in the U.S. presidential campaigns? If so, where are those regulations posted?
I’m not entirely sure. I know there can’t be any quid-pro-quo or blatant conflict of interest, but you know, a “non-partisan” 527 group like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth can produce a “documentary” and convince a “non-biased” media mogul to put it on the air…and get away with it. So….
Bain along with Thomas Lee Partners bought Clear over a year ago. Romney left Bain Investment in 1998. Your effort to distort over shadows your credibility for accurate information.
Romney is still a “retired partner,” which means that though he doesn’t make decisions, he still can cash in on options, make money, etc…
Now, this means he’s not directly involved, but come on, how is this not a conflict of interest? You mean it’s ok for the company you founded to own one of the largest media companies in America while you’re running for President? Come on now…
TK, although you are ready to pounce on Jason for distorting information, you are guilty of the same. They didn’t buy CC a year ago, negotiations have been pending for over a year, and now it is being finalized. There is a difference.
Nice try, Romney is still a silent partner.
On Nov 16, 2006, Clear Channel Communications agreed to be acquired by Bain Capital and Thomas Lee Partners for nearly $19 billion. Bain Capital is the private equity firm founded by Mitt Romney in 1984; that he left in 2001 to head the 2002 Olympics; where he is still a silent partner. The sale was completed in Dec 2007 after 1 year of pending negotiations of a leveraged buyout agreement. Clear Channel owns more than 1,100 full-power AM, FM, and shortwave radio stations, twelve radio channels on XM Satellite Radio, and more than 30 television stations in the United States.
Premiere Radio Networks, which is the largest syndication company in the United States, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clear Channel and is home to Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, FOX NEWS Radio and many others. I saw that Premiere Radio Networks is transitioning to a new CEO Charlie Rahilly from Kraig Kitchin. Sean Hannity recently signed a large multi-market contract with Clear Channel.
The early Bain Capital team included Romney’s campaign advisor, Robert F. White. According to CNN/Money magazine’s Dec 10, 2007 article entitled “Millionaires-in-chief”, some 43% of Romney’s portfolio is currently invested in Bain Capital. On the Bain Capital website it says “Our principals are the largest single investor in each of Bain Capital’s funds,..”
yea TK..the loser in three card molly is allways a cohurt…no.2..then you have the 3rd guy that you sound like…THE SPOTTER..the guy that yells “JIGGERS!..50!. GOOF BALL INFORMATION “IS” THE BATTLE FIELD.
Bain Capital announced the decision to buy Clear Channel on November 16, 2006. Over a year ago. I agree there is still a conflict of interest but I think you are blowing this out of proportion. I doubt they decided that long ago that they were going to spend $20 billion to “brain wash the minds of America” for a campaign with so many obvious pitfalls. I mean really, Romney? Who would have expected him to do as well as he is doing?
I never said Romney bought it with the intent to win in 2008, only that now that he has it, he will use it. But if you’re going to go there…
I’m sure Romney knew he was going to run a year ago. Who’s to say that didn’t enter into Bain’s decision?
I am positive Romney knew a year ago that he was going to run. The desiscion to run for president is not one made over night. It may have played a part in Bain’s decision to purchase Clear Channel but if they are willing to spend $20 billion solely to push their political agenda they could have picked a better candidate.
If they did not buy it with the intent to win in 2008 then can you blame them for using it as a tool? If their intentions were something other than influencing people to vote for Romney then what is the problem?
Picked a better candidate? I mean, I’m sure Mitt thinks he’s the best. And I’m sure those at Bain think he’s the best. So why not buy Clear Channel?
Now, I’m not necessarily claiming this was Bain’s idea, to buy Clear Channel and thus buy the election. I’m sure they had other reasons, real business reasons, to buy the company. My point is, I think Romney will use this advantage. And I think that’s wrong.
I’ve been on an email list from a conservative Massachusetts group for a number of years. They have been sharply critical of Romney’s record, publishing a 20plus page report entitled “The Mitt Romney Deception” by Brian Camenker, MassResistance
November 20, 2006. It is very compelling.
By May of 2007 their radio show was abruptly cancelled by Salem Communications. Below is the letter they sent out to their email list when this happened.
=== 1. Salem Radio / WTTT announces it has permanently cancelled MassResistance Radio Show! Pressure from “mainstream” conservatives and Romney campaign strongly suspected. Call station and tell them what YOU think!! ===
Somehow we had a feeling something like this would happen.
As most of you know, since 2005 the weekly MassResistance Radio Show has been broadcast throughout Eastern Massachusetts (and parts of NH and RI) on WTTT AM 1150 Boston. Our show informed people about things that no other Boston media would talk about. And we had guests who were right in the center of what was happening. Each show was also posted on the MassResistance website, and we had listeners as far away as Europe and Japan (judging from the emails we got).
MassResistance exposed the harsh facts about a lot of sensitive subjects, including: frightening and outrageous bills in the Legislature, the “transgender” agenda aimed at schoolchildren, the Day of Silence, the horrific GLSEN conference, the Children’s Hospital program to delay puberty in kids in preparation for sex-change operations, the Catholic Charities adoption scam, the sell-out of Massachusetts pro-life groups, an analysis of Darwin’s theory of evolution, illegal immigration, and the homosexual lobby in Massachusetts government. We also talked about home schooling and tax issues, interviewed loads of conservative candidates for the Legislature, and lots more. In particular, our tough, honest analysis of Gov. Mitt Romney’s record (especially his activities during the homosexual “marriage” debacle) has angered Romney supporters around the country.
We featured interviews with David Parker, Andrea Lafferty, C.J. Doyle, Bill Cotter, C.J. Doyle, Barbara Anderson, Chip Faulkner, Dr. John Diggs, Don Feder, Linda Harvey, Mike Heath, Tom Mountain, Larry Cirignano, Ray Neary, Robert Knight, Peter LaBarbera, Ken Chase, Scott Lively, Rev. Tristan Emmanuel, and many more. No one else in Boston does this.
No question about it — when you do this you make your share of enemies. The irony is that as despised as MassResistance Radio was by the left, particularly the homosexual lobby, it’s pretty clear it was the “mainstream” conservatives who did us in.
WTTT is owned by Salem Communications, a national Christian broadcast company. One of Salem’s high-profile national talk hosts is Hugh Hewitt, who is a huge Romney supporter. Hewitt and has written a book praising Romney, and made it publicly known he can’t stand MassResistance. On Hugh Hewitt’s blog on TownHall.com you can read (among other things) that “MassResistance verges on being a hate group.” Those words on Hewitt’s blog were written by Hewitt’s sidekick, a Massachusetts resident named Dean Barnett, who has also accused MassResistance of “homophobia” because of our criticisms of Romney’s pro-homosexual activity in Massachusetts. (Last week, Barnett also wrote a column in the Boston Globe crowing about how he “is not religious” but still has conservative views.)
Just before we were to tape last week’s show, we suddenly got a phone call from WTTT. We were told that us the show is being permanently cancelled. Then we were told that Dean Barnett was coming into the WTTT studios the next day to do a broadcast!
Why were we cancelled? WTTT said it’s because our show wasn’t bringing in enough money. They said they wanted the time slot for infomercials - which pay for time. “It’s nothing to do with your content,” we were told. But interestingly, in our Saturday one-hour time-slot they replaced us instead with a Michael Medved re-run, which also doesn’t bring in any money! (What happened to the infomercial? We even offered to bring in our own advertisers. But they said they didn’t think that was a good idea.)
A Salem Radio insider we spoke to hinted that there are bigger things involved: “Brian, think about it, who has a lot of power and huge amounts of money? I’m not saying any more.” (Hmmm. That wouldn’t be a certain ex-governor of Massachusetts, would it?) Whatever it is, it’s pretty clear it was something.
What do you think?
This isn’t just about stopping a flow of information to the public. If this can happen to the MassResistance radio show, what’s next? And should a religious-based radio network be bowing to pressure - political or otherwise?
If you think this is important make your voices heard:
General Manager - WTTT Radio Boston
Scott Cohagan Ph: 617-328-0880 ext 223 email: scottc@salemradioboston.com
President of Salem Communications Network:
Edward Atsinger Ph: 805-987-0400 (main line)
Email - go to link, click on “contact us” at bottom of page: http://www.salem.cc/peopleContactInfo.htm
me and most of my friends “did” radio..duh! it’s all politics pal..but back to the issue…its a shell game and if you (indirectly??) own an out let like that..and dont use it…then there are cows in the meadow making chocolate pies…think fisa….some ones got chocolate lips and im waiteing to see there weezel face’es on nite line.its a belt way racket…newbee’s not welcome.
screw all this every pre primary talk…lets go to the 11th hr.//write in canadate MARVIN BUSH and JOE LIBERMAN take the polls by storm…as trumped by every medea outlet..its like taking candy away form a baby..this is a fictual account of how ughle it git when one or two people own every thing…they become the decider..were the fodder…if the telecom imunity bill gits shot down..were toast.
And just think! One of Romney’s main campaign guys is Jeb Bush, who also wants to be president! And the young guy who walked into the Florida polling place with James Baker and stopped the vote counting is now the head of the Supreme Court! Between Clear Channel in Romney’s pocket, and Diebold and John Roberts in Jeb’s pocket, I’d say this country is pretty much doomed.
Actually, the Clear Channel deal appears to still be in the works, though it may have been announced over a year ago.
It seems to me its a persecution of Mr.Rommneys relgious convivtions rather than what he has done. In the state of Mass.He provided health care to everyone without raising a single tax and balalcned the budget in a state thats spending was out of control. I am not pointing fingers or trying to advocate for anyone, but i do believe that we need someone with strong moral convictions to change our country for the better and to lead it to a commonsense agenda instead of the indiotcy in washington selling us out to the highest bidder. I am tired of those who profess one thing and become hypocritcal when called upon thier promises that they do not keep. I know that the Latter Day saints have a strong moral teaching about the truth and a strong conviction between what is right and what is wrong without being a biggot. The fact of the matter is when you run for an election on a national scale you have to chnage your postion for you will be leading a nation instead of a state. Obama has no leadership experince and Hilary backed her husband up on the Nafta deal that is outsourcing our jobs today. John Mccain is hiding behind his relgion while thorwing mud at Mitt Rommney and the rest just plain dont care. The only man i see sticking to the issues and keeping track of what he said he will do when in office is Mitt Rommney, and most probably dont remember his father for all the Civil rigths speeches and his convictions to help the african american community in the 1960s achieve equal rights in America. Look my bottom line is I believe mr.Rommey is a good man and his character is far more honest the rest who want to force a health care system that would break us while draining our treasury to make sure illegals have free helathcare at your exspense. It is time to quit putting hypocrits in offie and elect someone who is defined it what good he has done wrather than his wallet.
lol please forgiv emy gramar
this story about rommey and brain buying clear channel is why linbuaugh, hannity. ann and other have endores rommey, he may not be there boss but with contaction to brain capital he may as well be. they will do what brain said. sence they all have big contract with brain that they don’t want loss them this story need to be put in a good newpaper so the word can get out to everyone.
The unholy alliance between Mitt Romney, Rush Limbaugh & Sean Hannity needs to be fully exposed to the American public. Finding out about their direct financial ties to Romney explained a lot - my husband and I WERE regular listeners and their obvious infatuation with this man was annoying. They never held his feet to the fire about any issues, but tripped all over themselves gushing over him. But yesterday we looked at each other and went, “Oh My God! That exaplains EVERYTHING!” when we first heard about their ties to Clear Channel and Romney. My prayer is that the mainstream media will pick up this story and open the eyes of conservatives who have no idea that they are buying into Mitt Romney’s PURCHASE of the The White House!!