Even Paid Speech Isn't Free

This post is not about me, or complaining about what happened to me. I'm doing fine. This post is just another snapshot of life in this nutty country.

You may have noticed the ad here in the HuffPo for my new record of songs about Bush administration members. The title is "Songs of the Bushmen," the cover art is a smiling GW with a bone through his nose (this exposition is necessary for the story to come). Neither HuffPo nor TVNewser, a blog covering, what else, TV news, had a problem with the ad.

But we also bought some ads on digital billboards, the kind that change messages every few seconds, in Chicago, and on digital screens in coffee shops and other retail establishments in LA and SF. The goal was to make that cover image kind of ubiquitous, as ubiquitous as it could be on a small marketing budget. The billboards were owned by Clear Channel, the good people behind Rush Limbaugh and other forms of bad radio, and those folks were ultra-eager to take our money and suggest that we spend more with them in other cities -- until they saw the artwork. At which point, the tone changed from oleaginously friendly salesman to angry schoolmarm -- the art was "not acceptable," a curt email informed us. There was no explanation for the grounds of unacceptability -- wrong kind of bone? -- just the loud sound of the only provider of digital billboards in Chicago slamming the door.

Meanwhile, out west, this hip little startup in San Francisco, DaNoo, was equally happy to sell us space on their digital screens. They were happy with the first week, in which just the art appeared, with no explanation. They even wanted to use our campaign as some sort of success story for their outfit. But suddenly, when the name of the record (and my name) appeared on the art, they pulled the plug. Their "venues" -- i.e., store owners -- had said some patrons had complained.

Let's review: GW Bush has an approval rating lower than Richard Nixon on his worst day in office. If a normal risk-averse corporation looked at those numbers, it would intuit that now, if ever, would be an okay time to let such ads be shown. And, yes, Clear Channel can easily qualify as, in Donald Rumsfeld's felicitous phrase, "dead-enders." But this hip little company, with digital screens in hip little places in hip little SF and LA?

Maybe this is just another application of what I'm pleased to call Shearer's Law -- the more people you seek to talk to, the less you can say to them.

To read more about this on HuffPost, Click here.

Comments

[Raymondf]

You can't fight the leaders don't you understand.

[SeanOcali]

In Los Angeles, AM 1150 KTLK, the station that broadcasts Air America, Stephanie Miller, and Nova M, is owned by Clear Channel. Go figure.

[shockmagog]

And it's a rarity. Clear Channel's very recent deign to allow liberal talk on their stations is tentative at best, and numerous examples of them (and other conglomerates) switching away from their recent liberal formats on a whim (certainly not for ratings), has them firmly ensconced in the conservative ideology. KTLK is even more anomalous in that it is one of the very few liberal stations to be allowed with a decent signal reach. Out of all news/talk radio stations in the U. S.:

'Broken down according to station ownership, the numbers are as follows: Clear Channel (145 stations): 86% conservative. Citadel (23 stations): 100% conservative. Cumulus (31 stations): 100% conservative. Salem (28 stations): 100% conservative. CBS (30 stations): 74%. One owner, CBS, stands out from the rest politically, but still shows a 3:1 conservati­ve-to-prog­ressive ratio.'
http://www.themonkeycage.org/2008/02/post_54.html

Yes, indeed. Go figure.

[AlieNation]

Thanks Harry for making the point:

In America you are free to say anything you want as long as no one is listening.

And its' corollary:

In America "freedom" means you are free to buy anything you can afford.

[pizzmoe]

It would seem that no matter waht the approval rating is, Bush still seems to get what he wants (e.g, FISA)...So this comes as no surprise.

[Danny]

Harry,

I think the opaque "Clear Channel" should have its 1600 or so licenses yanked off by the Federal Communications Commission. Can't wait till 2009 to restore fairness to the airwaves.

Don't let the bastards grind you down!

[Dash Riprock]

You've hit on the central issue Danny....The repeal of the fairness doctrine made it possible for ideological media to arise in the country. Of course if the new congress restored it, the Republican National Committee would immediately file suit to the Supreme Court, and guess what...they would side with the RNC, in order to keep Clear Channel and Rush Limbaugh on the air.

[Danny]

Dash,

Let's have the debate, then. Let's see if the voters care about this issue. After the hijacking of OUR public airwaves by the righties, the religious fanatics, the pablum and the tabloid radio stations, for the past 20 years, I bet the people are ready for fair and radical reapportioning of the broadband.

[sirgorpster]

This is an easy one: a business can do whatever it wants esp. if it thinks it is in it's own best interest.
If you were a candidate, then you probably would have allot of freedom to say "anything you want" in a political ad (with the campaign laws usually mandate equal access) but
as another business you need to make ads targeted to the market so the host business is also
comfortable - since they are at risk also.
You have heard of those "protest"s where people stop going to a store or watching a TV station?
Also, the stars that represent products have those moral clauses - because if they do something
people are disgusted about it can have negative affect on the products associated with them. New and
small businesses have to be even more careful.

[JRandomPoster]

This is fine - except when a small number of private (business) have been given control of finite resources necessary to the entire nation. Things like water, electricity - and in the 20th and 21st centuries, the broadcast spectrum.

When one allows a single entity effectively unregulated, monopolistic control, the potential for abuse increases exponentially.

[lisakaz2]

I guess only Limpbaugh can refer to bones in the nose of someone as in "take that bone out of your nose and call me back," They're likewise sticking up for their investment (or taking orders; who can tell).

[wmbear]

FRANKLY, I THOUGHT THOSE PICTURES OF BUSH...

With the bone through his nose were pretty stupid. Not that I am any kind of fan of Bush's. But, aside from egregious political incorrectness (which doesn't bother me), they constitute a bad visual pun whose political point is, at best, elusive. Honestly this looks to me like something a neocon mole would pull off in order to discredit the left for making fun of Bush in a stupid/unacceptable way. Thus, I can't say I'm unhappy that the ads were pulled....

[strandwolf]

Well, Clear Channel seems a tad bit crooked in its money grubbing routines, at least upon occasion:
http://www.mv-voice.com/morgue/2005/2005_09_02.1ccmain.shtml

Tut tut.

Note that while Bush's popularity rating is low, both Nixon and Truman's were lower at certain points.

[shockmagog]

Buoyed by an unsurpassed propaganda machine, which has been aided by the willing Corporate Media (in the case of Clear Channel, complicit rather than willing is more apt a term), Bush's poll numbers have been artificially high since October 2001.

In spite of the distortion and witholding of information by the Corporate Media, though, reality has continued to intrude on the veneer of prevarication that marks this administration. This has resulted in Bush's poll numbers not seeing the 40's since late 2006.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/popularity.php

In terms of comparing Bush to two of his predecessors, it's ironic to note that Nixon was facing impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors; and although some of Truman's actions and decisions at the time were unpopular, they are now seen as momentous.
http://americanhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/harry_trumans_second_term

Rest assured, however, Bush will receive no such favorable historical revision.

[AngelicDevilboy]

Yeah, Nixon was impeached and Truman dropped two atomic bombs. I think you're grasping at straws here. "At least he seems nicer than Mussolini"

[wmbear]

I DON'T KNOW...

At least Mussolini supposedly "made the trains run on time." Given its general record of incompetence, I'm inclined to doubt that the Bush/Cheney war crime family could even accomplish that much....

[DasBoot]

No president had such low approval numbers for such a long time. That is the difference between Bush and Nixon/Truman.

[zizyphus]

I thought the image of Bush and boned nose was hilarious,and a great play on words with "Bushmen", as well. Not surprised that ClearChannel would revolt against it, it is too funny.

We should all be aware that every thing up on the net is being recorded by the NSA. I think it is a matter of time before the internet, and the free speech it promotes, will prove to be too scary for the military, and they will take it over. They are proud that they have devised a weapon that will take out an enemy's network, and that enemy will one day appear to be us, the American civilians.

[BarryChamplain]

I'd be willing to bet that the "hip little company" had daddies and their business pals who provided the capitalization for the outfit.



When Daddy calls, you answer the phone and you do what he says, or you find yourself back designing websites for craft shops in Northern CA.



It's interesting to think that someday, when these guys are old, they themselves will be making calls to their sons, callously informing them that they will not be accepting business at "their" "hip little companies" from Evil Republicans. But really, that's just a fantasy, because only Republicans DO that.



I remember the first airing of "Saturday Night Live" on a network which catered its (sickeningly corny) entertainment to the parents of SNL's target audience demo. To this day, I'm convinced that the only reason there was a second show, is that the viewers and sponsors of Bob Hope Specials were in bed and asleep.



Same effect. The generation/social class/capital owners who run the era are the ones who allow or disallow the art... more so, nowadays, as they're beginning to figure out that dissent is something poisonous to their m.o., but easily suppressed when the purse strings are manipulated.

[Bright Creature]

I agree with your post but i would add that it's not just republicans these days. So many dems are just or almost just as bought off to corporate interests

[kellygrrrl]

define "Clear"

[castlerider]

In ignonimous current-day realistic terms, bloody...

[habajebe]

It's NPR for me. Screw ClearChannel.

[sirgorpster]

He should also try Air America.

[Destin]

Sure would be nice if Air America was allowed to broadcast in America, instead of being forced to use satellites, of which a small minority of this country even has satellite radios to pick em up. ;)

[Dannydel]

I play online poker at Poker Stars. Not for money, but just for chips. When you sign up, you can choose a photo and nickname that appears at the table. I chose a black & white mugshot of 'W' with the tagline "Drunk Moron". Whenever I appeared at a table, invariably someone would type something in the comment space. Usually, it was humorous agreement, but every once in awhile, a 'Super Patriot' would weigh in, which is okay. The photo has remained for the past year, but suddenly last week, it disappeared. Now people are commenting, asking where it went? When I explain that it must have been pulled, they usually agree that it was a pathetic move on Poker Stars part or that the CIA are tapping our games. Either way, just another sign that November can't arrive quickly enough so that we can get rid of the most corrupt administration ever.

[All57States]

If someone wrote a book about Obama and on it's cover was his picture with a bone through his nose, what would the reaction be? Would the Huffington Post put an ad for the book on it's website?

Just askin.

[habajebe]

If Obama had just presided over the unmitigated disaster that the Bush/Cheney administration has been, I daresay the answer would be a resounding yes. Greed and the unquenchable lust for power is an evil, no matter who it infects. Man, woman, Repub, Dem, black, white, etc.

[castlerider]

Right on. Also, it would have racist tendencies, which is out of the building- gone.

[shockmagog]

The bone through the prez's nose refers to him and his cohorts, with the obvious play being with his name being the same as the one given to the natives of the Kalahari in Africa. That's the point of the picture.

0bama depicted as you say would be an obvious play on 1/2 of his ancestry.

If this difference is lost on you then you may already work for Clear Channel.