Clear Channel Censors Bruce Springsteen airplay; Annie Lennox and Fogerty also censored!

by NDK Creative Artist

Not too long ago we commented on the fact that AT&T censored Pearl Jam. At the same time we mentioned Clear Channel censoring the Dixie Chicks, well now they’re at it again. According to Blah3, they have censored Bruce Springsteen’s album:

Clear Channel has sent an edict to its classic rock stations not to play tracks from “Magic.” But it’s OK to play old Springsteen tracks such as “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born to Run” and “Born in the USA.”

The first place you observe this rise of tyranny and loss of freedom is in the communication channels that permit freedom of expression; and it is almost always the arts where you first observe oppression. Why? Because artists are not afraid to communicate, and they know they play an important role in the preservation of civilization and free civil society, as Nick Coleman points out in his article.

This is why I believe artists should reserve their copyrights and provide limited licenses only, subject to special conditions in the event of suppression of freedom of expression.

Springsteen and any creator or author of a work, such as Annie Lennox’s new Songs of Mass Destruction (also censored) should be able to withdraw their rights from broadcast, display or publication from any channel that is offering them on demand.

Imagine if artists everywhere were to take back the right of any corporate channel to perform or broadcast their music at all, if that channel should ever block freedom of expression. What kind of clout and influence would that provide? It should be a perfect example of the execution of Code Point 6:

Art is a powerful communication channel to the Public, protect those communication lines and decry their abuse. Read Code Point Article 6

Clear Channel is obviously not; it’s just another corporate fascist and an enemy of freedom, censoring what the public gets to hear, while continuing to be selective about what it plays, and thus continuing to make money by selling advertising. Its license to broadcast should be revoked, the company broken up and sold off.

Artists need to realize the full potential of their intellectual property rights and set about negotiating contracts that permit them full control of their rights from any oppression of freedom. With the music industry actually dying, and this being but a symptom of that death and reason for it; just set up another independent record company and get it out there.

The more I learn about Clear Channel the more it confirms my first impression of them when they first hit my radar and; the public should turn off every single Clear Channel radio station and switch to independent webcasts.

Imagine that! Turn off Clear Channel radio. Use copyrights intelligently to stop the suppression of communication channels because our rights are important.

America, land of the fee! How far this once proud nation has sunk. It disgusts me and I am outraged; my decency as a human being is offended.

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If you'd rather we did all the hard work, you're in luck. Here's a list of articles that are related to this one:

• US Corporate Censorship of Political Statements by Artists — Pearl Jam
• No Room for Protest Music on Corporate Radio
• The Points of the Creative Artists’ Code: Six - Art is a powerful communication channel
• The Hollywood Writer’s Strike: The Renaissance that Fizzled
• Newsflash: Net Neutrality and Creative Artists