Most Music Battle Rages In Columbus, GA

Clear Channel Loses BBB Accreditation Over Song Count

From Richard Hyatt for ledger-enquirer.com

Do you care which country radio station plays the most music? I don’t. That’s why there are buttons on my radio.

Jim Martin and Jennifer Newman care deeply, and so does Leonard Crain, the president of the Columbus, GA Better Business Bureau.

The music issue arose because two competing stations showed once again that radio people don’t work and play well together.

The question of which country station plays the most music was posed in a series of promotional ads on My South 106.1-FM WSTH, a Clear Channel station.

The ongoing claims were clear: “In the last 24 hours, South 106.1 played more songs than 99.3. The most country guaranteed. That’s South 106.1.”

The broadcast spot was specific about how many more songs South 106.1 played than its competitor -- and that’s when Martin’s people got out their calculator.

On behalf of Kissin’ 99.3 FM WKCN, Martin and PMB filed a false-advertising claim with the BBB in April. Crain gathered information from both parties and then turned it over to a panel of BBB board members and people familiar with the advertising business.

In the course of the inquiry, it was learned that two outside agencies actually monitor the number of songs a radio station plays in a 24-hour period.

One of them is owned by Clear Channel Communications. Newman said their findings aren’t valid in Columbus. The BBB disagreed and used the data.

On June 13, Crain sent out a letter upholding PMB’s allegations and confirming that Clear Channel’s on-air claims were false.

“The BBB has decided that the advertising claim used by Clear Channel-Columbus to be in violation of the BBB’s Code of Advertising,” Crain said. He also told Newman that the findings mean the station is losing its BBB accreditation.

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