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Clear Channel's Disingenuous Assertion that it Operates Without a Political Agenda

Local Citizen Robert Millman Still Trying to Pay for Ad Time, Rejected for Dubious Reasons by WGY Station Manager Greg Foster

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Sent to WGY Station Manager Greg Foster by Rober Millman in Response to 1/5/05 Email

From: Robert Millman
To: "Foster, Greg" <gregfoster@clearchannel.com>
Cc: "Lamme, Dennis" <DennisLamme@clearchannel.com>, "Cooper, John" <JCooper@clearchannel.com>
Subject: Response to 1/5/05 e-mail from Greg Foster at WGY
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 20:59:03 +0000

Response to 1/5/05 e-mail from Greg Foster at WGY

Mr. Foster, Mr. Lamme, Mr. Cooper-

Rather than argue with your disingenuous assertion that WGY operates without a political agenda, I return to the same question I first asked on Dec 28, 2004. What is objectionable about the seven issue ads I have tried to air on your station? Do you find all seven objectionable or just one? And If there is one that is acceptable, I would like to run it. If there is any aspect of the ads that could be changed to make them more palatable to WGY I would like to have that conversation.

I am trying to spend my money on WGY and I am looking for some guidance as to what constitutes acceptable advertising on your station. This is a reasonable request to a business that derives income from advertising revenue and broadcasts over public air-waves.

WGY’s format is all-talk radio and consistently features social issues. It seems the logical choice for issue ads. The topics of my issue ads, as noted in earlier e-mails, are: deficit spending, right to vote, oil dependence, the Iraq war, dissent and Christianity. These are all subjects regularly discussed on WGY. I don’t understand why it is so difficult for you gentlemen or anyone else at Clear Channel to articulate an answer to my queries.

Your station derives its income from business of advertising and I am trying to do business. I want to pay for the service that WGY sells, it is as simple as that.

I close with a new question--Has WGY aired issue ads in the past? Do you plan to air issue ads in the future?

Sincerely,

Robert Millman

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Original message from "Foster, Greg" <gregfoster@clearchannel.com>:
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Mr. Millman,

Thank you for your interest in our radio station.

WGY has the right to accept or refuse paid advertisements at the management’s discretion. WGY operates without religious or political agenda and all programming decisions are based on extensive local audience research.

If one of WGY’s talk show hosts are discussing an issue that is of particular interest to you, please feel free to call-in and voice your opinion. Andrew Wilkow hosts our daily, local talk show at 5pm. Phone numbers for our talk show hosts are posted here: http://www.wgy.com/callhosts.html.

Again, thank you for your interest in WGY.

Sincerely,

Greg Foster
Operations Manager/Program Director
Clear Channel Radio - Albany
NewsTalk Radio 810 WGY
Fox Sports Radio AM 980
Clear Channel Traffic Network
518-452-4800

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