>Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEGATIVLAND PRANKS CLEAR CHANNEL,
>FORCES
>RADIO FORMAT CHANGE
>Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 02:07:29 -0400
>
>8/26/03
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>(links to websites and audio are below)
>
>NEGATIVLAND PRANKS CLEAR CHANNEL,
>FORCES RADIO FORMAT CHANGE
>
>An online media prank has changed the programming of a major market
>Clear Channel FM radio station.
>
>Seattle's KJR-FM, a Clear Channel radio affiliate, quickly and quietly
>altered its playlist, following an amusing online tirade accusing the
>station and its Program Director of "false advertising."
>
>Negativland, known for their media-critiquing music collage and culture
>jamming hoaxes and pranks, outed KJR-FM on charges that it played at
>least 114 different songs from the early to mid-1980's, despite
>marketing themselves as being a "Just the Greatest Hits of the '60's
>and '70's" radio station. Negativland members noticed that it was
>virtually impossible to listen for even a short period of time without
>hearing hits from such quintessential 80's artists as Huey Lewis and
>the News, Air Supply, Men at Work, Cyndi Lauper, and many others. KJR
>recently pushed the envelope further by adding "Kokomo," a 1988 hit by
>The Beach Boys.
>
>In a moment of maniacal inspiration, Negativland decided to point out
>this ridiculous deception by sabotaging the public's perception of the
>station. The group created an online rebuffing of Clear Channel,
>KJR-FM, and KJR Program Director Bob Case, in a tabloid-style internet
>magazine parody, complete with damning evidence and scathing audio
>commentary. Disguised as the abrasive, misguided and over-the-top
>outlaw media journalist "Jack Diekobiscz", Negativland cited Clear
>Channel's contempt for its listeners and willingness to lie and
>re-write music history for profit. Negativland claims their stunt was
>an obtuse and funny way to draw attention to Clear Channel's
>much-criticized involvement in the general dumbing-down and
>homogenization of radio as the company, with the blessings of the FCC,
>continues to gobble up station after station across the USA.
>
>Timing of the event added injury to insult. Negativland's expose was
>unveiled August 1oth on the eve of a massive promotion by Clear Channel to
>improve KJR's continued poor ratings. Popular local celebrity Pat Cashman
>was poised to make a much-heralded debut as KJR's new morning
>announcer, with festivities that included a high-profile live broadcast
>at the base of Seattle's famous Space Needle. Pat Cashman is well known
>across the country as the co-star of Disney's "Bill Nye the Science Guy," and had a series on
>Comedy Central a few years ago. In Seattle, Pat is a phenomenon with a
>huge fan-base known as "The Pat Pack."
>
>To generate support for their mission, the URL to Negativland's new
>"Jack Diekobiscz" website was leaked to a popular Pat Cashman message
>board where hundreds of fans and lurkers had gathered to discuss Pat's
>triumphant return to radio after a year-long absence. Within minutes,
>visitors to the site began contacting Clear Channel as instructed by
>"Jack."
>
>Fearing negative publicity, and not wanting to take unnecessary chances
>with
>their newest audience, KJR-FM pulled all 1980's songs from their playlist
>less than 12 hours later. Said Negativland members, "We were amazed that
>they caved in so quickly. When we do creative projects that might be
>considered 'culture jamming' we always try to pursue it in a funny and
>oblique way, and this prank is a good example of that. Truth is, we really
>don't care so much that KJR-FM plays so many songs from the 80's, but their
>lying and disrespect for the listening audience gave us a good idea for a
>prank, and it was inspiring to us to see how quickly Clear Channel folded
>under the pressure."
>
>Negativland's dubious association with KJR and Clear Channel is nothing
>new.
>One year ago, Negativland was invited to contribute audio material to a
>massive microradio invasion of the Seattle airwaves as part of "Reclaim The
>Media," an event sponsored by the Seattle Indy Media Center that was
>scheduled to take place at the 2002 National Association of Broadcasters
>Convention being held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center
>in
>Downtown Seattle. Rather than composing a predictable narrative criticism
>of Clear Channel, Negativland decided to strike out with a more engaging
>approach that would hit local radio listeners where they lived. The strange
>absurdity of a Clear Channel station that refused to stay true to its own
>heavily marketed identity seemed an obvious way to showcase the company's
>attitude toward its listeners.
>
>Utilizing KJR's own canned liners and jingles, Negativland produced a
>convincing 24-minute recording that simulated a telescoped version of
>KJR's format. Host "Jack Diekobiscz" ranted against Clear Channel and
>named KJR's program director, Bob Case as responsible for the
>misrepresentation, as he played one 1980's hit from KJR's playlist
>after another. For the duration of the NAB convention, six pirate
>microradio stations across the FM dial streamed anti-Clear Channel
>programming, including repeated performances of the
>Negativland/Diekobiscz show, sometimes playing in a 24-minute loop for
>seven hours at a time. Despite some bad publicity and a flurry of
>e-mails, Clear Channel and Bob Case refused to remove the songs from
>their playlist until hit with the events of last week.
>
>Visit the Jack Diekobiscz LISTEN HERE website and hear Jack's
>microradio attack on KJR:
http://www.negativland.com/listenhere >
>Contact Clear Channel with your questions or comments:
>Lisa Dollinger, VP of Corporate Communication
>Tel. 210-822-2828
>E-mail -
lisacdollinger@clearchannel.com >
>Contact KJR-FM Program Director Bob Case at:
>Tel. 206-421-9595
>E-mail -
Programming@957KJRfm.com >
>KJR-FM online playlist:
>
http://www.957kjrfm.com/playlist.html >or
http://www.negativland.com/listenhere/kjrpl.html >
>The "Pat Pack" Pat Cashman message board:
http://www.patpack.org >
>More excellent coverage on "Radio's Big Bully":
>
http://archive.salon.com/ent/clear_channel/ >
>Negativland's website:
>
http://www.negativland.com >
