I read with interest, and some amazement, an article in the current FORTUNE Magazine (by Christine Y. Chen) about Clear Channel (Communications), which included a profile of founder Lowry Mays - whom the article calls the "Big Daddy" of radio.

It was interesting to read yet another perspective on how the company was 'born and raised' - even though its growth has been on everyone's radar screen for the past quarter-century. But the amazement to me in reading the article is how I, and many of my associates in "radio" (some of whom work for CC) just 'don't get it' .... in fact, 'never have gotten it' on just how this radio bidness works. Doesn't CC also stand for "Cookie Cutter"?

"If anyone said we're in the radio business, it wouldn't be someone from our company. We're not in the business of providing news and information ... We're simply in the business of selling our customers products."
  --Lowry Mays, CEO, Clear Channel, as reported in FORTUNE

Boy, I feel stupid. Here I was, under the false impression, that if one puts a good product - a truly good product - on the shelf ... in the showroom ... or ON THE AIR, then it follows that it'll be purchased, driven off the lot, or LISTENED TO. It's tough to be told you're 'bass-ackwards'. Even tougher to compare the net worth of the CC philosophy, and my philosophy. Mine isn't worth squat, I guess!

But that doesn't matter. What does matter is my belief that, despite what Big Daddy Radio Guy says, there ARE some people "in his company" who DO believe they're in the radio news, information, and entertainment business.

Thank God!