Report: Clear Channel Wants Bigger Piece Of The Pie

Despite the certainty of another high-profile battle with opponents of media consolidation, Clear Channel has quietly floated a plan that would allow the radio giant and other station owners to boost their holdings in the largest U.S. markets, according to the Deal.

The company is considering filing a formal petition with the FCC seeking to raise the caps limiting how many stations one company can own in the largest individual U.S. markets, according to the story.

While current rules specify that a company may own no more than eight radio stations in the largest U.S. markets, such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, where at least 45 full-power radio stations operate, it’s believed that Clear Channel is seeking approval from the FCC to own 10 stations in markets with 60 radio stations and 12 radio outlets in the largest U.S. markets that have 75 radio stations or more.

"Easing the ownership restrictions will help level the playing field and let free radio compete with iPods, online music services and satellite radio," a Clear Channel spokeswoman told the Deal. "Certainly, seeing that satellite radio has 150 unregulated stations in every market and free radio is limited to just eight shows the apparent disparity."

In June, the commission launched its congressionally-mandated review of FCC rules, which it must conduct every four years.     [ BillBoard Radio Monitor ]