Radio stations across the nation might soon say bye-bye to songs such as Don McLean's "American Pie" in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Program directors for Clear Channel Communications, which does not have any stations in the State College area, have compiled a list of more than 150 songs that are feared to contain lyrics some radio listeners might see as inappropriate or insensitive after the hijackings of four commercial airliners that crashed in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
"Clear Channel Radio has not banned any songs from any of its radio stations," Mark P. Mays, President and Chief Operating Officer of Clear Channel, said in a press release last week.
But it is up to the discretion of each individual radio station to decide what songs are appropriate.
"It is up to every radio station program director and general manager to understand their market, listen to their listeners, and guide their station's music selections according to local sensitivities," Mays said in the release.
The threat of possible censorship has some groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, keeping a close eye on what is being broadcast over the airwaves.
Julian Catchen, coordinator alumnus for the Penn State chapter of the ACLU, wants the public to remember the importance of the radio and the broad spectrum the medium reaches.
"The radio is a public asset that is owned by American citizens and leased to companies such as Clear Channel Communications. It fulfills a vital role in providing the public with information that is required to have an effective democracy," Catchen said.
Clear Channel Communications, located in San Antonio, Texas, operates 1,213 radio stations in the United States and more than 240 stations internationally. The company is not trying to censor radio stations but make it clear that station directors have the discretion to not play songs which might be offensive at this time, a press release said.
"Clear Channel strongly believes in the First Amendment and the freedom of speech. We value and support the artist community. And we support our radio station programming staff and management team in their responsibility to respond to their local markets," Mays said in the release.
The company also said the list was not intended to dictate what station operators should and should not play. The list was developed by listeners and is not any kind of mandate, the Clear Channel press release said.
The Clear Channel company has the ability to decide what they broadcast without violating any First Amendment rights, said Clay Calvert, associate professor of communications and law.
"It is perfectly within the radio station owner's power to not play certain songs," Calvert said.
This is a case of self-censorship, in which the radio station is saying, "our format is not going to include certain songs at this time," he said
The list, now widely publicized and circulated around the Internet, contains some very mainstream selections. Some of the inappropriate songs include all Rage Against the Machine songs; AC/DC's Shot Down in Flames; Dave Matthews Band's Crash Into Me; Frank Sinatra's New York, New York; and Limp Bizkit's Break Stuff.
Catchen still is worried about the regulation of the airwaves.
"When a company such as Clear Channel Communications mandates that songs such as John Lennon's Imagine not be played on the radio, it is a serious issue for the public," Catchen said.
He is also concerned that radio stations may take the short-term restrictions on certain songs and make them more long-term.
"Music is a very subjective medium, and right now, these temporary restrictions might seem like a minor inconvenience. But, many temporary restrictions have a way of becoming permanent. We have the responsibility to ensure that this important public medium remain as free and open as we can make it, for the sake of self-expression, for the sake of freedom and for the sake of democracy," Catchen said.
