How do I despise thee? Let me count the ways ... It is very nice to see a good, firm nugget of vitriol packaged against one of Satan's lesser minions, Clear Channel in the form of ClearChannelSucks:

ClearChannelSucks.org is a free speech website dedicated to educating the public about entertainment giant Clear Channel. Clear Channel owns over 1,200 radio stations and 37 television stations, with investments in 240 radio stations globally, and Clear Channel Entertainment (aka SFX, one of their more well-known subsidiaries) owns and operates over 200 venues nationwide. They are in 248 of the top 250 radio markets, controlling 60% of all rock programming. They outright own the tours of musicians like Janet Jackson, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Madonna and N'Sync. They own the network which airs Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, Casey Kasem, and the Fox Sports Radio Network. With 103,000,000 listeners in the U.S. and 1,000,000,000 globally (1/6 of the world population), this powerful company has grown unchecked, using their monopoly to control the entire music industry. If you find this alarming, ClearChannelSucks.org is the place for you.

Their latest report is on the glaringly quid por quo pro-war rallies being staged by Clear Channel:

It turns out that most of the pro-war rallies have been organized by and sponsored by Clear Channel Entertainment, under the name of "Rally for America(tm)," in a faux-grassroots campaign known as "astroturfing." Writes The Chicago Tribune, "The sponsorship of large rallies by Clear Channel stations is unique among major media companies, which have confined their activities in the war debate to reporting and occasionally commenting on the news." "I think this is pretty extraordinary," said former Federal Communications Commissioner Glen Robinson, who teaches law at the University of Virginia. "I can't say that this violates any of a broadcaster's obligations, but it sounds like borderline manufacturing of the news." In today's New York Times, Paul Krugman has an op-ed piece (free registration required) criticizing CCE for their amazing gall. Clear Channel's intent is clear: supporting the administration can only help reduce government threats against CCE expansion. It helps, of course, that Secretary of State Colin Powell's son, Michael Powell, is the head of the FCC.

Of all the organizations on earth, few need a tenacious watchdog more than Clear Channel. ClearChannelSucks is just that pooch.

My only unanswered question is what does Clear Channel suck? Is it syphilitic donkey dongs? Dead rats in the gutter? Basra sewer pipes?