Philanthropy

Clear Channel Gets In The Holiday Spirit With Its Annual National Contest, “Granting Your Christmas Wish”

Listeners Share Holiday Dreams In Hopes Of Inspiring Others To “Pay It Forward”

New York, NY – November 1, 2011 – Clear Channel Radio, the leading media company in America with a greater reach than any radio or television outlet, is kicking-off the holiday season early this year with the launch of its fourth annual “Granting Your Christmas Wish” Contest. 

From November 1 through December 8, 2011, more than 100 Clear Channel stations will encourage listeners to share their wish requests via participating Clear Channel Radio station websites.  All participants will be required to submit a short paragraph stating why they should have their wish granted.  These requests will be judged based on a number of pre-set criteria, which include sincerity; persuasiveness; creativity; and need.  Stations will announce the winners on-air on a continuing basis from November 10 through December 8, 2011.  In addition to having their wishes granted, all winners will receive an Xbox 360 as part of their prize package.

This year will mark the fourth annual “Granting Your Christmas Wish” program.  Past years have attracted an array of selfless entries, from plane tickets to visit family and toys for a financially struggling family to delivering a giant holiday feast for a neighborhood in need.  All winning entries were broadcasted on-air in the winner’s hometown market.

“The program is designed to share the personal stories of participants with the goal of inspiring non-winners to give back and do something special in their own family or community,” said Darren Davis, Senior Vice President and General Manager of National Programming Platforms.  “This is much more than a contest – it is Clear Channel’s way of paying it forward in hopes that others will do the same.”

To enter this year’s “Granting Your Christmas Wish” contest, interested listeners can visit a participating station website and enter keyword “WISH.”   Participating stations include 107.5 WGCI in Chicago; BIG 98 Country WSIX in Nashville, Tenn.; Sunny 99.1 in Houston; 106.7 Lite FM in New York; Power 99 in Philadelphia; KOST 103.5 in Los Angeles; and 97.1 WASH-FM in Washington, D.C.

Clear Channel Supports Local Merchants Across America by Encouraging Listeners To Shop Small (SM) During Second Annual Small Business Saturday®

Clear Channel Stations Across 150 Markets Will Mobilize Listeners to Buy Local through Customized On-air Programming, Grassroots Advocacy, Social Media and Digital Initiative and Special Community Events

New York – October 24, 2011 – Clear Channel Radio, the leading media company in America with a greater reach than any other radio or television outlet, today announced its support of the second annual Small Business Saturday (SBS), a national initiative to encourage people to shop at local, independently-owned merchants in their communities this November 26. Clear Channel’s participation, which will span 850 radio stations and reach 237 million monthly listeners, is part of the company’s commitment to support local communities across the country.

 “Clear Channel is participating in Small Business Saturday because local merchants are the lifeblood of the communities in which we live and work, and are integral to the health of our economy,” said John Hogan, CEO, Clear Channel Radio. “Our radio stations are deeply rooted in hundreds of distinct communities across the country. We are harnessing the power of our national voice, our relationships between on-air talent and loyal listeners and local community leaders, as well as our unique programming initiatives, to drive consumers to shop at their local small businesses this November 26th.”

“We are delighted that Clear Channel has chosen to join the growing movement behind Small Business Saturday,” said Maryann Fitzmaurice Reilly, senior vice-president of American Express OPEN. “American Express is the founding partner of Small Business Saturday and will be supporting this year’s efforts with robust marketing to encourage participation by consumers, community groups, corporations and independently-owned small businesses. Clear Channel’s deep presence in local markets and the resources they have committed to this effort will really help get the word out about the importance of small business to each community that they serve.”

Clear Channel’s Small Business Saturday (SBS) activities, which will launch on October 24 and run through November 26, are designed to educate listeners on the importance of independently-owned businesses, impact their sales, and drive value for merchants. Activities include:

 Public Interest Campaign – Beginning October 24, Clear Channel’s 850 radio stations will launch an on-air public interest campaign that includes a series of messages from select public officials as well as recent survey data affirming the important impact small businesses have on the economy.

On-Air Advocacy by Popular Station Personalities – Popular radio personalities will serve as influential advocates and drive listeners to action by championing SBS on-air and online, encouraging listeners to pledge to shop small on Facebook and buy local.

Local Small Business Stories – Local stations will develop and air compelling, market-specific radio spots that showcase local business success stories which show first-hand how these businesses fuel the economy and support our communities. The spots will include highly customized local stories that celebrate individual community merchants.

Social Media and Digital Integration – Clear Channel’s digital sites, including iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s industry-leading digital radio service, as well as individual radio station websites and Facebook pages, will feature dynamic Small Business Saturday digital content, including banners, pre-roll video, homepage takeovers and a digital countdown to SBS. Local stations will also deploy Twitter and Facebook to drive attendance to events in their communities.

Local Advisory Board Activities – Stations will activate their Local Advisory Boards, which are comprised of diverse civic leaders, elected officials and activists, to encourage members to spread the word about SBS and engage local government to do more to support small businesses.

Community Events – Clear Channel will support local Small Business Saturday events in a number of local markets through on-air mentions, promotions and station remotes hosted by Small Business Saturday’s coalition partner Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). Stations will also tweet updates from the activities.

“Our goal is to stimulate small business sales on the biggest shopping weekend of the year by reminding listeners of the impact on their communities,” added Hogan. “The campaign is also intended to give a bigger voice to small business owners.”

Fisher House Foundation Awards Clear Channel With One Of Its Highest Honors, The Patriot Award

Washington, D.C.  – September 14, 2011 – Fisher House Foundation, which constructs comfort homes to provide free, temporary housing to the families of service members needing medical care, recently presented its Patriot Award to Clear Channel Radio, in recognition of its ongoing support of the Fisher House mission.

Clear Channel, the leading media company in America with a greater reach than any radio or television outlet, has collectively raised nearly $1 million for Fisher House over the past two years, the centerpiece of which is its company-wide Veterans Day initiative, a day-long awareness and fundraising effort.  Clear Channel has also aired public service announcements, interviews, on-site broadcasts from Fisher Houses and website content, with media exposure valued at more than $5 million.

“All of us at Clear Channel are proud of our commitment to the Fisher House and the many military families they serve.  Though we are a network of 850 radio stations across the United States, we pride ourselves on our local involvement,” said Clay Hunnicutt, Senior Vice President, Programming, Clear Channel Radio, who accepted the award.  “It is important to us that we're strong community partners in each of the 150 markets where our stations are located.  Our partnership with the Fisher House allows Clear Channel to make a difference in the lives of veteran families who live, work and play in our station’s neighborhoods.”

The Patriot Award was established in 2002 as a means to recognize individuals and organizations that have been exceptionally supportive of our military families.

“My uncle Zachary was honored with many titles during the course of his lifetime, but none were more important to him than that of ‘Patriot,’” said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “We’re grateful to Clear Channel for the work they’ve done on behalf of our military families.”

Clear Channel Radio Announces Winners Of National "Get Discovered!" Talent Competition

Three Winning Acts from Across the U.S. Get Their Big Breaks -- Performing Live on National Television During the Annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon -- Unsigned Artists Share Their Music To Build Awareness of the Fight Against Muscle Disease; Clear Channel Continues Its Support of MDA Through PSAs

San Antonio, Texas – August 24, 2011 – Clear Channel Radio, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any radio or television company, today announced the winners of its second annual “Get Discovered!” talent search competition.  “Get Discovered!” is a part of Clear Channel’s ongoing commitment to providing emerging, independent musicians a platform to share original music with an engaged public audience.  The three winning acts earned the opportunity to perform live on television during the 2011 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Labor Day Telethon on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011. 

The online competition attracted over 7,800 unsigned music artists who entered via iHeartRadio.com, Clear Channel’s industry-leading digital radio service, or any of Clear Channel Radio’s participating stations’ websites.  Participants were ranked using the innovative media platform WHOOZNXT.COM, which tracked the growth of their digital fan base during the contest period.  The winners were then determined by a panel of music industry leaders.

The three winning bands that will perform live on national television during the 2011 MDA Telethon are:

One Step Away, Boston, Mass., Pop/Rock, www.facebook.com/onestepaway.

Brokedown Cadillac, Nashville, Tenn., Country, www.brokedowncadillac.com.

Rootdown, Eugene, Ore., Pop-Rock-Reggae, www.rootdownsound.com.

“The underlying purpose of ‘Get Discovered!’ is to ignite creativity among talented artists living in local communities across the U.S. while raising awareness of the fight against neuromuscular diseases,” said Clay Hunnicutt, Senior Vice President, Programming, Clear Channel Radio.  “The three winners are a clear indicator of the amazing pool of independent musicians living in all of our neighborhoods.  Through this competition, we empowered thousands of home-grown, undiscovered talent to share their original music for a great cause.”

“Thanks to Clear Channel Radio, the ‘Get Discovered!’ contest has become the ultimate head-to-head competition for unsigned music artists,” said Gerald C. Weinberg, MDA President & CEO.  “We’re delighted the three truly outstanding artists who prevailed in this extraordinary national competition, which involved more than 7,800 artists, will have their first network television live performances on the MDA Labor Day Telethon, Sunday, September 4.  Tens of millions undoubtedly will respond enthusiastically to their breakthrough performances – especially since they’ll be helping MDA speed treatments and cures for progressive muscle diseases.”

The Telethon will air in every time zone from 6 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, Sept. 4, and will broadcast from the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas.

Clear Channel Radio’s 850 stations will continue to broadcast a series of public service announcements through Sunday, Sept. 4 as part of the company’s three-month commitment to the MDA and its ongoing dedication to improving the lives of people with neuromuscular diseases. 

About the MDA Telethon

The 46th annual MDA Labor Day Telethon will air on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011 on more than 150 television stations.  The six-hour primetime event will feature about 20 performances by some of the biggest names in show business.  Broadcast from 6:00 p.m. to midnight in every U.S. time zone, the show also will be streamed live online.  Co-hosts for the 2011 MDA Telethon are Nigel Lythgoe (American Idol + So You Think You Can Dance), Nancy O’Dell (Entertainment Tonight), Alison Sweeney (The Biggest Loser + author of The Mommy Diet), and Jann Carl (Emmy-winning journalist and independent producer).

About the MDA

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research.  The Association also provides comprehensive healthcare and support services, advocacy and education.  See the award-winning MDA “Make A Muscle,Make A Difference” PSA.

In addition to funding more than 330 research teams worldwide, MDA maintains a national network of some 200 hospital-affiliated clinics; orchestrates hundreds of support groups for families affected by neuromuscular diseases; facilitates extraordinary local summer camp opportunities for thousands youngsters fighting progressive muscle diseases.  Known globally for the MDA Labor Day Telethon, the Association is the first nonprofit to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association “for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity.”

ABOUT WHOOZNXT

WHOOZNXT.COM is the first and only media network that rewards emerging artists for growing their digital fanbase with real-world high-profile exposure opportunities for television, radio and live performances including ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the Vans Warped Tour and the Dew Tour.