A group founded by Ralph Nader is asking the FCC to deny the rene...

Clear Channel be denied license renewals for stations in D.C., Md., Va. and W.Va. The licenses will be renewed automatically Oct. 1 unless the FCC denies renewal. “The FCC is required by statute to deny applications for license renewal if a licensee exhibits poor character,” said Jim Donahue, project dir.: “In the 3 years since Clear Channel became the largest holder of station licenses in the nation, it has demonstrated that it lacks the requisite character to hold broadcast licenses.” He said the company had compiled a record of “repeated law-breaking.” He said Clear Channel and its subsidiaries had violated the law 36 times over the last 3 years, citing deceptive advertising, broadcasting conversations without obtaining permission of the 2nd party in the conversation, airing obscene and indecent material during times when children were likely to listen, violating rules on the testing of the emergency alert system, animal cruelty for the purpose of promoting an on-air personality and falsely causing a public emergency to be reported to promote an on-air personality, among others. Clear Channel Senior Vp-Govt. Relations Andrew Levin called the complaints “specious claims and an abuse of the regulatory process. One has to question Ralph Nader’s motives -- is he really concerned about our local radio stations or by his own national political aspirations? Sounds like another Washington fund-raising stunt to me. Can a campaign launch be far behind?”