Activists are expressing serious concerns that Mitt Romney’s private equity firm Bain Capital owns one of America’s largest media conglomerates, Clear Channel Communications, Inc., which broadcasts numerous popular talk-show hosts with incalculable influence in the 2012 GOP primary. Among the radio personalities syndicated by Clear Channel or aired on hundreds of stations it owns nationwide are Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, and many others.

Because of the San Antonio-based media giant’s enormous influence — it is the largest owner of radio stations in the United States, and experts point out that it essentially owns what has come to be known as the conservative talk-radio industry — Romney critics, supporters of Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich, Tea Party groups, and elections commentators are all raising the alarm. Some analysts are even calling for the firm to disclose the fact that Romney’s Bain Capital owns a station or syndicates a show whenever a media personality is reporting on the Republican presidential campaign.

Former Politico.com reporter Ben Smith, now the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, called out Rush Limbaugh on Thursday for defending Romney and Bain Capital without disclosing that his employer is owned by the candidate’s firm. “Talk radio king Rush Limbaugh has emerged as a key defender of Mitt Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital, where — his Republican and Democratic critics charge — layoffs at companies Bain owned should be blamed on Romney,” noted Smith. “But Limbaugh hasn’t mentioned his own tie to the venture capital firm: Bain owns Clear Channel Communications, whose subsidiary inked a $400 million, eight-year syndication deal with Limbaugh in 2008.”

It turns out the talk-radio titan had actually revealed the connection later on in the show, and Smith updated his article to include that fact when he was made aware of it by readers. But the explosive story attracted more media interest in the subject nonetheless.

Bain Capital joined with private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners to buy Clear Channel in 2008, with the announcement made shortly before Romney’s 2008 run for the GOP nomination. The $25-billion deal included around 1,000 AM and FM stations, as well as dozens of televisions stations that were later sold off.

Clear Channel subsidiary Premiere Radio Networks — the largest radio syndication service in America with talk-show hosts including Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity — was also part of the package. According to the company’s website, its radio programs reach nearly two-thirds of the American people each week through some 5,000 radio affiliations.    

“Think about that the next time you're flipping channels on the radio and realize that Rush Limbaugh calls the candidates ‘Romney,’ ‘Non-Romney,’ and ‘Loony,’” noted Delaware elections examiner Angel Clark in a piece detailing the connections. “Why do these other candidates get called ‘Non-Romney’?”

Today, of course, Romney no longer leads the firm he co-founded, though Bain Capital and Bain & Co. are shoveling gargantuan sums of money into his campaign. But Romney still owns a huge stake in the company and profits handsomely from it, according to his financial disclosure report. And analysts say he undoubtedly still wields at least some degree of influence.

“If you have been wondering why so many conservative talk show hosts are being so incredibly kind to Mitt Romney, this just might be the answer,” explained a popular blogger commenting on the Bain Capital-Clear Channel connection, saying it was improper for one of the Republican front-runners to have such an overwhelming financial stake in talk radio. “In the media world, there is a clear understanding that you simply do not bite the hand that feeds you…. If you were making tens of millions of dollars a year, wouldn't you be very careful to avoid offending your boss?”

It remains unclear how much influence Bain Capital actually exerts over the day-to-day operations of its employees at Clear Channel. However, even the perception of a potential conflict of interest has led to severe and growing criticism of both the media behemoth and Romney.

Clear Channel and its subsidiaries have been criticized on several other fronts in recent times, too. Last year, for example, its Premiere Radio Networks syndication service was exposed using paid actors to call into talk shows and read scripts. Some cynics have even suggested that pro-Romney callers on conservative shows may have actually been well-paid propagandists reading from a prepared script.

What is clear is that very little serious scrutiny and criticism of Romney or Bain Capital has been broadcasted by Clear Channel radio stations and talk-show hosts in recent years. More than a few, however, have been very vocal in their support for Romney.

Related articles:

Romney's Skeletons: His Bain Capital Received Millions in Bailouts

GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney

Multiple Mitts: Romney on the Issues

Obama’s Wall Street Donors Turn to Mitt Romney

Paul Urges Non-Romney Rivals to Get Out of Race and Unite Behind Him

An Honest Look at Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney's Achilles' Heel

Mitt Romney: Tom Dewey All Over Again

Mitt Romney: The Establishment's Man and Friend to Liberal Causes

What's in Store for GOP Candidates in S.C., Nev., and Fla.?

Mitt Romney Loves Europe, and Europe Loves Him Back

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (6)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Ken E. said:

Illusions David Kupelian's book, "The Marketing of Evil" comes to mind while reading this article. He devoted an entire chapter in it to the illusions media creates. It also reminds me of those music shows I used to watch in the 70's like American Bandstand, Soul Train, and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. You would see these bands, seemingly playing live, but who were often lip synching and mimicking the playing of their instruments instead. There was a live studio audience which was prompted to look like they were enjoying themselves, possibly dance, and then clap at the appropriate times. You would see these other people enjoying themselves, and the illusion was created that this was something good that you would enjoy participating in also. And so a market was created for your product, which was some genre of music and it's accompanying lifestyle choices (clothing fashions, hairstyles, etc.). I despise this kind of manipulation coming from liberals or conservatives. Do you see how these people view their fellow man? You are merely sheep to be lead. You are a consumer needing to be parted from your money. What happened to loving your neighbor as yourself? This is designed to appeal to people's lower nature. They will reap what they've sown. Tune into reality: turn off your TV, you radio, and read your Bible!

January 16, 2012

Ump said:

... This actually explains a lot No wonder flip flop Mitt got this far. These people should be upfront about this. Can you imagine saying something bad about YOUR boss and getting away with it?

January 16, 2012

XYZ25 said:

... Every Republican voter should know this fact and frankly I'm ashamed to say I didn't. I think this is why any criticism of Romney by these talk show hosts is always done with kiddy gloves and why they keep pretending he is the most "electable" while insulting Ron Paul the true conservative in this race who is far more electable than any of the others.

January 18, 2012

SeanKD said:

The Establishment Media Lies This is just one more example of why you cannot trust the establishment media any further than you can spit; and it also explains why the establishment media have been pushing Romney on conservatives from the start while simultaneously trashing his opponents.

January 23, 2012

Rudy Gonzales said:

Ownership Bain Capital and Mitt Romeny owns 'Ol Brush Himoff, Blended Heck, Spawned Insannity of Beer Funnel Communications. Romney owns all this and these nit-nois of talking heads. With the FOX-hole spewing their lies and rhetoric and these guys multi-teaming against the president, it no wonder the public is skeptical of all news outlets.

January 25, 2012

Loosenut2 said:

What obvious horsecookies You're saying that O'Reilly is biased? You never watched his show. You saying that Rush has NEVER criticized the Bush administration for having a $400 billion deficit, so did Sean Hannity by the way, so obviously you have NEVER listened to either show. By the way, Obama has racked up $1.6 trillion, $1.6 trillion, and $1.6 trillion each year, and he is on Youtube stating that "George Bush is unpatriotic for having a $400 billion deficit" What does that make Obama? Obama isn't even a citizen because hios dad, Obama Sr. was deported to Kenya, his drunken uncle Omar is being deported too. We Tea Partiers hold our candidates feet to the flame when they stray off course, but then you Liberals never listen because you are all hate filled, unthinking, fetus murderers.

January 29, 2012