Clear Channel radio strikes bike-friendly agreement after anti-bike incidents

Anti-bike messages by Clear Channel radio DJs in three different cities around the U.S. have received widespread press attention recently. Many Missouri cyclists have participated in the nationwide campaign to write and call Clear Channel executives.

Now the League of American Bicyclists and Clear Channel have reached a very productive agreement. An Associated Press article details the terms of the agreement. From the BikeLeague:

In a letter to Elissa Margolin, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists, John Hogan, President and CEO of Clear Channel Radio, said, “the comments made by Clear Channel Radio stations in Cleveland, Houston, and Raleigh were inappropriate and intolerable … As CEO of Clear Channel Radio, I do not support or condone the anti-cyclists messages and have taken steps to insure they do not occur again.” Margolin and Hogan met November 5 at the company’s headquarters in San Antonio, TX.

Hogan repeatedly underscored Clear Channel’s strong disapproval for recent broadcasts in which radio talk show hosts discussed and encouraged the physical harassment of bicyclists. He and Margolin discussed ways in which the company could work with the bicycling community to promote safe bicycling and sharing the road and agreed to meet in early 2004 to review
progress and chart next steps.

Margolin said, “The League is pleased with the response from Clear Channel Radio. The comments broadcast on stations in Cleveland, Houston, and Raleigh were indeed egregious, but the company’s redress has been aggressive and the measures taken to prevent any reoccurrence are heartening. CEO John Hogan has clearly demonstrated that any programming that endangers cyclists will not be tolerated and we applaud his leadership on this issue. We are particularly pleased that Clear Channel will work with the bicycling community to help make America’s roads safer for everyone.”

Martha Roskowski, America Bikes Campaign Manager, and Sue Knaup, Thunderhead Alliance Executive Director, both expressed their support for Clear Channel’s statement. Knaup said, "I look forward to building this important partnership with one of America’s leading media companies to help promote safe bicycling in America’s communities and to encourage motorists and cyclists to share the road."

To read the letter from CEO Hogan, please visit http://www.bikeleague.org. He also expressed a commitment to continuing and expanding the extensive range of sponsorships of local bicycling events by local Clear Channel radio stations, and to educating motorists, cyclists and law enforcement officers on bicycle safety and sharing the road and other elements of the
National Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety.