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                                                                    EXHIBIT 3.17




                           ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                           GREAT AMERICAN EAST, INC.

         I, the undersigned natural person of the age of eighteen years or
more, do hereby associate myself into a business corporation under the laws of
the State of North Carolina as contained in Chapter 55 of the General Statutes
of North Carolina, entitled "Business Corporation Act", and the several
amendments thereto and hereby make, sign and acknowledge these Articles of
Incorporation setting forth the following:

         1.      The name of the corporation is Great American East, Inc.

         2.      The period of duration of the corporation shall be perpetual.

         3.      The purpose or purposes for which the corporation is organized
                 are:

                 (a)      To construct, acquire, own, operate, maintain and
         sell radio broadcasting stations, television broadcasting stations,
         CATV systems, background music services, telephone answering services,
         common carrier radio stations, advertising agencies, and to sell
         advertising, perform all acts, directly or indirectly, and conduct all
         business in connection with, relating to or arising from the ownership
         or operation of the aforesaid business or businesses; and

                 (b)      To engage in any lawful act or activity for which
         corporations may be organized under Chapter 55 of the General Statutes
         of North Carolina; and

                 (c)      To conduct its business and exercise all of its
         purposes in the State of North Carolina, in other states of the United
         States of America, in the District of Columbia and the territories,
         colonies and possessions of the United States of America and in
         foreign countries,
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         as principal, agent, contractor or otherwise, either alone or in
         conjunction with any entity or entities; and either directly or
         indirectly through one or more subsidiaries or controlled entities
         organized or utilized for these purposes; and

                 (d)      To carry out all or any part of the foregoing
         objects, purposes or powers and participate or deal with or in any
         lawful enterprise in connection therewith or incidental thereto, to
         the fullest extent lawfully permitted of any corporation organized
         under the laws of the State of North Carolina, and to a like extent,
         in connection therewith, to make, enter into and perform such
         contracts or deeds, to do such acts and things and to exercise such
         powers as a natural person could lawfully make, enter into, do or
         exercise; and

                 (e)      To do all and everything necessary, suitable, proper
         or convenient for the accomplishment of any of the purposes or the
         attainment of any of the objects or the furtherance of any of the
         powers or purposes herein enumerated or otherwise granted or permitted
         by law and by North Carolina General Statutes Section 55-17, either
         alone or in association with other corporations, firms, associations
         or individuals, and to do every other act or acts, thing or things
         incidental or appurtenant to or growing out of or connected with the
         aforesaid objects, purposes or powers, or any part or parts thereof,
         provided the same be not inconsistent with the laws under which this
         corporation is organized; and

                 (f)      Each and every clause, phrase or term of the
         foregoing provisions shall be considered as expressing both an
         independent purpose and power of the corporation and shall not (except
         as otherwise specifically stated) be limited or restricted by
         reference to or inference from the clauses, phrases or terms of any
         other provision herein contained, and the specification of particular
         purposes and powers herein is not intended to be and shall not be
         held to be in limitation of the general purposes and powers herein set
         forth, or in limitation




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         of the powers granted to corporations under
         the laws of the State of North Carolina, but is intended to be and
         shall be held to be in furtherance thereof.

         4.      The aggregate number of shares of common capital stock which
the corporation shall have authority to issue is 100,000 shares with a par
value of one dollar ($1.00) per share.

         5.      The minimum amount of consideration for its shares to be
received by the corporation before it shall commence business is $100.00 in
cash or in property or consideration of equivalent value.

         6.      The address of the initial registered office of the
corporation in the State of North Carolina is in Wake County, 209 Fayetteville
Street Mall, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, and the name of the initial
registered agent at such address is Mark J. Prak.

         7.      The number of directors of the corporation may be fixed by the
By-Laws but shall not be less than one.

         The number of directors constituting the initial Board of Directors
shall be one (1) and the name and address of the person who is to serve as the
director until the first meeting of the shareholders or until her successor is
elected and qualify, is:

         Kathy Shearer
         Route 2, 421 NRF Road
         Youngsville, North Carolina 27596

         8.      The name and address of the incorporator is:

         Mark J. Prak
         6201 Coldwater Court
         Raleigh, N.C. 27612





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         IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand this 28th day of
September, 1987.



                                        /s/ Mark J. Prak
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        Mark J. Prak

NORTH CAROLINA
WAKE COUNTY

         I, /s/ Jenny D. Lockamy, a Notary Public in and for said County and
State, do hereby certify that Mark J. Prak personally appeared before me this
day and acknowledged the due execution of the foregoing instrument.

      Witness my hand and official seal this 28th day of September, 1987.


                                        /s/ Jenny D. Lockamy
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                        Notary Public
My Commission expires:


  12-1-91                         .
----------------------------------

(SEAL)





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