Clear Channel also owns radio research companies, an airplay monitoring system, syndicated programming, radio trade magazines, hundreds of thousands of outdoor billboards and 19 television stations. In other words, while no one was looking, little-known Clear Channel has surpassed traditional media giants like Hearst and the New York Times Co. in size. It's hard to imagine Gannett or NBC or the Tribune Co. operating any of its properties the way Clear Channel does without attracting harsh scrutiny. That, and the fact that so many people in the radio business are reluctant to discuss Clear Channel, since its empire reaches into virtually every corner of the business. Nobody wants to say anything because everybody knows they're going to own you.
People are paranoid.
Nobody wants to rock the boat. Clear Channel itself actively discourages its workers from speaking with the press. Many Clear Channel contracts today include nondisparagement clauses, which stipulate that unflattering statements about the company are cause for dismissal. Employees who are fired find their severance packages conditional on signing forms that stipulate they will not sue the company nor speak to the press. Despite that, a number of Clear Channel employees have come forward to talk about the company.