The bullying Clear Channel Corporation, is attempting to blackmail the City of Oakland into allowing it to place giant billboards next to downtown freeways.

To the Editor:

The bullying Clear Channel Corporation, the owner of hundreds of radio stations and the largest single owner of radio stations in United States, is also massively invested in the billboard business. Now they are trying to blackmail the Oakland City Council in northern California into allowing them to construct massive billboards next to downtown freeways in exchange for keeping their corporate headquarters in Oakland.

Clear Channel Corporation is widely disdained in progressive communities in this country for its recent attempt to blackball the Dixie Chicks music group, because they had the gall to criticize Bush and his stupid war on Iraq. Clear Channel Corporation also used its hundreds of radio stations to try to create pro-Iraq war rallies and then tried mask these efforts and pretend that they were a "grass-roots" political activity.

The City of Oakland does not need these corporate creeps within its borders: send them and their over-sized billboards packing.

Yours truly,

James K. Sayre

1 August 2003