Pate Says Clear Channel Probe Is Ongoing A Justice Department official told Congress yesterday (7/24) that the department is still pursuing two separate antitrust investigations in response to complaints against Clear Channel Communications. Antitrust Chief Hewitt Pate told a House Judiciary Committee panel that attorneys have conducted “a number of interviews” as part of the probes into the country’s largest radio broadcaster and concert promoter and has “undertaken significant efforts to find additional evidence. The Clear Channel matter is one of importance to us. We have an open investigation and we're going to continue to pursue that.” Pate's comments came in response to complaints by California Democratic Representative Howard Berman, who said attorneys at the department had failed to follow up on antitrust complaints he referred to them more than a year ago. “I'm extremely dissatisfied with DOJ's apparent unwillingness to initiate any kind of investigation into these serious allegations,” Berman said. Berman formally asked the Justice Department and FCC in January 2002 to look into allegations that Clear Channel had abused its market position in a bid to shut out competitors. In his letter to regulators last year, Berman said Clear Channel's vast holdings of radio stations, TV stations, concert promotion services and other distribution channels for copyright content could harm consumers. Responding to the congressman on Thursday, Pate said the department's antitrust division is investigating two sets of allegations against Clear Channel, including a specific charge that the company had limited airplay of artists who do not use its concert services.
