] Some of the biggest rallies this month have endorsed ] President Bush's strategy against Saddam Hussein, and the ] common thread linking most of them is Clear Channel ] Worldwide Inc., the nation's largest owner of radio ] stations. ] ] In a move that has raised eyebrows in some legal and ] journalistic circles, Clear Channel radio stations in ] Atlanta, Cleveland, San Antonio, Cincinnati and other ] cities have sponsored rallies attended by up to 20,000 ] people. The events have served as a loud rebuttal to the ] more numerous but generally smaller anti-war rallies. ] ] The sponsorship of large rallies by Clear Channel ] stations is unique among major media companies, which ] have confined their activities in the war debate to ] reporting and occasionally commenting on the news. The ] San Antonio-based broadcaster owns more than 1,200 ] stations in 50 states and the District of Columbia. ] ] While labor unions and special interest groups have ] organized and hosted rallies for decades, the involvement ] of a big publicly regulated broadcasting company breaks ] new ground in public demonstrations. ] ] "I think this is pretty extraordinary," said former ] Federal Communications Commissioner Glen Robinson, who ] teaches law at the University of Virginia. "I can't say ] that this violates any of a broadcaster's obligations, ] but it sounds like borderline manufacturing of the news." |