BlogWood: MT Archives

Ronda’s, uh, right again

UPDATE - I’ve learned that Ronda’s problems with the recent Korn concert include lyrical content. I’m actually relieved to hear this since it gives me an excuse to state that Ronda is a prudish moralist who would have free expression censored in order to avoid even the most remote possibility of overhearing a word that might register on her own overly sensitive meter of self-righteousness. (End of update)

A bane upon me for saying this, but Ronda “Crawlin’ on Glass” Storms is right again.

This time, Clear Channel is our common enemy and, unlike the last incident in which Ronda and I saw eye to eye, her stated reasoning seems to be, well, adequate. (Or maybe not - see update above.)

My problems with CC are many, and include, in no particular order, the homogenization and dumbing down of radio, their recent decision to pump Fox News into their unsuspecting listeners’ ears, and their strong arm tactics used to monopolize local concert markets as part of their plans to attain complete media domination.

That’s a start, and I left out more than I included, but let’s just say that CC is not one of my favorite corporate titans.

Anyway, CC recently constructed one of their money making Amphihteaters at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Hillsborough County. They operate under an agreement to keep noise levels to a reasonable level in order no to disturb nearby residents. Well, it seems that CC has repeatedly and blatantly broken this agreement, and residents’ complaints have mounted to the point that Ronda and the rest of the Hillsborough County Commission are starting to take notice.

"A bane upon them," said County Commissioner Ronda Storms. "May the worms of your avarice consume your intestines, Clear Channel."

A bane?!? Is Ronda really calling for the death of Clear Channel? I do believe that this is by far the most intelligent utterance that has ever slithered out of Ronda’s skull. Let’s all contact the County Commission right now and call for them to support Ronda in her quest to kill Clear Channel! But I digress..

The venue is facing more criticism than ever - and the possibility of a total concert shutdown - after more than 50 residents near the Florida State Fairgrounds complained of noise from Tuesday's heavy metal concert.

The volume of Korn's music, which at times spiked nearly 30 decibels higher than the acceptable limit in neighborhoods hundreds of yards away, shocked even county Environmental Protection Commission officials, who this summer cited Clear Channel and the Florida State Fair Authority for noise violations.

So egregious were this week's violations that the County Commission, which sits as the EPC board, held an emergency meeting Thursday and discussed obtaining a court order to temporarily halt further concerts.

"Clear Channel owns the facility and they have people in the sound control booth," said EPC director Rick Garrity. "I don't see any reason why they can't be controlling the whole volume."

Commissioners did not pursue an injunction. The amphitheater's only remaining 2004 event, the Charlie Daniels Band's "Charlie-palooza" concert, is part of a major charity fundraiser for The Angelus, a home for the handicapped.

Had the concerts been reversed - had Charlie Daniels been the offender, and Korn still to come - the county likely would have gone forward with the injunction, said Rick Tschantz, general counsel for the EPC.

Uh, wait a minute. I’m not a Korn fan, but what the fuck is the reasoning here? Is it because it’s a charity event? I know nothing about The Angelus, but I do know a little something about Charlie Daniels. He’s a racist, warmongering bastard, the author and proud performer of “This Ain’t No Rag, It’s a Flag,” which denigrates Arabs and spreads hate and vile amongst the brainless twits who actually buy into his jingoistic drivel. Any charity who would get in bed with Charlie deserves to be left twisting in the wind.

As recently as last week, the EPC and Clear Channel were approaching a settlement. Resident complaints had gone down, and Clear Channel's preventive measures - including a noise-reducing blanket along the outer fence and having performers adhere to a strict decibel output limit - seemed to be working. ......

The County Commission, minus absent chairman Tom Scott, unanimously voted for the EPC to pursue a lawsuit following Saturday's concert, as well as possible fines against Clear Channel, the Fair Authority and Korn after Tuesday's show.

The concept of fining bands and performers, not just the venue, is a new one, Garrity said.

Korn is the venue's first repeat headliner, and its first repeat offender. Its two shows have generated more than 100 complaints, and an EPC noise reading Tuesday of 90.6 decibels - the equivalent of a running blender - was the highest recorded yet.

The EPC can levy fines of as much as $5,000 for a noise violation.

"For every note, every line, every bar of music that is over the threshold of the noise limits, that would be a specific, additional violation," Garrity said. "You're talking about hundreds, if not thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines."