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Radio's war of egos
Clear Channel sued over parody web site
By Gabriel Spitzer
Titan egos are as prevalent in the media business as corn in Iowa, and their clashes are always rich fodder for cocktail chatter. But seldom do these clashes reach the proportions of the spitting match now going on in the radio industry.
The combatants are Randy Michaels, CEO of Clear Channel Radio, the nation's largest radio chain, and Jerry Del Colliano, CEO and publisher of Inside Radio, a trade publication.
Michaels and Del Colliano have been squabbling for years, and this week their conflict reached a new level when Del Colliano filed suit against Clear Channel in Manhattan federal court, seeking $115 million in damages for trademark violation, cybersquatting, defamation and abuse of process.
"The lawsuit alleges that Clear Channel, one of the world’s largest media companies, is attempting to drive Inside Radio out of business," says Del Colliano’s attorney, Edward Ross of the New York firm of Rosenberg Calica & Birney.
Specifically, Del Colliano is irked over a web site owned by Clear Channel that parodies Del Colliano's InsideRadio.com.
The parody site, InsideInsideRadio, serves as a podium to ridicule Del Colliano, and it does so unsparingly.
"He must write Inside Radio with a Number 2 pencil. That's a pencil he dips in Number 2 before he writes with it," reads one of the stories on InsideInsideRadio.
Another InsideInsideRadio jab at Del Colliano:
"So is he crazy? He was once ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by the Superior Court of NJ as part of a different lawsuit. While the results of that evaluation are sealed, Jerry's recent behavior suggests that it may be time for another," reads another.
InsideInsideRadio typically refers to Del Colliano as "Del Corleone," a reference to the "Godfather."
The site’s only photo is of a man bent over into an impossible position, head stuck in his behind, with the caption: "Jerry checks with an inside source."
The site lists as its founder "Jerry TellmeorI’llmakeitup." Michaels reportedly personally authors some of the attacks.
InsideInsideRadio even has a toll-free hotline set up exclusively for "dirt on Del Corleone." The site offers $100 for damaging information.
The site has been up since September of 1998 with periodic updates, but Del Colliano apparently decided that the time for legal action had come.
"My clients finally said enough is enough. This was having too great an impact on their ability to adhere to publishing," says Ross.
Clear Channel admits to owning InsideInsideRadio.com but declines to comment on the suit beyond the usual decline-to-comment comments.
"We believe that the suit is without merit and would hope that it would be dismissed. If it’s not, we would defend ourselves vigorously," says a Clear Channel spokesperson.
Clear Channel also owns the domain name "JerryDelColliano.com," though the web site is not active.
"I believe it’s unprecedented for a major company to own the domain name of a competitor or a journalist who covers it," says Ross.
Inside Radio’s suit is just the latest chapter in a long-running war of words between Del Colliano and Michaels, dating back to 1997 when there were discussions of Clear Channel buying Inside Radio.
Accounts vary as to why the deal did not go through. Clear Channel claims that Del Colliano pressured Clear Channel to buy his publication and turned to dirty tricks when Clear Channel refused.
Inside Radio claims that it turned down Clear Channel’s $7 million bid for the publication, at which point Clear Channel purchased Inside Radio’s rival M Street Daily and set about pushing Inside Radio out of business.
Last fall Clear Channel sued Inside Radio in federal court for publishing what it called a "vicious and concerted campaign of coercion, public vilification and harassment" in its pages.
"It’s become obvious to me that Jerry Del Colliano has no regard for the truth. He has printed stories about Clear Channel cutting sales commissions, planning layoffs, replacing commissioned sales people with salaried sales reps and limiting bonuses," said Michaels in a statement last November.
"I believe he has been using the pages of his newsletter to disrupt our business and cause our employees to question the integrity of their company. Competitors can use the stories as fodder to attract our people and challenge our business. It is time to put an end to this harassment."
Clear Channel recently withdrew the suit from a New York federal court and re-filed it in a Texas state court. According to Ross, the new incarnation of Clear Channel’s suit does not include the racketeering charge and several other claims.
"In Texas, it will be possible to put his character and reputation on trial. Jerry continues a pattern and practice of using the threat of unfavorable press coverage as a vehicle to pressure radio companies and radio executives into doing his bidding. It just may sound like extortion to a jury of Texans," reads an item on InsideInsideRadio.
Del Colliano has forced another move, this time to a federal court in Texas. Along with his own lawsuit this week, Del Colliano’s attorney has filed a motion to dismiss Clear Channel’s suit or, alternatively, to move it back to New York.
July 27, 2001
© 2001 Media Life
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