The boss of US media giant Clear Channel – Roger Parry – has responded to comments made by Capital Radio chief exec David Mansfield last week. Mansfield told the Radio Festival he wouldn't consider an acquisition offer from the US conglom, even once up coming changes in media ownership laws will allow it.
Parry hit back by saying "For David to say he'd rebuff Clear Channel is a bit like Ann Widdecombe putting out a press release saying she's going to turn down a date with Brad Pitt. She should be so lucky. The invitation's got to come in the first place. I'm delighted that David doesn't want a date with us, but as it happens it wasn't on offer."
What seems to have annoyed Parry most is Mansfield's claim the US group's approach wouldn't work in the UK: "How does he know? If we were to be involved in UK radio we could only do it through the medium of UK management. We're not going to ship over a bunch of Americans to run UK radio stations. We would hire the best local talent who almost certainly would come with the business when we bought it."
The Clear Channel man rounded off his attack by pointing out his group wouldn't want Capital – even if the law allowed him to buy it – arguing recent commercial performance means Capital isn't an exciting acquisition proposition.
But Parry didn't rule out making a bid for another UK radio group when the law allows, though he added he would wait for a first round of consolidation among UK radio groups - and a fall in current prices - before buying stations.