A US government official has revealed that US radio giant Clear Channel is to be investigated over those claims it has abused its market dominance. Eighteen months after a congressman first called for an inquiry into the US' largest radio company the department's head of antitrust, Hewitt Pate, told a congressional committee that there would be an "open investigation", that investigators had made "significant efforts to find additional evidence" and that they had already held "a number of interviews". Mr Pate's words are in part a response to congressman Howard Berman, who criticised officials for their unwillingness to follow up formal complaints he made against the radio group in Jan of last year.
Two sets of allegations are being investigated by the justice department: including a charge that Clear Channel restricted the airplay time of music artists unwilling to use its concert promotion services. The group is also accused of stifling voices opposed to the Bush administration
Senior vice president for government affairs at Clear Channel, Andrew Levin, said that the company was confident it would escape censure, adding that they were co-operating fully with all requests.