Clear Channel station accuses Magic Johnson of faking AIDS

The right-wing noise machine is a repulsive development, and it seems to get worse weekly.

KTLK-FM in Minneapolis is a right-wing talk station. (The American radio industry thinks every market "needs" rightist hate talk on FM, even where it already dominates AM.) Now conservative KTLK hosts Chris Baker and Langdon Perry have drawn criticism after they claimed basketball legend Magic Johnson faked AIDS to gain sympathy.

It's clear Baker and Langdon don't know what the fuck they're talking about. (Johnson has HIV, but in his case it has not yet developed into AIDS.)

An equally important issue is the ownership of the station. When I saw this story, I said to myself, "Bet it's a Clear Channel station!" I looked up KTLK's entry on Wikipedia, and sure enough, it is.

Clear Channel Communications is the right-wing media conglomerate known for suppressing criticism of the Bush regime, actively cheering the Iraq War, airing a disproportionate amount of right-wing talk programs, and hosting several so-called "personalities" who have urged listeners to mow down bicyclists with their cars.

The rise of Clear Channel was enabled by the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which gutted ownership caps for radio stations. With the suddenly renewed interest in reregulation, maybe now we can put the repeal of this illegal law back on the frontburner.

(Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-magicjohnson&prov=ap&type=lgns)