Editing IHeartMedia (section)

===Censorship===
iHeartMedia and its subsidiaries have been associated with censorship of state and federal candidates for public office, elected officials and various political viewpoints.

iHeartMedia has been criticized in the past for censoring opinions critical of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. ''[[Magic (Bruce Springsteen album)|Magic]]'', the 2007 release from [[Bruce Springsteen]] which contained songs that were subtly critical of then-president [[George W. Bush]], a Republican, and his administration, was censored from air play on Clear Channel. After [[Natalie Maines]], the singer of the country band [[Dixie Chicks]], told a London audience that they were "ashamed [of the fact that] the president of the United States is from Texas", the band's radio airplay dropped precipitously. Afterwards, some iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel) stations removed The Dixie Chicks from their playlists without any noted repercussions from the company. Gail Austin, Clear Channel's director of programming said, "Out of respect for our troops, our city and our listeners, [we] have taken the Dixie Chicks off our playlists."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2003/03/17/daily14.html |first=Michael |last=Fitzgerald |title=Dixie Chicks axed by Clear Channel |date=March 18, 2003 |access-date=October 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010015435/http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2003/03/17/daily14.html |archive-date=October 10, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> Clear Channel was accused of orchestrating the radio blacklist by such critics as Paul Krugman; however, others claim some Clear Channel stations continued to play the band longer than some other companies.<ref>Gabriel Rossman, "Elites, Masses, and Media Blacklists: The Dixie Chicks Controversy", ''Social Forces'': 83 (2004): 61–78.</ref>

In 2005, Clear Channel-owned [[KTVX]] was the only local television station in [[Salt Lake City]] that refused to air a paid political message of [[Cindy Sheehan]] against the [[war in Iraq]] during a visit by President Bush.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=TV station refuses to air anti-war ad days before Bush visit |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-20-bush-ad_x.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |date=August 20, 2005 |access-date=January 13, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716180633/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-20-bush-ad_x.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 8, 2014, the FCC was asked to respond to a political programming complaint made against an iHeartMedia owned broadcast licensee, Capstar TX LLC by supporters of [[Milwaukee]] mayor [[Tom Barrett (Wisconsin politician)|Tom Barrett]], that year's Democratic candidate for [[Governor of Wisconsin]]. Capstar would not offer free airtime on [[WISN (AM)|WISN radio]] (a station which only features local and national conservative talk shows) to respond to statements supporting Republican Governor [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]]. Walker's supporters had received free airtime from WISN for political purposes. Barrett supporters based their complaint on WISN's violation of the [[Zapple doctrine]]. The FCC responded by rescinding the Zapple doctrine as a no longer enforceable component of the [[Fairness Doctrine]].