Clear Channel Entertainment made a lot of promises in 2004 when it worked a sweet deal with the money-grubbing Florida State Fair Authority to build a 20,000-seat concert venue on the Fairgrounds. Clear Channel insisted it would be a good corporate neighbor. It pooh-poohed those who worried about the impact of loud rock concerts on nearby homes. It drew designs that showed a low roof to minimize the sound. In the end, it changed those approved designs and built a roof 40 percent higher with a completely different speaker configuration. Hundreds of sound complaints followed, as did legal action, as Clear Channel fought against the county’s Environmental Protection Commission. So who was watching this project to make sure it got built and operated right? The Fair Authority? Hillsborough County officials? No one? Answer: C.
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2005.