CORPORATE

Clear Channel Independent Head Office (entrance)

Clear Channel Independent, is a partnership in equal proportion between Clear Channel Inc of the United States and Independent News and Media PLC of Ireland and the UK, through Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd, in South Africa.
Clear Channel Independent is therefore, as illustrated in this organogram, the holding company of the Outdoor Advertising companies of Clear Channel and Independent in South Africa and 12 other countries of Africa and Nameplate.
Our resident executive commitee include; Barry Sayer (Chief Executive Officer), James Scott (Chief Financial Officer), Bazil Lauryssen (Managing Director - South Africa operation) and Adelaide McKelvey (Sales & Marketing Director).

Clear Channel Outdoor, recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is a global leader in the out-of-home media industry and operates in more than 50 countries across 5 continents. Clear Channel Outdoor operates more than 800,000 billboard, street furniture, transit and point of sale advertising panels around the world, reaching over 500 million people every week. With annual 2004 sales of $2.45 billion, Clear Channel is the world's largest outdoor media company.

Clear Channel is a curious name, though it has nothing to do with the old rock group Credence Clear Water Revival.... but originates from the fact that in the 60’s, when 25 free-to-air cross State border, radio licenses were issued in the USA, they were referred to by the US government as “clear channels”. Today, Clear Channel Incorporated owns 24 of those 25 original clear channel licenses issued.Until recently, Clear Channel’s Outdoor divisions traded in all continents of the world except Africa but had always retained a keen interest in the continent.

In May of 2001, Clear Channel considered the time right to acquire Africa's largest Outdoor Advertising business. The approaches by Clear Channel were welcomed by the then management of Corpcom, as it was considered time to grow from our local roots into a world class company.

We had already advanced well in meeting many of these requirements at the time of the purchase by Clear Channel and Independent, but it seemed inappropriate for us to continue reinventing the wheel, when we could tap into the vast reservoir of Clear Channel Outdoor aids, technology, research, structure design and know-how that is fed in daily from 65 countries, to the Clear Channel Research & Development facility in London, England.
On entering the South African market, Clear Channel was keen to partner Independent Newspapers because of the long relationship that existed between Tony O’Reilly at Independent and Lowry Mays, the founder of Clear Channel.
The two companies already had a successful partnership in Australia in the Street Furniture market, through Adshel Australia and Buspack Australia.
It’s interesting though that Independent Newspapers in their own right are actually the largest Outdoor Advertising group in Australia, through their ownership of the Australian Poster Network.

With this type of expertise within the Independent group, it certainly suited the then management of Corpcom for Independent to be the “running mate” with Clear Channel in our acquisition.