Lowry Mays, the San Antonio entrepreneur who turned Clear Channel Communications, the predecessor to iHeartMedia, into the largest broadcasting conglomerate of the post-consolidation era, died at 87 in his hometown.
, into the largest broadcasting conglomerate of the post-consolidation era, died on Monday at 87 in his hometown.: “We built this company on the foundation and vision created by Lowry Mays. He started it all from a single station in San Antonio — and look at iHeart today.”
Over the next several years the company bought 10 more struggling radio stations and made them profitable, usually by switching the formats to religious or talk programming. Their first non-San Antonio acquisition was KPAC in Port Arthur, Texas, upgraded with a 2,000-ft. tower build near Devers, Texas to cover Houston, but eventually sold.
In January 2003, Mays testified before Congress about the company’s business practices at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the consolidation of media ownership. The Eagles’ Don Henley also participated, representing the Recording Artists’ Coalition, accusing the company of using its clout to coerce artists into promotional deals to benefit its radio and concert divisions.
Mays, a Texas A&M alum, contributed almost $50 million to the university, with its Mays Business School named after him. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2004 in recognition of his impact on the business.
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