Clear Channel Heads For Subscription Radio Wednesday, March 2, 2011 By Jerry Del Colliano Bob Pittman has just spent some of Clear Channel’s money to buy a company that is on the ropes – Thumbplay, a $10 monthly streaming music service that only attracted 20,000 subscribers in its first year of existence. Streaming subscription music services are yesterday’s news, fraught with problems but the jubilant Pittman says his acquisition is only step one. This article looks at Pittman’s strategy and tries to make sense of his thinking: 1.  Why buy a failed music subscription service? 2.  Pittman is going after Pandora but not the way you might think.  His acquisition of Thumbplay can never exceed Pandora’s audience (now at over 75 million subscribers).  But Pittman is envious about this one thing that Pandora has that could hurt terrestrial radio. 3.  While Pandora looks to get into local radio with non-music formats, is Pittman’s move a Wall Street money guy flexing his investors’ dollars or is it a sound strategy? 4.  Pittman’s game plan – projected and out of his own mouth. 5.  An option Pittman didn’t think of, but you can have it.  I explain the strategy here. This article is about the biggest radio company’s first, high profile move into the digital future and examines what is good about it and the mistakes you will want to avoid. If you would like to read this story, have access to my entire archive (over 1,200 pieces) and get the next month of my writing included, click “read more” for your choices.  Read more at Inside Music Media You are receiving this email because you are a subscriber to Inside Music Media Click here to unsubscribe or manage your account.