Clear Channel Communications, which owns SFX Entertainment, will soon bring its broad radio and entertainment network resources to bear in developing a national identification program for children.

Clear Channel's Clear Cause Marketing will team with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to sponsor the National Child Identification Program, "a community service initiative developed to record pertinent information about children for use by law enforcement officials in cases of abduction or runaways."

A company statement describe the program, where "parents collect specific information by easily recording the physical characteristics and inkless fingerprints of their children on identification cards." This material is that kept by the parent or guardian.

AFCA and Clear Cause aim to reach "every school age child in the state of Texas by the year-end 2000," and "over sixty million children across the United States within the next three years by utilizing Clear Channel's vast media resources including radio, outdoor, television, Internet and entertainment."

Clear Channel president and chief operating officer Mark Mays said, "The identification kits are a great tool and will be very instrumental in re-uniting children with their families." As reported earlier, after an aggressive acquisitions campaign in sports and entertainment, SFX Entertainment established an early lead in marketing “live experiential” events. SFX develops and manages touring Broadway shows, and sells Broadway subscription series and individual productions in 55 markets. An integrated franchise that promotes and produces a broad variety of live entertainment events locally, regionally and nationally, SFX has 122 venues overall, and owns or operates venues in 31 of the top 50 domestic markets.

SFX was acquired by Clear Channel on Aug. 1. Clear Channel has also purchased radio broadcaster AMFM, netting the company a total of 874 radio and 19 television stations in the United States, with equity interests in over 240 radio stations around the world. In its other significant business, Clear Channel operates more than 700,000 outdoor advertising displays,including billboards, street furniture and transit panels.

-- By Murdoch McBride