Thursday, April 21, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Ukraine Refugees Top 5 Million


RUSSIA BOMBARDS LAST UKRAINIAN STRONGHOLD IN MARIUPOL: Russia continued to relentlessly bombard a sprawling steel plant in Mariupol Wednesday, the last Ukrainian stronghold in the devastated city, where Russia estimates a few thousands Ukrainian troops remain and where Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy said some 1,000 civilians were also trapped. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said an attempt to open a safe corridor for women, children and the elderly to evacuate failed because Russians didn't observe a cease-fire. Meanwhile, the U.N. refugee agency estimated yesterday that more than five million people have now fled Ukraine since the Russia invasion on February 24th.

Ukraine said Russia was continuing to launch attacks in the eastern part of the country, with Zelenskyy saying in his nightly video address yesterday, "the occupiers aren’t abandoning their attempts to score at least some victory by launching a new, large-scale offensive." Russia said it had given Ukraine a draft document with its demands for ending the war, just days after President Vladimir Putin said the talks were at a, quote, "dead end," Zelenskyy said he hadn't seen or heard of the proposal, even though one of his top advisers said Ukraine was reviewing it.

President Biden is set to announce plans today to send Ukraine more military aid, with AP saying the new package is expected to be around the same size as the $800 million package he announced last week. It includes heavy artillery and ammunition needed for the fight in the eastern Donbas region, and is part of a stepped-up commitment of heavier military material from Western nations. Zelensky said that Ukraine's allies have, quote, "come to understand our needs better," and they are receiving new shipments of Western weapons now, "not in weeks or in a month."

Source: Ukraine Government

Russia Test Launches New ICBM: Russia reported the first successful test launch of a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat yesterday, amid the heightened global tensions over their war in Ukraine. Putin claimed it can overcome any missile defense system and make those who threaten Russia, quote, "think twice." However, the U.S. called the test routine and said it wasn't considered a threat.

DOJ TO APPEAL TRAVEL MASK MANDATE RULING AFTER CDC SAYS NEEDED: The Justice Department is appealing a federal judge's order Monday that ended the federal travel mask mandate for planes, trains and in travel hubs, acting after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked them to do so yesterday. The CDC said the mandate, quote, "remains necessary for the public health." It's unclear if the administration will ask for an emergency stay to immediately reimpose the mask mandate, as most airlines, airports and many public transit systems lifted their mandates in the hours after the ruling. The mask mandate had been due to expire Monday, the same day as the judge's ruling, but the CDC had extended it before the judge's order until May 3rd to allow more time to study the omicron subvariant that's now responsible for most U.S. Covid-19 cases.

 
➤EXCHANGE OF FIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL, PALESTINIAN MILITANTS IN GAZA: There was an exchange of fire between Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and Israel early Thursday, with the militants firing several rockets into southern Israel and Israeli aircraft firing on and hitting militant targets in Gaza. The strikes across the border escalated tensions that have been heightened in recent weeks after a series of deadly attacks by Palestinian gunmen on civilians in Israel and Israeli military operations in the West Bank in response, as well as clashes between Israelis and Palestinians at the Al Aqsa compound. In the latest incident before the cross-border fire, there was a march of Israeli ultra-nationalists Wednesday toward predominantly Palestinian areas around Jerusalem’s Old City.

➤SECRET SERVICE KILLS INTRUDER AT PERUVIAN AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE: U.S. Secret Service officers fatally shot an intruder who was smashing windows at the residence of the Peruvian ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C., yesterday. Authorities said the ambassador and his family were inside the residence when they heard windows being smashed just before 8 a.m. and called the Secret Service. Officers responded and found a man with a metal stake in the rear yard and used a Taser to try to stop him, but it didn't appear to have any effect on him, according to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee. The officers then shot the man, who died at the scene. His identity has not been released. Investigators are still trying to find out why the man was at the home and why he was smashing the windows.📲STUDY..CUTTING YOUR SMARTPHONE USE BY JUST ONE HOUR A DAY MAKES YOU LESS ANXIOUS:  Could you bear to cut your smartphone use down? Researchers from Germany found cutting smartphone use by just one hour per day left people feeling less anxious, more satisfied with life, and made them more likely to exercise. Participants who used their phones for one hour less a day for the week-long experiment also reported reduced symptoms of depression, and lowered nicotine consumption. Participants who abstained from using their phones completely for the duration of the experiment reported they used their smartphones an average of 38 minutes less per day even four months after the experiment ended. Study leader Dr. Julia Brailovskaia says, “It’s not necessary to completely give up the smartphone to feel better.”



➤BIDEN TO ATTACH WH CORRESPONDENCE DINNER: President Biden will attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner later this month, the first time the sitting president will be there since 2016 in then-President Barack Obama's final year in office. Donald Trump chose not to go when he was president, and it was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The organization tweeted the news that Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will be at the April 30th dinner, which will honor the First Amendment. The Daily Show host Trevor Noah will be the event's entertainer. For the 2019 dinner, an historian was chosen to speak, breaking the tradition of having a comedian perform and roast the president, members of his administration and the media, and joke about current events, after there'd been criticism of some of the sharp jabs by comics who'd recently hosted. For this year's dinner, the association is requiring that all attendees be fully vaccinated and show a negative result from a rapid Covid-19 test taken earlier in the day.

🐶STUDY...DOGS REALLY DO HATE GOING TO THE VET:  Dogs aren’t faking it—they do not like going to the vet. University of Adelaide researchers found some dogs’ average heart rate doubled between the time they spent in the waiting room and the time they spent on the examination table during a trip to the veterinarian. They also found that elevated heart rate was correlated with fearful body language, and that female dogs were more fearful during their vet visits than male dogs were. The scientists hope the findings will encourage veterinary staff and dog owners to take extra precautions to help reassure dogs during examinations.


⚾CAPITOL BRIEFLY EVACUATED DUE TO NATIONALS' PRE-GAME PARACHUTE DEMONSTRATION: The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated around 6:30 p.m. yesterday evening over what police said was a, quote, "probable threat" from an aircraft that was circling in heavily restricted airspace close to the Capitol. However, the plane turned out to have members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights on board, who went on to parachute into Nationals Parks for a demonstration before the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blamed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), saying in a statement that its, quote, "apparent failure to notify Capitol Police of the pre-planned flyover Nationals Stadium is outrageous and inexcusable."

🏀NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday:
  • Boston Celtics 114, Brooklyn Nets 107 - Boston leads series 2-0
  • Philadelphia 76ers 104, Toronto Raptors 101 (OT) - Philly star Joel Embiid made a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime for the win. - Philadelphia leads series 3-0
  • Chicago Bulls 114, Milwaukee Bucks 110 - Series tied 1-1
🏀SUNS' BOOKER HAS HAMSTRING STRAIN, UNCLEAR FOR REST OF FIRST-ROUND: The Phoenix Suns said yesterday that their star guard Devin Booker has a "mild" right hamstring strain, which he suffered in Game 2 of the Suns' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday. It's unclear if or when Booker will be able to return for the rest of the series, which is tied at 1-1 with Game 3 on Friday. Booker is Phoenix's leading scorer.

🏒CAPITALS' OVECHKIN OLDEST WITH 50 GOALS IN A SEASON: Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 49th and 50th goals of the season last night in a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, becoming, at age 36, the oldest NHL player ever with 50 goals in a season. It was also the ninth time in his career that Ovechkin scored 50 goals, tying Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most in NHL history.

⚾MARINERS MANAGER SERVAIS OUT WITH COVID-19: Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais will be away from the team after taking positive for Covid-19, as will be third base coach Manny Acta. Both were out starting with yesterday's game against the Texas Rangers, which Seattle won 4-2. First base coach Kristopher Negrón is filling in as acting manager. Also put on the Covid list from Seattle yesterday was pitcher Paul Sewald, joining outfielder Mitch Haniger and catcher/designated hitter Luis Torrens.

🏀WRIGHT RETIRES AS VILLANOVA BASKEBALL COACH: Hall of Fame Villanova basketball head coach Jay Wright announced last night that he's retiring after 21 seasons with the school, the shocking news coming after he'd just led the team to the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament. Villanova had two national championships under Wright, in 2016 and 2018, and went to four Final Fours. Wright had a 520-197 record at Villanova and a 642-282 record overall, including his years coaching Hofstra from 1994 to 2001. Kyle Neptune, who was on the Villanova coaching staff before accepting the head coach position at Fordham in 2021, is returning to replace Wright.

🎾WIMBLEDON BANS TENNIS PLAYERS FROM RUSSIA, BELARUS:  The All England Club announced yesterday that players from Russia and Belarus will be banned from Wimbledon, one of tennis' four Grand Slam tournaments, this year over the war in Ukraine. Wimbledon begins June 27th. 

Several high-ranking players are among those banned, including world Number 2 Daniil Medvedev, the reigning U.S. Open champion, and Number 8 Andrey Rublev among the men, and world Number 4 Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, a former Number 1, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the French Open runner-up last year among the women. 

The All England Club said, "It is our responsibility to play our part in the widespread efforts . . . to limit Russia’s global influence through the strongest means possible." The ATP men's tour and WTA women's tour criticized the decision. The French Open next month will be the first tennis Grand Slam tournament since Russia invaded Ukraine. It's expected to allow players from Russia and Belarus, but as "neutral" athletes who aren't allowed to represent their countries. 

Russian athletes have been prevented in competing in many sports since the invasion, and athletes from Belarus have also often been banned because Belarus has been helping Russia in the war.

🏈HASKINS' WIFE TOLD 911 HE WAS WALKING TO GET GAS ON MORNING HE WAS FATALLY HIT ON HIGHWAY: Audio released by the Broward County Sheriff's office in Florida yesterday (April 20th) revealed that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins' wife said in a 911 call that he was walking to get gas on the morning he was fatally hit by a dump truck on Interstate 595 in Fort Lauderdale. Kalabrya Haskins told the 911 operator that her husband called her early on April 9th and said he was getting out of his vehicle to get gas and that he would call her back when he returned to the car. When she didn't hear back from him, she called 911 and ask that dispatch check on him. A report has determined that Haskins was improperly in the roadway when he was hit, and the driver of the dump truck wasn't found to have taken any actions that contributed to the accident. He was also hit by a second car that tried to avoid him, but partially hit him, according to the report.



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Boston Radio: WEEI-FM's Meghan Ottolini Promoted To PM Drive

Meghan Ottolini
Audacy has announced Meghan Ottolini as afternoon show co-host on WEEI-FM) in Boston. Ottolini will join “Merloni & Fauria” and be heard weekdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, beginning May 4. Ottolini had previously been serving as a part-time host on the station since January 2021.

“Meghan is a rising star in this industry and we are very excited to have her join ‘Merloni & Fauria’ each afternoon, said Mike Thomas, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Audacy Boston. “Writing is a passion of Meghan's and she will be able to continue to do that for our station’s website, enabling her to create can't miss content for Boston sports fans – both on air and online.”

“I’m thrilled to join WEEI and work alongside Lou [Merloni] and Christian [Fauria] delivering premier sports talk coverage in the best sports city in the country,” said Ottolini. “This opportunity is such a privilege and I look forward to having a lot of fun in this next chapter of my career.”

Ottolini is a multi-platform sports broadcaster, having most recently served as a multimedia reporter for the Boston Herald since 2017. Additionally, she was an on-air talent for NBC Sports Boston’s “Quick Slants” television program. She also served as a host, reporter and editor for CRNtv in Framingham, MA from 2012 to 2017.
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Appeals Court Will Let California Net Neutrality Ruling Stand

A U.S. Court of Appeals on Wednesday said it will not reconsider its decision in January to uphold California's net neutrality law.

Reuters reports a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in January ruled 3-0 that a 2017 decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reverse federal internet protections could not bar state action, rejecting a challenge from telecom and broad industry groups to block California's net neutrality law, which aims to protect the open internet.

The appeals court on Wednesday rejected a petition for a rehearing by the full court. Andrew Jay Schwartzman, a senior counselor at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society said it was "notable that not a single judge on the nation’s largest court of appeals even asked for a vote on the industry’s rehearing petition." Telecom groups could now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.

The court in January said since the FCC reclassified internet services in 2017 as more lightly regulated information services, the commission "no longer has the authority to regulate in the same manner that it had when these services were classified as telecommunications services."

A lower court judge refused to block California's net neutrality law from taking effect after the Justice Department withdrew its separate legal challenge to California's state law in February 2021. read more

California's 2018 law barred internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic, or offering paid fast lanes, but it only took effect last year.

The FCC under former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, had adopted net neutrality rules in 2015. They were overturned in 2017 by the FCC under President Donald Trump, a Republican. California's legislature responded by adopting a state law requiring net neutrality in August 2018.

Supporters of net neutrality rules argue that the protections ensure a free and open internet. Broadband and telecoms trade groups contend their legal basis from the pre-internet era was outdated and would discourage investment.

The FCC remains divided 2-2. Democrats have been unable to launch proceedings to reinstate net neutrality. In March, the Senate Commerce Committee voted 14-14 to advance the nomination of Gigi Sohn to serve on the FCC. The full U.S. Senate must hold a "discharge" vote on the nominations in addition to a final confirmation vote.

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Benztown Unveils List Of Radio's Top 50 Imaging Voices


Benztown, a global leader in radio imaging, voiceover, programming, podcasting and jingles, today released its eighth annual Benztown 50 List of Radio’s Biggest Imaging Voices, the radio industry’s exclusive listing of the top 50 voiceover artists in the U.S. and Canada. Benztown enlisted P1 Media Group to compile and analyze industry data that was the foundation for the list.

The Benztown 50 list for 2021 reflects increased industry participation and interest, with more than 300 U.S. and Canadian radio groups providing information for this prestigious annual list. The Benztown 50 was analyzed and evaluated by P1 Media Group’s proprietary algorithm, and is based on several criteria, including number of radio station affiliates, station size and market.

A special highlight of this year’s Benztown 50 is the presentation of the voiceover industry’s highest honor, the Chris Corley Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented to legendary voiceover talent, Dave Foxx. 

A multi-year Benztown 50 honoree, Foxx is currently the voice of nearly 60 radio stations across the U.S. and around the world from Durbin to Cork, Columbo to Amsterdam, Nairobi and Mombasa to London, Beirut, Grand Cayman and New York. Foxx started his radio career as a DJ and part-time producer at KAYK-AM/FM in Provo, UT, followed by a 10-year stint as DJ and producer at WPGC in Washington, D.C. Just before PGC switched formats from CHR to Urban, he moved to B-104 (now Z-104) in Baltimore, MD, as Midday personality and de facto Production Director. Six months later, he got the call from New York’s world-famous Z100, where right away, he jumped into the Production Director’s chair and within a few months, the Creative Services Director position, where he stayed for 30 years.
 


Dave “Chachi” Denes, President of Benztown, said: “The best voiceover captures and holds listeners’ attention and defines the very best brands in a memorable and instantly recognizable way. As an industry leader in producing the highest quality radio voiceover, imaging and audio branding, Benztown is proud to recognize our industry’s most accomplished voiceover talent across the U.S. and Canada. 

"Eight years ago when we launched the Benztown 50, our goal was to celebrate the top voiceover professionals in our industry and highlight the important role that voiceover talent plays in connecting with audiences and building powerful audio brands. In an environment where there is more competition for consumer attention than at any other time in history, compelling voiceover has never been more essential to high-performing audio brands. We congratulate the incredibly talented and dedicated people who comprise this year’s Benztown 50 and honor them for continuing to raise the bar for outstanding achievement in voiceover and audio branding.”

Denes added: “It is also our tremendous privilege to present the inimitable Dave Foxx with the Chris Corley Lifetime Achievement Award for his significant contributions to our industry and profession.”
➦The Story Continues Here..
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Consulting Group Smith Richards Collective Launches

Steve Smith, Tim Richards, Heidi McIvor-Allen

Veteran radio senior executives Steve Smith and Tim Richards and digital marketing strategist Heidi McIvor-Allen announce that they have joined forces to launch a new radio consulting group, the Smith Richards Collective. 

The Smith Richards Collective brings deep radio operations, programming, and digital marketing experience to radio stations and groups, with a fresh approach and innovative strategies to help stations grow their audience and revenues, while saving money.

Steve Smith, Partner, Smith Richards Collective, said: "At the most comprehensive level, SRC has the ability to assist in programming an entire cluster or group of stations in ALL FORMATS. We’re approaching the industry in a way that fits today’s needs."

Tim Richards, Partner, Smith Richards Collective, noted: “This is a full-service venture offering a wide spectrum of services that can be tailored to each client's unique needs with the goal of improving the product while achieving immediate savings.”

In addition to podcast and radio talent coaching services, the Smith Richards Collective offers full-service white glove consulting for radio stations and groups. Services include brand growth and strategy, music strategy and scheduling, production, imaging and talent services – including locating quality tracked talent and station voice talent, audience targeting and contesting, and reviewing and improving ratings through a dedicated team focused on ratings analysis and tactics to market to the listeners that matter most.

Tim Richards’ successful radio career spans over 30 years, with stops in Tucson (KRQ), Boston (WBMX), Detroit (WKQI), Chicago (Q101) and Phoenix (KZZP, KALV, KMLE). He has worked with many of the industry’s best talent and brands, including Mojo in the Morning, Johnjay and Rich and The Morning Mess.

Steve Smith has more than 34 years of major market radio experience, and he has left a trail of success everywhere he goes. During Steve’s 11-year run as VP of Programming at Cox Media Group, the company enjoyed close to 70% of their full signal stations in the top 5 among 25-54 adults in all formats. Prior to Cox, Steve was SVP of Programming for Clear Channel/iHeart Media, SVP of Programming at AM/FM, and VP/Programming at Emmis Broadcasting. He is also a two-time Billboard Consultant of the Year. Smith has extensive experience coaching and developing top-tier, award-winning morning shows and talent, including Ryan Seacrest, Bigboy, Johnjay and Rich, Brooke and Jubal, Miguel and Holly, Rickey Smiley and more.

Tim Richards’ separate service, Audience Targeting Strategy, continues to be available to stations through Benztown.
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Audacy Observes Earth Day With 45 Volunteer Events


Audacy announced it will conduct 45 volunteer events nationwide to celebrate Earth Day as part of its 1Day1Thing Sustainability Initiative. 

The series of events, which will engage employees across the company, aim to make a positive impact on the communities in which the company serves and the planet. Projects including tree planting, park and waterway cleanups, recycling projects and habitat restoration, among others.

“We pride ourselves on our relentless commitment to supporting the health and success of the communities that are at the heart of our business, and we’re thrilled to unite our teams across the country to do some good for our planet,” said Jaimie Field, Director of Sustainability, Audacy. “Sustainability is a focal point of our Audacy Serves initiative, and we’re looking forward to leveraging these actions this Earth Day to make a lasting impact on our environment, both today and for generations to come.”

Local partnerships include Grow NYC in New York City, Fairmount Park Conservancy in Philadelphia, Anacostia Watershed Society in Washington D.C., Grow Good Gardens in Los Angeles, and Washington Park and the Nature Conservancy in Chicago. For a full list of what each Audacy team is doing as part of the companywide 1Thing Sustainability Initiative, please visit https://audacyinc.com/1day1thing-events/.

Audacy Serves is Audacy’s social impact platform dedicated to supporting the health and success of the communities that are the heart of its business. As the nation’s audio influencer, Audacy uses its voice to raise awareness of social issues, bringing communities together for good. The company unites with its listeners, brands and employees to create positive impact through six pillars of commitment: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Civic Education, the Environment, Mental Health, Children’s Health and Veterans & Service Members
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April 21 Radio History


➦In 1940... The radio quiz program, “Take It or Leave It” aired on CBS. Contestants were offered a top prize of $64 by Bob Hawk. Losers left as there were no lovely parting gifts or consolation prizes.

"Take It or Leave It" was a very popular radio quiz show in America during its run. The title was derived from the fact that each time a contestant answers a question correctly, he or she will be asked to either "Take" his/her winnings and walk away, or "Leave" it and proceed with the next question.

The show ran for 10 years on CBS (1940-1947) and NBC (1947-1950), and was hosted by Bob Hawk (1940-1941), Phil Baker (1941-1947), Garry Moore (1947-1949), Eddie Cantor (1949-1950), and Jack Paar (1950). It became the precursor of another American game show called "The $64,000 Question" on NBC Radio.

➦In 1960…Dick Clark testified before a congressional committee investigating payola.

Dick Clark
In 1950, there were approximately 250 disc jockeys in the U.S. By 1957, the number had grown to over 5,000. The increase was partially due to the sheer amount of new records being produced, both by major and indie labels. As the name suggests, a disc jockey was responsible for sorting through all these releases (naturally, the sorting was influenced by payola). These on-air personalities had so much clout with younger listeners, Time magazine called them the “poo-bahs of musical fashion and pillars of U.S. low- and middle-brow culture.”

Aware of their rising status, jocks established flat rate deals with labels and record distributors. A typical deal for a mid-level DJ was $50 a week, per record, to ensure a minimum amount of spins. More influential jocks commanded percentages of grosses for local concerts, lavish trips, free records by the boxful (some even opened their own record stores), plus all the time-honored swag. As Cleveland DJ Joe Finan later described the decade, “It was a blur of booze, broads and bribes.”

Clark admitted that over a period of 28 months he'd had a financial interest in 27 percent of the records he played on his "American Bandstand" TV show. Clark was ordered to sell off some of his conflicting interests, but had his name cleared -- unlike disc jockey Alan Freed, who refused to admit that payola was an illegal or immoral practice.

Alan Freed and Dick Clark both played important parts in the rise of rock ’n’ roll (Freed embodied the incendiary spirit of the music more than Clark, refusing to play white cover versions of black songs, such as Pat Boone’s “Tutti Frutti”). And though they both denied ever accepting payola, it’s almost impossible to imagine two young, popular jocks not succumbing to a little temptation. Guilty or not, it was Freed who ended up taking the fall for DJs everywhere.

Why did the committee single him out? Freed was abrasive. He consorted with black R&B musicians. He jive talked, smoked constantly and looked like an insomniac. Clark was squeaky clean, Brylcreemed, handsome and polite. At least on the surface. Once the grilling started, Freed’s friends and allies in broadcasting quickly deserted him. He refused—“on principle”—to sign an affidavit saying that he’d never accepted payola. WABC fired him, and he was charged with 26 counts of commercial bribery. Freed escaped with fines and a suspended jail sentence. He died five years later, broke and virtually forgotten.

Previous to the trial, Dick Clark had wisely divested himself of all incriminating connections (he had part ownership in seven indie labels, six publishers, three record distributors and two talent agencies). He got a slap on the wrist by Committee chairman Oren Harris, who called him “a fine young man.” As Clark told Rolling Stone in 1989, the lesson he learned from the payola trial was: “Protect your ass at all times.” Surprisingly candid words from the eternal teenager.

After Freed went down in 1960, Congress amended the Federal Communications Act to outlaw “under-the-table payments and require broadcasters to disclose if airplay for a song has been purchased.” Payola became a misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison.

➦In 1982...The TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” aired for the final time after four seasons and 90 episodes.

WKRP in Cincinnati featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta. Many of the characters and even some of the stories are based on people and events at WQXI.

The ensemble cast consists of Gary Sandy (as Andy Travis), Howard Hesseman (Johnny Fever), Gordon Jump (Arthur Carlson), Loni Anderson (Jennifer Marlowe), Tim Reid (Venus Flytrap), Jan Smithers (Bailey Quarters), Richard Sanders (Les Nessman) and Frank Bonner (Herb Tarlek).

The series received 10 Emmy Award nominations, including three for Outstanding Comedy Series.


WKRP premiered September 18, 1978, on the CBS television network, and aired for four seasons and 90 episodes through April 21, 1982. Starting in the middle of the second season, CBS repeatedly moved the show around its schedule, contributing to lower ratings and its eventual cancellation.

The station's new program director, Andy Travis, tries to turn around struggling radio station WKRP by switching its format from dated easy listening music to rock and roll, despite the well-meaning efforts of the mostly incompetent staff: bumbling station manager Arthur Carlson, greasy sales manager Herb Tarlek, and clueless news director Les Nessman. To help bolster ratings, Travis hires a new disc jockey, New Orleans native Gordon Sims (who takes on the on-air persona of Venus Flytrap); and allows spaced-out former major market DJ Dr. Johnny Fever, already doing mornings in the easy listening format as John Caravella, to be himself. Rounding out the cast are super receptionist Jennifer Marlowe and enthusiastic junior employee Bailey Quarters. Lurking in the background and making an occasional appearance is ruthless business tycoon Lillian Carlson, the station's owner and the mother of Arthur Carlson.

➦In 1998...radio-TV host Peter Lind Hayes died at age 82. He and his wife Mary Healey appeared together in latter day radio & early TV, and costarred in the 1960 sitcom Peter Loves Mary.  Together they introduced the commercial jingle ‘See the USA in Your Chevrolet’ in 1950, two years before Dinah Shore made it her own.  He was also the "designated substitute" for Arthur Godfrey on both his CBS-TV and radio programs.

➦In 1998...Giant Records distributed Brian Wilson‘s album “Imagination” to four U-S radio stations via the internet. It was the first time the internet was used to distribute a song to radio.

➦In 2016...Singer-songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, philanthropist, dancer and record producer known as Prince, died from an accidental fentanyl overdose at his Minnesota home.  He was aged 57.

➦In 2016...Blues-rock artist Lonnie Mack died of natural causes at age 74.

Tony Danza is 71
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

  • Actor Elaine May is 90. 
  • Singer Iggy Pop is 75. 
  • Actor Patti LuPone is 73. 
  • Actor Tony Danza is 71. 
  • Actor James Morrison (“24”) is 68. 
  • Actor Andie MacDowell is 64. 
  • Singer Robert Smith of The Cure is 63. 
  • Guitarist Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies is 63. 
  • Nicole Sullivan is 52
    Actor-director John Cameron Mitchell (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”) is 59. 
  • Rapper Michael Franti of Spearhead is 56. 
  • Actor Leslie Silva (“In the Dark,” ″Providence”) is 54. 
  • Actor Toby Stephens (“Die Another Day”) is 53. 
  • Singer Glen Hansard is 52. 
  • Comedian Rob Riggle is 52. 
  • Comedian Nicole Sullivan (“King of Queens”) is 52. 
  • Guitarist David Brenner of Theory of a Deadman is 44. 
  • Actor James McAvoy (“The Last King of Scotland,” ″The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 43. 
  • Actor Terrence J (“Think Like a Man”) is 40. 
  • Actor Christoph Sanders (“Last Man Standing”) is 34. 
  • Actor Frank Dillane (“Fear the Walking Dead”) is 31. 
  • Singer Sydney Sierota of Echosmith is 25.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Not Good: All External Marketing Stopped For CNN+


Warner Bros. Discovery has suspended all external marketing spend for CNN+ and has laid off CNN's longtime chief financial officer as it weighs what to do with the subscription streaming service moving forward, five sources tell Axios.

Inside CNN, executives think the launch has been successful. Discovery executives disagree.  CNN+ has roughly 150,000 subscribers so far.

Warner Bros. Discovery wants to eventually build one giant service around HBO Max.

New leadership has replaced CNN CFO Brad Ferrer with Neil Chugani, Discovery's current CFO for streaming and international, as part of a broader finance team restructuring. Other high-level positions at WarnerMedia across different business functions are likely to be eliminated to cut costs and streamline leadership in coming weeks.

What to watch: Sources say a plan is being considered to replace Chris Cuomo's 9:00pm EST primetime slot with a live newscast, instead of personality-driven perspective programming.

Executives are frustrated that new leadership is moving quickly to dismantle what they see as an eventual lifeline for the cable network.

Discovery executives are frustrated that the service launched. If CNN held off launching CNN+ until after the merger, it would have been easier to pivot the company's efforts towards something better aligned with Discovery's goals.

The big picture: Blame bad timing, limited communications and misaligned incentives for how CNN and Discovery got strategically misaligned on such a massive product rollout.

Fearing regulatory scrutiny, former WarnerMedia former parent AT&T and Discovery avoided direct communication about CNN's strategy until the deal officially closed.

While Discovery executives felt they made their priorities publicly clear, CNN executives didn't feel corporate pressure from WarnerMedia to pause the rollout, according to four WarnerMedia sources.

Former CNN head Jeff Zucker's sudden exit in early February didn't help solve for some of those communications issues.

CNN's new leader, Chris Licht, doesn't officially begin until May 2nd, but has joined Zaslav on meetings.

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TV Ratings: NBA Playoffs Score For ABC, ESPN


The NBA playoffs have begun with no clear championship favorite, and that appears to be good news for ABC and ESPN.

The opening-round schedule of five games last weekend on the networks had more viewers than any playoff start since 2011, and its average of 4.17 million was up 32% over last year, reports The Associated Press citing Nielsen company data.

Leading the way was the instant classic between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, with 6.9 million viewers Sunday afternoon, making it the most-watched first round game since 2016, Nielsen said. Viewership peaked at 9.8 million when the Celtics hit a last-second layup to win 115-114.

Among the broadcast networks, CBS led the way last week with an average of 4.5 million viewers in prime time. ABC had 3.5 million, NBC had 3 million, Fox had 2.8 million, Univision had 1.4 million, Ion Television had 1 million and Telemundo had 800,000.

📺TOP 20 PRIME-TIME SHOWS (TOTAL VIEWERS):

1. “FBI,” CBS, 7.39 million.

2. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 7.12 million.

3. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 7.11 million.

4. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 6.85 million.

5. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 6.77 million.

6. “The Equalizer,” CBS, 6.64 million.

7. “Ghosts,” CBS, 5.96 million.

8. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 5.92 million.

9. “FBI: International,” CBS, 5.79 million.

10. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 5.64 million.

11. “FBI: Most Wanted,” CBS, 5.43 million.

12. “CMT Music Awards,” CBS, 5.33 million.

13. “American Idol” (Monday), ABC, 5.31 million.

14. “American Idol” (Sunday), ABC, 5.27 million.

15. “Survivor,” CBS, 5.08 million.

16. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 5.07 million.

17. “911,” Fox, 5.06 million.

18. “United States of Al,” CBS, 4.91 million.

19. NBA Playoffs: Chicago at Milwaukee, Turner, 4.77 million.

20. “Law & Order: SVU,” NBC, 4.74 million.


📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS:

ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening news ratings with an average of 8 million viewers last week. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 6.6 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.6 million.

With its performance this past week, ABC’s evening newscast has now defeated its competition from NBC and CBS 176 of the past 177 weeks in average total viewers—and 105 of the last 107 weeks among adults 25-54.


📺LATE NIGHT TV

📺CABLE TV

Fox News Channel led the cable networks with a prime-time average of 2.24 million viewers. TNT had 1.59 million, ESPN had 1.23 million, MSNBC had 1.16 million and HGTV had 977,000.

Graphics courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

Fox News Channel’s The Five was the most-watched show in all of cable news last week, drawing an average total audience of 3.55 million viewers, remarkable for a show that airs outside of prime time, when viewership is typically at its highest. Forbes reports The Five helped push Fox News to its 40th consecutive week beating the combined audiences of CNN and MSNBC in prime, with an average audience of 2.281 million viewers.

Rachel Maddow’s return to MSNBC’s prime time lineup (though she did announced that in May she would transition to hosting The Rachel Maddow Show just one night a week) drew a total audience of 1.9 million viewers, but trailed the top-rated show in the 9 p.m. hour, Fox News Channel’s Hannity, which delivered a total audience of 3.004 million viewers.

Following The Five, the top-rated shows for the week were Tucker Carlson Tonight (3.401 million viewers), Hannity (3.004 million viewers), Jesse Watters Primetime (2.918 million viewers) and Special Report (2.648 million viewers).

In the key demo of viewers 25-54, the demographic group most valued by advertisers, Tucker Carlson Tonight was first overall with an average audience of 560,000 viewers, followed by The Five (519,000 viewers), Hannity (474,000 viewers), Jesse Watters Primetime (434,000 viewers) and Special Report (409,000 viewers), all airing on Fox News Channel. Rachel Maddow’s return drew an average audience of 220,000 viewers in the key demo.


In the morning day part, Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends easily outdistanced its competition on CNN and MSNBC, drawing an average total audience of 1.442 million viewers and 245,000 viewers in the key demo. CNN’s New Day was third overall with an average audience of 446,000 viewers, but finished second behind Fox & Friends in the key demo with an audience of 108,000 viewers. MSNBC’s Morning Joe took second place overall with 786,000 viewers and finished third among viewers 25-54, with an average audience of 91,000 viewers.
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D/FW Radio: Drew Anderssen Moves To KRLD-AM As PD

Drew Anderssen
Audacy welcomes Drew Anderssen as Brand Manager of Newsradio KRLD 1080 AM and the Texas State Networks (TSN) in Dallas/Fort Worth. In this role, Anderssen will oversee content strategy, talent, operations and branding for the station and networks.

Anderssen most recently was PD for Cox Media's WSB/WSBB-FM in Atlanta.

“We’re delighted to bring Drew aboard to lead KRLD and TSN,” said Brian Purdy, Regional President and Market Manager, Audacy Dallas/Fort Worth. “For over two decades, Drew has proven to be a winning brand leader across multiple formats, which we trust will serve him well as he takes the reins of DFW’s news and information brand.”

“I'm thrilled to join Audacy and work with the phenomenal team at KRLD and the Texas State Networks,” said Anderssen. “This was a tremendous opportunity to return to the city where I grew up and fell in love with radio, and work with such a prestigious brand and decorated team. I'm grateful to Susan Larkin, Jeff Sottolano, Brian Purdy and Gavin Spittle and I can't wait to hit the ground running in the Lone Star State."

For the last 24 years, Anderssen has worked in multiple formats and locations with Cox Media Group, most recently as news/talk/sports format leader and brand manager at 95.5 WSB in Atlanta, GA. He previously served as operations manager in Orlando, FL and Tulsa, OK. Other career stops include Beaumont and Wichita Falls, TX in various roles, including program director across multiple formats.
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R.I.P.: Sid Mark, Iconic Philly Radio Host Of 'The Sounds of Sinatra"


Sid Mark, the Philadelphia-based host of a syndicated radio program featuring the music of Frank Sinarta that lasted more than four decades, died Monday evening, according to The Philadelphia Business Journal citing a reportsfrom his former employer, Audacy. 

He was 88.  

For the past 22 years, Mark’s “Sunday with Sinatra” aired on WPHT 1210  AM from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and he hosted the syndicated “Sounds of Sinatra” for the past 43 years on the Westwood One network, which aired on over 100 stations. Sinatra himself saluted Mark during a 1991 performance at the Spectrum, calling him "one of the best friends I’ve ever had in my life."

“We lost a man who speaks for a living, whose audience has been enraptured by every word — eloquent and articulate,” Audacy Philadelphia Market Manager David Yadgaroff said in a statement. “He presented the music of Frank Sinatra from the standpoint of a friend as well as a fan. As the host of the longest running, single artist, syndicated radio program in America, Sid was the leading authority on Sinatra and his entertainment legacy."

Mark's relationship with Sinatra began in the mid 1960's, Yadgaroff said, allowing him to "offer more than just the remarkable music but insights into Sinatra's career with personal anecdotes and stories behind the timeless music.”

Yadgaroff said when he was breaking into the radio business, he met Mark and instantly built a rapport, with the veteran radio personality serving as a mentor who offered sage advice.

“Decades later, I was honored and thrilled when we had the chance to work together at WPHT," Yadgaroff said. "I would visit him on the weekend at the studio and watch him deliver his legendary show while enjoying the camaraderie and stories. We developed a true friendship and for that I am eternally grateful. I know I speak for everyone when I say this is a profound loss for all of us and Sinatra fans around the world. May his memory be a blessing.”

Born Sidney Mark Fliegelman in Camden, New Jersey, he served as an infantryman for two years during the Korean War. His radio career began 65 years ago in 1956 at 1340 WHAT-AM and 96.5 WHAT-FM Philadelphia, where he first began playing Sinatra music. He would remain at 96.5 in Philadelphia until 2000 missing only one show in 1999 when he underwent open heart surgery. He has also hosted Sinatra-oriented shows for other stations including 610 KFRC San Francisco and 93.1 WPAT-FM New York.

The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Mark into its Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters named him Broadcaster of the Year in 2018.

The Philly Inquirer reports Pierre Robert, the WMMR 93.3 fm deejay who recently celebrated 40 consecutive years on the air, marveled that Mr. Mark could do it for 65 straight years (save for one show he missed in 1999 when he was recovering from open-heart surgery.).

“There are very few legends like Sid,” said Robert, who called Sinatra “the original rock star.”

“First of all, it’s about the loyalty,” he said. “And it’s beyond being an icon. It’s this brilliant, lovely gentleman, this kind, very understated, not flashy guy who really was brilliant.
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Ohio Radio: Marquee Broadcasting To Acquire WHIZ Media Group


The WHIZ Media Group has announced it has sold its media properties in Zanesville to Marquee Broadcasting.  Terms have not been disclosed.

This includes NBC affiliated TV station WHIZ, which dates back to 1953 and four radio stations (WHIZ-AM and its FM transmitter, WHIZ-FM, and WZVL-FM).

WHIZ Media President, Hank Littick stated, “In four generations our family has built a wonderful group of stations during our ownership starting in the print industry and migrating to electronic media. We have been blessed with a wonderful group of employees over the years, they are the heartbeat of everything we do. We were looking for a buyer that was committed to the family atmosphere we have fostered and serving the local communities. Marquee is committed to both, and we know we can trust them to carry on our legacy to the next chapter.”

Marquee CEO Patricia Lane noted “We are excited and privileged to build upon the great foundation that the Littick family built in southeast Ohio. The WHIZ family will be a perfect addition to the Marquee family of stations.”

The sale is being submitted for FCC approval and closing is anticipated to occur later this year.

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Wake-Up Call: Russia Pours More Troops Into Ukraine


Russia sent more troops into Ukraine Tuesday amid its assault in the eastern Donbas region along a front hundreds of miles long, where Moscow has refocused its aims after its failure to take the capital of Kyiv and suffering heavier than expected losses since the late February invasion. AP reported that the eastern cities of Kharkiv and Kramatorsk came under attack, and Russia claimed it hit areas around Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro with missiles, and bombarded Ukrainian military sites in or near several cities of villages.




In Mariupol, which has been under relentless siege since early in the invasion, Ukrainian troops said Russia dropped heavy bombs to flatten what was left of a large steel plant where an estimated few thousand Ukrainian forces were holed up in what's believed to be the last major pocket of resistance in the devastated city. They also said a hospital was hit where hundreds were sheltering.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said is his nightly video address that Russia had most of its combat-ready forces now in Ukraine and just across the border in Russia, stating, "They have driven almost everyone and everything that is capable of fighting us against Ukraine." He also charged that Russia was continuing to target residential areas, despite Moscow's claim of only hitting military sites, declaring, "The Russian army in this war is writing itself into world history forever as the most barbaric and inhuman army in the world."

 

New U.S. Weapons Package: President Biden is expected to announce a new weapons package in the coming days that will include additional artillery and ammunition. This comes after Biden last week approved an $800 million package including more helicopters and the first American artillery. The U.S. has sent about $2.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the invasion.

➤JUSTICE DEPT.: WILL APPEAL JUDGE'S MASK RULING IF CDC SAYS STILL NECESSARY: The U.S. Justice Department said yesterday that it will appeal a Florida federal district judge's ruling that ended the nationwide mask mandate on public transportation only if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believes the mandate is still necessary. However, Justice Department spokesman Anthony Coley also said officials believe that the federal mask order was, quote, "a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health." The CDC hadn't made a determination as of yesterday. The statement was released a day after the judge's ruling, after which major airlines and airports many other transit systems quickly rescinded the mask requirement. Uber and Lyft announced yesterday that masks will be optional. Some places, however, including New York City, Chicago and Connecticut, continued to require masks for mass transit.


➤DISNEY WORLD'S LAST MASK REQUIREMENTS REMOVED: Nearly two years after it reopened on July 11th, 2020, from its coronavirus shutdown, Disney World on Tuesday removed the last of its mask requirements, making masks optional for all visitors at all locations. Masks are still recommended, though not required, for Disney World guests who are not fully vaccinated in indoor locations and enclosed park transportation. Disney World had in February made masks optional for fully vaccinated visitors in all indoor and outdoor locations, with the exception of enclosed transportation, such as the monorail, buses and the sky gondola. Yesterday's rule change removes the transportation exception, and the requirement to be vaccinated to go maskless indoors.

➤PAT ROBERTSON'S WIFE, DEDE ROBERSTON, DEAD AT 94: Dede Robertson, the wife of religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and a founding board member of the Christian Broadcasting Network, died Tuesday, the network announced. She was 94. CBN president and CEO Gordon Robertson, one of the couple's four children, said, "Mom was the glue that held the Robertson family together. . . . If it weren’t for Mom, there wouldn’t be a CBN." Pat Robertson, who ran the network's flagship 700 Club program for 50 years before stepping down last fall, called his wife "a woman of great faith, a champion of the gospel, and a remarkable servant of Christ who has left an indelible print on all that she set her hand to during her extraordinary life."

➤EXPERT SAYS MICHIGAN OFFICER FATALLY SHOT LYOYA IN BACK OF THE HEAD: An expert who performed an independent autopsy for the family of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old man who was killed by a Grand Rapids, Michigan, police officer after an April 4th traffic stop, said Tuesday that the officer pressed his gun against the back of Lyoya's head when he fired the fatal shot. Dr. Werner Spitz confirmed in a news conference what had been shown in video last week, that Lyoya, a refugee from Congo, was shot in the back of the head while facedown on the ground as he struggled with the officer. The officer was on top of Lyoya and can be heard demanding that he take his hand off a police Taser. The official autopsy report is part of the state police investigation and hasn’t been released to the public. The officer's name also hasn't been released.

 

➤N.J. CATHOLIC DIOCESE TO PAY $87.5 MILLION TO SETTLE CLERGY SEX ABUSE CLAIMS: The Catholic diocese of Camden, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle clergy sex abuse claims with some 300 alleged victims in one of the largest cash settlements involving the Catholic church in the U.S. The agreement, which was filed with a U.S. Bankruptcy Court yesterday, must still be approved by a bankruptcy judge. The alleged sexual abuse occurred from the 1950s into the 1990s, but mostly took place in the 1960s and '70s. Bishop Dennis Sullivan said in a statement, "I want to express my sincere apology to all those who have been affected by sexual abuse in our Diocese. My prayers go out to all survivors of abuse and I pledge my continuing commitment to ensure that this terrible chapter in the history of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey never happens again."

➤POLL..AMERICANS EVENLY DIVIDED ON PARTY VOTE: Voters are evenly divided on which political party they'll vote for in a new poll out yesterday taken a little under seven months before the midterm elections. The Politico-Morning Consult poll found that if the election for Congress was held in voters' districts today, 43 percent would most likely vote for the Democratic candidate, while 42 percent would likely vote for the Republican candidate. A separate 16 percent said they had no opinion or didn't know. When broken down by gender, 45 percent of men would vote for the Republicans and 39 percent for the Democrat, while 46 percent of women would choose the Democrat and 38 percent the Republican. When looked at by race, half of white voters would choose the Republican and 38 percent the Democrat, 61 percent of Black voters would choose the Democrat and 12 percent the Republican, and 42 percent of Hispanic voters would choose the Democrat and 32 percent the Republican.

➤STUDY..PRAISING ESSENTIAL WORKERS IS NOT JUST A GOOD THING, IT’S CRITICAL TO THEIR RECOVERY FROM BURNOUT:  We should still be praising essential workers getting us through the pandemic. Researchers from four different US universities find essential workers who receive public praise are energized and recover in healthy ways from the stress of their jobs, while those who don’t receive that praise experience negative emotions and are more likely to drink, smoke, or overeat to recover from work. The study found a significant number of essential workers in less visible fields—corrections officers, sanitation workers, truck drivers—felt the public had expressed no gratitude toward them at all. Researchers say those who felt seen and appreciated were more likely to engage in healthy activities associated with a positive mental state, like exercising, meditating, and spending time outdoors. Study authors say the results demonstrate the importance of public gratitude for essential workers’ long-term health, well-being, and indirectly, the quality of their work. They also said the findings are also applicable beyond COVID-19, to other health crises and disaster situations where essential workers do critical work, as well as to routinely stressful events. Study co-author Sarah Doyle says people should remember that expressions of gratitude are essentially free, and yet they can have a substantial impact on the well-being of essential personnel.




🏀NBA PLAYOFFS: Results from first-round games yesterday:
  • Miami Heat 115, Atlanta Hawks 105 - Miami leads 2 games to 0
  • Memphis Grizzlies 124, Minnesota Timberwolves 96 - Series tied 1-1
  • New Orleans Pelicans 125, Phoenix Suns 114 - Series tied 1-1

🏀PHOENIX STAR BOOKER LEAVES GAME 2 WITH HAMSTRING INJURY: Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker left Game 2 of his team's first-round playoffs match-up against the New Orleans Pelicans in the third quarter last night after suffering a hamstring injury. The Pelicans went on to win the game 125-114, evening up the series at 1-1. Booker had scored 31 points in the first half, but didn't score in the third quarter, and appeared to hurt his right hamstring with 4:45 left in the quarter, immediately leaving the game. Suns coach Monty Williams said after the game that they would have more information today, with Booker expected to undergo testing and treatment. Game 3 is on Friday.

🏀NETS' IRVING FINED $50K FOR OBSCENE GESTURES, LANGUAGE TO CELTICS FANS: The Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving was fined $50,000 by the NBA Tuesday for making obscene gestures and using profane language towards Boston Celtics fans during the Nets' Game 1 playoff loss in Boston Sunday. Irving flipped his middle finger toward fans after making a shot in the third quarter. He said after the game that his actions were in response to fans' jeers that he said crossed the line. Game 2 of the Nets-Celtics series is tonight, also in Boston.

🏀JERRY WEST DEMANDS RETRACTION, APOLOGY OVER HBO'S 'WINNING TIME' PORTRAYAL: Former L.A. Lakers general manager Jerry West has demanded an apology and retraction over his portrayal in HBO's drama series, Winning Time. ESPN reported that in a letter sent yesterday evening (April 19th) to HBO and producer Adam McKay, West's legal team called the portrayal of West a, quote, "baseless and malicious assault" on his character. It also charges that Winning Time, quote, "falsely and cruelly portrays Mr. West as an out-of-control, intoxicated rage-aholic," and says it's a "travesty that HBO has knowingly demeaned him for shock value and the pursuit of ratings." The series is a dramatization based on Jeff Pearlman's book, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.

⚾MLB: MINOR LEAGUE GAMES 20 MINUTES SHORTER WITH PITCH CLOCKS: Major League Baseball said yesterday (April 19th) that minor league games averaged two hours, 39 minutes in the first three days with a pitch clock being used, down 20 minutes from the previous average this season. The pitch clock enforcement began last Friday and data with it included games through Sunday. Rules changes MLB is considering proposing for next season include a 14-second pitch clock with no runners and a 19-second pitch clock with runners.

⚾MLB PADRES TO WEAR AD PATCHES ON UNIFORMS:  The San Diego Padres on Tuesday became the first MLB team to announce a deal for ad patches on their uniforms, saying that Motorola logo patches will be worn on the right sleeves of players' jerseys next season. Under the new collective bargaining agreement reached between MLB and the players' union in March, teams were given the right to have patch ads on players' uniforms and sticker ads on their helmets. Uniform ads will start with the 2023 season, however helmet ads may begin with the year's post-season. Major League Soccer became the first major North American sports league to allow jersey ads in 2007. The NBA started selling sponsorship logos for the 2017-18 season, and the NHL began helmet ads for the 2020-21 season, and jersey ads this season.





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March '22 PPMs: Day 1..NYC, L-A, Chicago +9 More Markets

 👉Nielsen on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 released the first batch of March 2022 PPM data for the following markets:


  1  New York

  2  Los Angeles

  3  Chicago

4  San Francisco

  5  Dallas-Ft. Worth

  6  Houston-Galveston

  8  Atlanta

  9  Philadelphia

20  Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island NY)

26  Riverside-San Bernardino CA

37  San Jose CA

43  Middlesex-Somerset-Union NJ


📻Click Here To View Topline Numbers for Subscribing Nielsen stations.
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