Trump Asks Judge to Block BBC Access To Family

President Donald Trump has asked a federal judge to reject the BBC’s bid for court help in obtaining testimony and documents from three family members as part of his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster.

Trump’s personal lawyers argued in a Friday court filing that the BBC is pursuing “politically-driven leverage” by seeking to subpoena daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and son Donald Trump Jr. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz in Miami, who was nominated by Trump and inherited the case less than a week ago, has not yet ruled. 

Jon Gruden Returns To The Broadcast Booth

Jon Gruden returned to the broadcast booth for the first time since 2018 during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 16-15 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night, pairing with Ronde Barber in a nontraditional setup that featured dual analysis rather than conventional play-by-play.

The Athletic reports Gruden, filling in on WFLA-TV because regular play-by-play announcer Chris Myers was assigned to Fox’s IndyCar Freedom 250, worked as the color analyst while Barber handled most of the down-and-distance calls, action setup and break transitions. The result was a somewhat disjointed broadcast that leaned heavily into commentary, resembling the “ManningCast,” with Gruden’s offensive expertise complementing Barber’s defensive insights.

R.I.P.: Shelley Fabares, TV Actress Scored Hit With 'Johnny Angel'

(1944-2026)

Shelley Fabares, the actress known as the wholesome daughter Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, Elvis Presley’s co-star in three films, and Craig T. Nelson’s independent wife on Coach, has died at age 82.

She died Saturday in Los Angeles, her family announced. Survivors include her husband, MASH* actor Mike Farrell, whom she married in 1984.

FNC's Jesse Watters Lands Democrat Progressive for Primetime

Progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed will appear Monday night on Jesse Watters Primetime on Fox News Channel.

El-Sayed, a Democrat seeking the open U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, is scheduled to discuss his campaign and policy positions during the primetime program. The appearance marks a rare crossover for the progressive physician-turned-politician onto a network often critical of left-leaning candidates. El-Sayed, a former Detroit Health Department director and 2018 gubernatorial candidate, has positioned himself as a progressive alternative in the 2026 Senate race. 

Talk Host Scott Jennings May Be ThisClose To TWH Job

Scott Jennings

Salem Media Talk Host/CNN Pundit Scott Jennings has emerged as an early favorite for the next White House press secretary, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, though all stressed the process remains far from complete.

Chief of staff Susie Wiles recently met with Jennings, a CNN contributor, at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Washington, D.C., at the White House’s request, two sources said. 

CNN reports multiple staffers believe he has her backing. “He’s competent and good on TV,” one senior White House official said of the longtime GOP strategist, a former adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell who also served in the George W. Bush administration. Jennings is one of several candidates under consideration. 

Pat Paxton To Exit as SrVP At Saga Communications

Saga Communications Senior VP of Content Pat Paxton is expected to leave the company at the end of August, with Ocala, FL OM Scott Chase and Clarksville, TN OM Ryan Ploeckelman taking over as co-chairs of the programming department under the new titles of Group Program Director.

Paxton remains with Saga through Friday, August 28, to assist with the transition. 

CEO Chris Forgy announced the departure internally on Friday. Paxton then emailed employees that he had been considering stepping away for several months. “I’ve had a long successful career in this business and I’ve loved every second of it,” Paxton wrote. “But I’m not as young as I used to be. I’ve been considering this for a few months and given the challenges Chris mentioned in his email, stepping away now makes perfect sense.” 

Arbitrator Orders WaPo To Rehire Columnist Karen Attiah

The Washington Post must rehire opinion columnist Karen Attiah and pay her back wages after an arbitrator ruled the newspaper lacked good cause to fire her over a social media post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Private arbitrator Sarah Miller Espinosa determined in a written decision Thursday that the Post “did not have good and sufficient cause” to terminate Attiah and “violated” its labor agreement, according to the New York Times. 

Karen Attiah

The ruling also requires the newspaper to compensate her for lost pay.

Attiah, who was dismissed in September, said in a statement that she experienced a “wrongful termination” and hopes the decision “sends a message to journalists and media institutions everywhere that freedom of expression is always worth fighting for.” She added that she is “willing to go back” to work at the Post.

In a Bluesky post responding to public grief over Kirk’s killing, Attiah wrote that “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence.”

The Post’s termination letter said Attiah had harmed “the integrity” of the newspaper and violated company policies requiring employees to use social media with civility.

Good Morning! It's A New Week, Here's The Pulse for Aug 24

 

Radio Broadcasting

Jennings ThisClose: Salem Media Talk Host/CNN Pundit Scott Jennings has emerged as an early favorite for the next White House press secretary, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN, though all stressed the process remains far from complete.

Paxton Exits Saga: Saga Communications Senior VP of Content Pat Paxton is expected to leave the company at the end of August, with Ocala, FL OM Scott Chase and Clarksville, TN OM Ryan Ploeckelman taking over as co-chairs of the programming department under the new titles of Group Program Director.

Mets To Honor Rose: The New York Mets will honor longtime radio broadcaster Howie Rose with a special pregame retirement ceremony on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Citi Field. The tribute will take place before the Mets’ final regular-season home game against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

CA Cancels Merger Talks With PSKY

California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Sunday canceled a Monday meeting with Paramount representatives to discuss settling the state’s lawsuit seeking to block the company’s proposed $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, accusing Paramount of acting in bad faith.

Bonta said Paramount leaked and misrepresented details of a Friday meeting between the parties. “Not only did Paramount leak the alleged substance of settlement discussions, but they misrepresented these discussions, demonstrating a lack of good faith,” he said in a statement to The NYTimes. 

“As soon as Paramount stops playing games and engages sincerely, my office is happy to meet again.”

A Paramount spokeswoman had no immediate comment Monday morning.

The canceled session was intended only as a preliminary discussion, with no guarantee of progress toward a settlement. Still, the prospect of talks had been viewed as a potential breakthrough after Paramount threatened to leave California and Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated a preference for resolving the case.

Paramount’s proposed purchase would combine two major movie studios, multiple streaming services, and the news outlets CNN and CBS News into a single media giant headquartered in Hollywood and employing large numbers of people in Los Angeles. Last month, California led a coalition of 12 state attorneys general in filing suit to block the deal, arguing it would give the combined company excessive market power in cable television and movie studios.

Bonta has said he would accept only structural remedies, such as requiring the sale of parts of the combined business—steps executives are often reluctant to take because of the financial assumptions already built into merger plans.

High Stakes Surround The Disney-FCC Lawsuit

Last week, Disney sued the FCC to block early license reviews for eight ABC-owned television stations, alleging that it is pretense for punishing the company for airing views that President Trump didn't agree with. The FCC has called the review part of its existing investigation into how its diversity, equity and inclusion practices violate federal law.

ABC's lawsuit marks the first time a major broadcaster has taken the Trump-era FCC to court over alleged retaliation for its editorial decisions, marking a notable shift from other media organizations. For Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro, it represents a stark reversal of the company’s more accommodating approach under former CEO Bob Iger, who sought to ease tensions with President Donald Trump.

St. Louis TV: Network Affiliation Move Catches Eye of FCC

FCC Chair Brendan Carr is scrutinizing ABC’s planned switch of its St. Louis affiliate next month, from longtime Sinclair-owned KDNL to Gray Media-operated KMOV, as part of a broader probe into the power balance between major networks and local stations.

Carr has inquired about the change, according to people familiar with the matter. KDNL has carried ABC for more than 30 years. KMOV, already a CBS affiliate, plans to air ABC programming on a smaller digital subchannel with less reach, which could shrink the network’s audience in the market.

The move fits Carr’s more aggressive approach toward big broadcast networks in the second Trump administration compared with prior FCC chairs. It follows similar scrutiny of other affiliation shifts, including one involving Nexstar and Paramount’s CBS. Last year the FCC sought information on whether major networks had gained excessive leverage over local stations and whether affiliation deals were eroding stations’ control over programming and operations.

Where Things Stand: Press Independence

On Friday. The Pentagon fired the publisher (Max D. Lederer Jr.), editor-in-chief (Erik Slavin), and a Middle East reporter (Lara Korte) of Stars and Stripes, the long-running, government-funded military newspaper with a tradition of editorial independence. 

The firings, for alleged insubordination, followed a CBS interview in which Slavin and Korte emphasized that censorship of news for service members would cross a red line and affirmed that they work for the paper rather than the Pentagon or any administration. 

Lederer had recently announced his retirement, citing fundamental differences with Pentagon leadership over the paper’s direction. 

The moves, occurring under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid prior actions (such as dismissing the ombudsman), drew widespread criticism from journalism groups and raised concerns about threats to press freedom and the outlet’s independence while covering military issues, including hardships related to ongoing conflicts.

MLB Mets To Honor Broadcaster Howie Rose

Howie Rose

The New York Mets will honor longtime radio broadcaster Howie Rose with a special pregame retirement ceremony on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at Citi Field. The tribute will take place before the Mets’ final regular-season home game against the Philadelphia Phillies, scheduled for a 1:10 p.m. ET start. 

Rose, 72, announced earlier this year that the 2026 season would be his last as a full-time Mets radio play-by-play announcer, marking the end of nearly four decades with the franchise. 

NYC Radio: Michael Kay Thinks Mike Francesa Should Be On WFAN

New York Yankees TV Host Michael Kay is back hosting a solo weekday show on ESPN 880 AM from 1-3 p.m., and he remains shocked that neither WFAN nor ESPN New York has brought Mike Francesa back in any capacity.

Kay, whose Yankees broadcast team ranked fourth-best among local MLB radio crews in Awful Announcing’s 2026 rankings, shared the comments with Brandon Contes on The Awful Announcing Podcast. 

Michael Kay

He described mixed feelings about the years the two went head-to-head.“I have nothing against Mike Francesa,” Kay said. “We certainly are different people, and whatever the case may be. I’ve always said the best way I could describe it, if I got to the top of the mountain, I’d be really, really happy I was at the top of the mountain. Mike got to the top of the mountain and decided the best thing to do is to pee down on the people below him. And that’s just not the way I am. But you know what? It worked out great for Mike. Mike’s a legend. And when the history of sports talk radio is written, He’s going to be in the first page. That’s how great he was.”

Kay added that he is still surprised Francesa does not have a daily radio show despite his BetRivers work. “I think his voice is still needed. I think his voice is still valued. And if he wanted to, if either of the radio stations were smart, they’d bring him in for almost like what I do, a two-hour show. And I bet you would get a tremendous amount of traction because he’s a provocateur when it comes to radio. He knows what buttons to push. He’s really, really good.”

Chicago Radio: NFL Bears Unveils Radio Network

The Chicago Bears’ radio flagship remains ESPN 1000 (AM 1000 and 100.3 FM HD2), which will air all of the team’s preseason and regular-season games in 2026.

Jeff Joniak returns for his 26th consecutive year on play-by-play. Analyst Tom Thayer, a member of Chicago’s Super Bowl XX championship team, begins his 30th season in the booth. Sideline reporter Jason McKie, who played on the Bears’ 2006 NFC Championship squad, is back for a fourth straight year.

Houston Radio: New Line-Up Starting Today on Sports 790 KBME

SportsTalk 790 KBME is shifting its weekday lineup Monday, moving The Matt Thomas Show with Ross Villarreal to mornings (6-10 a.m.) and The Dan Mathews Show to middays (10 a.m.-2 p.m.).

The A-Team with Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler remains in the 2-6 p.m. slot and continues to air on Space City Home Network.

WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon Shatters Records

WEEI-FM Boston and NESN raised a record $7.3 million for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.  The funds came from the stations’ 24th annual radio-telethon, held Aug. 17-18 and broadcast live from Fenway Park. 

The total marks the highest single-year amount in the event’s history and brings the cumulative total raised since 2002 to approximately $87 million for adult and pediatric cancer care and research.

More than 24,000 individual gifts supported the effort, with 85 percent under $250. The two-day broadcast featured patient stories, medical experts, and special guests including Hall of Famers David Ortiz and Johnny Damon, along with other Boston sports figures. A formal check presentation is scheduled for Sept. 2 at Fenway Park.

Radio History: Aug 24

➦In 1911...Durward Kirby born (Died at age 88 – March 15, 2000).  He was a radio, TV announcer/host, best remembered for The Garry Moore Show in the 1950s and Candid Camera, which he co-hosted with Allen Funt from 1961 through 1966.

Durward Kirby

By 1936, Kirby was an announcer for WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1937, an Associated Press news story reported that Kirby "made a name for himself" with his reporting on the Ohio River flood of 1937. He also worked at radio stations in Chicago and Indianapolis before the war.

Following the war, Kirby hosted Club Matinee in Chicago with Garry Moore on the NBC Blue radio network before moving to television in 1949 as an announcer. He also worked on Meet Your Navy and Honeymoon in New York on network radio.

Kirby also appeared as a host, announcer, or guest on other television programs, including serving as one of NBC Radio's Monitor.

➦In 1917...Dennis James born (Died of lung cancer at age 79 – June 3, 1997). 

Dennis James

He was a TV personality, philanthropist, and commercial spokesman. Up until 1976, he had appeared on TV more times and for a longer period than any other television star. Often referred to as "The Dean of Game Show Hosts", he is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry (1946). James was also the first person to host a telethon (raising over $700,000,000 for United Cerebral Palsy throughout his career), the first host to appear in a television commercial, first to emcee a variety show, and first to appear on video tape.

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, James began his career in radio with WNEW (now WBBR) and moved to television in 1938, working for the soon-to-become-DuMont Television Network station WABD (now WNYW), which helped to found the DuMont network in 1946. James became the host of many game shows, such as the ABC version of Chance of a Lifetime (1952–53) and served as commentator for DuMont's wrestling and boxing shows, such as Boxing From Jamaica Arena (1948–49) and other DuMont boxing and wresting shows such as Amateur Boxing Fight Club (1949–50). He hosted the DuMont daytime variety show Okay, Mother (1948–51) with Julia Meade.

➦In 1950...the summer replacement radio show for Suspense, titled "Somebody Knows", was heard for the final time on CBS Radio. The program offered a reward of $5,000 for information that led to the solving of crimes. Somebody Knows began with the introduction, “You out there. You, who think you have committed the perfect crime — that there are no clues, no witnesses — listen. Somebody knows.”

➦In 1999...actress Mary Jane Croft, who frequently appeared in Lucille Ball’s TV & film projects, died of natural causes at age 83. She was a much-in-demand Hollywood radio regular from the 1940′s through the 70′s, with supporting roles in dozens of series such as One Man’s Family, Suspense, Sam Spade, Our Miss Brooks and Sears Radio Theatre.

WLW's Dale Summers

➦In 2012...Bruce Dale Sommers died (Born - November 26, 1943). He was best known by his nickname "The Truckin' Bozo" and for his long-running country music show geared toward truck drivers.

Dale Summers

Sommers hosted the overnight show from Cincinnati, Ohio-based clear-channel station WLW from 1984 to 2004, and it was carried by a small network of similarly high-powered stations across the United States. Sommers discontinued playing music on his nightly show, focusing on general and truck news, and talk from his listeners. Sommers announced his retirement from radio in 2004, but XM Satellite Radio was successful in getting him to do an afternoon truck show.

Born Glen Council in Humboldt, Tennessee, Sommers moved to Cincinnati with his family at the age of 15. The next year (1959), be began working for WAEF. Sommers worked for other local radio stations in Cincinnati, as well as in Evansville, Indianapolis, Seattle, San Diego, Miami, and Kansas City, before settling back at WLW in 1984.

Jay Thomas

➦In 2017...Jay Thomas died from throat cancer (Born Jon Thomas Terrell -  July 12, 1948).  He was an actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976-79 on Top 40 station 99X, and later on Rhythmic CHR station WKTU, and in Los Angeles beginning in 1986 on KPWR "Power 106", where he hosted the station's top-rated morning show until 1993.