Saturday, August 21, 2021

R.I.P.: Don Everly, Rock'n'Roll Royalty Was 84

Don and Phil Everly

Don Everly, the last surviving member of the Everly Brothers and a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll, died at his home in Nashville on Saturday. 

He was 84, according to The LA Times.

A spokesperson for the family confirmed Everly’s death with The Times, but did not disclose a cause.

A statement from the family read in part: “Don lived by what he felt in his heart. Don expressed his appreciation for the ability to live his dreams ... with his soulmate and wife, Adela, and sharing the music that made him an Everly Brother.”

Don and his younger brother Phil were in the first group to be inaugurated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. Their family harmonies set them apart, as did an out-of-time gentleness: the Everly Brothers’ well-crafted songs floated between country and city and moved with the rhythms of a dream.

February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021
In a five-year span from 1957 to 1962, they had 15 top 10 hits, among them: “Bye Bye Love,” which launched them; “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” written by Boudleaux Bryant; and “Cathy’s Clown,” which was a No. 1 hit in 1960 and a No. 1 country hit for Reba McEntire in 1989.

Their harmonies influenced the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel in the 1960s, and a decade later their Appalachian roots inspired country rockers like Gram Parsons and Linda Ronstadt, who had a hit covering their “When Will I Be Loved” in 1972.

Isaac Donald Everly was born Feb. 1, 1937, and shared a first name with his formidable father, “Ike” Everly. Ike was a coal miner in Brownie, Ky., and Don was born in Brownie’s coal camp. Ike also was a guitar player, taught by Arnold Schultz, the Black musician who taught Bill Monroe. And when the coal was gone, Ike moved the family to Chicago in the late 1930s in search of a career in music.

A second son, Phil, was born there, and the family moved to Shenandoah, Iowa, where Ike had a radio show in the mid-1940s. “Little Donnie” sang the theme, “Free as a Little Bird as I Can Be,” and then Phil was brought in, and with that the Everly Family was on the air.

The Everlys next moved to Knoxville, Tenn., in 1953; the teenage brothers were viewed as long-haired, leather-jacket-wearing toughs. Ike got a meeting for the boys with country music mogul Chet Atkins in Nashville, and Atkins was so impressed with Don’s songwriting that he placed one of his songs with Kitty Wells.


In 1955 the family moved to Nashville and the boys auditioned for labels as a brother act. A single they made went nowhere, and they then signed with Cadence and were given a tune to kick around written by two of the hottest songwriters in town, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. “Bye Bye Love” topped the country chart and hit No. 2 on the pop chart and No. 5 on the rhythm and blues chart in 1957. Another Bryant number, “Wake Up Little Susie,” topped the pop charts in 1957. When Chuck Berry was asked what song he most wished he’d written, he declared it was “Susie.” “All I Have to Do Is Dream” followed in 1958.

R.I.P.: Phil Valentine, WWTN Nashville Talk Host, Vaxx Doubter


Outspoken vaccine skeptic Phil Valentine has died a month after his COVID-19 diagnosis captured national attention and led to a public change of heart on vaccines, according to his employer. 

Valentine, 61, announced on Facebook on July 11 he had COVID-19 and predicted he would survive. Days later, Valentine's relatives said he was very sick, and he wanted listeners to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I know if he were able to tell you this, he would tell you, 'Go get vaccinated. Quit worrying about the politics. Quit worrying about all the conspiracy theories,'" his brother Mark Valentine told The Tennessean on July 25.

"He regrets not being more adamant about getting the vaccine. Look at the dadgum data," Mark Valentine said.

“The Phil Valentine Show” debuted over 24 years ago and remained a top-rated program on Cumulus Nashville’s WWTN-FM, Middle Tennessee’s leading news talk radio station. The show airs weekdays from 3pm-7pm on 99.7 SuperTalk WWTN-FM.

A prominent voice on Nashville radio waves, Valentine broadcast his conservative talk radio show from outside the state Capitol, encouraging listeners to come by and make noise. He gained national attention in 2000 for organizing a number of horn honking protests against a proposed state income tax in Tennessee. He later wrote a book on the protests called, “Tax Revolt.”

Although his greatest influence was in Nashville, “The Phil Valentine Show,” was so popular that it became syndicated, airing on stations across the country.

Northeast Radio: Henri Puts Region On Alert


Long Island stands in the crosshairs of a hurricane that could potentially wreak havoc with flooding, power losses, downed trees and all the misery that comes with that.

Hurricane Henri, packing hard rains and winds of 75 mph or more, was projected to begin hitting Saturday night and make landfall Sunday afternoon on Long Island or in southern New England. The Category 1 storm, which trended east slightly as of 7:50 p.m. Saturday, is expected to bring several inches of rain across the Northeast, and some areas may see storm surges of up to 5 feet, forecasters said.

The hurricane would be the first of its kind to directly strike Long Island since Hurricane Gloria in 1985.

PSEG Long Island has almost doubled its estimate of how long some residents may be without power, saying outages now could last up to two weeks.

Much depends on how fast the storm moves and where it lands, experts say. The National Hurricane Center said various computer models do not agree on the storm's track, but the models generally focused on central Long Island and Rhode Island.

"The animation loop shows a little bit of an eastward slide in the track ... which is good for Long Island; the farther east the storm goes, the less will be the impact here," said meteorologist Bill Korbel on Saturday evening.

August 22 Radio History



➦In 1906…The Victor Talking Machine Company began to manufacture a record player called the Victrola. The hand-cranked unit, with horn cabinet, sold for $200. Records had to be purchased separately, usually in the appliance stores that sold the machines, at a price of $1 to $7. Music onductor John Philip Sousa predicted "a marked deterioration in American music" and said that generations of amateur musicians would give way to "canned music."

Nipper
The advent of radio as a home entertainment medium in the early 1920s presented Victor and the entire record industry with new challenges. Not only was music becoming available over the air free of charge, but a live broadcast made using a high-quality microphone and heard over a high-quality receiver provided clearer, more "natural" sound than a contemporary record.

In 1925, Victor switched from the acoustical or mechanical method of recording to the new microphone-based electrical system developed by Western Electric. Victor called its version of the improved fidelity recording process "Orthophonic", and sold a new line of record players, called "Orthophonic Victrolas", scientifically designed to play these improved records. Victor's first electrical recordings were made and issued in the spring of 1925

➦In 1947...“Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy“, expanded to length of their ABC Radio Networks shows to 30-minutes and aired three-time weekly.  The program had been a 15-minute program for 14-years.


➦In 1964...The Beatles were in concert at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, playing to 20,261 fans.



The Bill Black Combo, the Exciters, the Righteous Brothers, and Jackie DeShannon opened for the group.  The show was broadcast locally by CKNW 980 AM.


➦In 1965...The Beatles performed two shows at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.  Mike Love and Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys stopped by between shows to meet the group.




➦In 1970...Chart Check:  Bread reached #1 with their first hit--"Make It With You".  That ended a five-week reign for the Carpenters' classic "(They Long To Be) Close To You".  Eric Burdon & War were up to #3 with "Spill The Wine" while the song "War" was at #4 for Edwin Starr.  The rest of the Top 10:  Mungo Jerry with "In The Summertime", Stevie Wonder had #6--"Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)", Clarence Carter moved from 16 to 7 with "Patches", Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold", B.J. Thomas moved into the list with "I Just Can't Help Believing" and one of the great One-Hit Wonders of the Rock Era*, "Tighter, Tighter" by Alive & Kicking was still alive at #10.

➦In 1990...Orchestra leader David Rose died aged 80. He had the 1962 US No.1 single ‘The Stripper’. He led the band on NBC radio’s Red Skelton Show, and wrote music for the TV series Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza.



➦In 2004...Al Dvorin, the announcer who coined the phrase "Elvis has left the building" while working the King's Seventies concerts, died in a car crash en route home from a Californian Elvis convention.

Jerry Leiber
➦In 2011...Jerry Leiber died in Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, aged 78, from cardio-pulmonary failure. He along with Mike Stoller, wrote many of Elvis Presley's big early hits, including "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock", as well as "Kansas City" for Wilbert Harrison, "Stand By Me" for Ben E. King and "On Broadway" for the Drifters.

➦In 2011...Nickolas Ashford of the duo Ashford & Simpson, who wrote songs such as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", and "I'm Every Woman" with wife Valerie Simpson, died at the age of 70 from throat cancer

➦In 2014...A Philadelphia radio legend, Don Cannon, died at age 74.

Cannon, who was born Dominic Canzano in Yonkers, N.Y.  He was known as “The Dean of Philadelphia Radio.”

He was a voice on morning radio in Philadelphia from 1969 until he retired in 2004. The “Cannon in the Morning” show started on WIBG and has been heard on WIP, WFIL, WIFI, WSNI and WOGL.

In the original Rocky movie, when the morning alarm clock goes off for Rocky’s run, it is Cannon’s voice heard on the radio.



WOGL 98.1 FM, the radio station where Cannon last worked in Philadelphia, put up a tribute page on its web site. It included this posting:

“It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of a member of the 98.1 WOGL family. Our friend and radio legend Don Cannon passed away peacefully on Friday morning, August 22.

Don was our morning show host from March 1990 to June 2004. He was born in New York but started working in Philadelphia radio at a young age, and Philly became his true home.

Don was a big (NFL) Eagles fan, and had a great sense of humor."

Ted Moore - 1969
➦In 2014...Ted Moore, the retired voice of the Green Bay Packers during the glory years in the 1960s and who made a memorable call in the famed Ice Bowl on Dec. 31, 1967, at Lambeau Field, died at age 87 from heart failure.

Moore spent 48 years in the radio and television broadcasting business. But he was best known for his work with the Packers. At the Ice Bowl, with the Packers trailing the Dallas Cowboys, 17-14, in the NFL Championship Game, Moore peered through a small unfrozen section of the press box window and called quarterback Bart Starr's sneak into the end zone.

"The Green Bay Packers are going to be world champions, NFL champions for the third straight year," Moore yelled.

A native of Bristow, Okla., Moore worked for a number of stations in Madison, Marshfield, Neenah, Menasha, Green Bay and finally, in 1958, at WTMJ radio and television.  Moore also worked for WEMP and WOKY in Milwaukee.

He was later inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame.


Cindy Williams is 74

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
  • Newsman Morton Dean is 86. 
  • TV writer/producer David Chase (“The Sopranos”) is 76. 
  • Correspondent Steve Kroft (“60 Minutes”) is 76. 
  • Actor Cindy Williams (“Laverne and Shirley”) is 74. 
  • Guitarist David Marks of The Beach Boys is 73. 
  • Guitarist Vernon Reid of Living Colour is 63. 
  • Country singer Collin Raye is 61. 
  • Actor Regina Taylor (“The Unit,” ″I’ll Fly Away”) is 61. 
  • Singer Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears is 60. 
  • Drummer Debbi Peterson of The Bangles is 60. 
  • Guitarist Gary Lee Conner of Screaming Trees is 59. 
  • Singer Tori Amos is 58. 
  • Country singer Mila Mason is 58. 
  • Melinda Page Hamilton is 50
    Keyboardist James DeBarge of DeBarge is 58.
  • Rapper GZA (Wu-Tang Clan) is 55. 
  • Actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (“Oz,” “Lost”) is 54. 
  • Actor Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”) is 54. 
  • Celebrity chef Giada DeLaurentiis is 51. 
  • Actor Melinda Page Hamilton (“Devious Maids,” ″Mad Men,”) is 50. 
  • Actor Rick Yune (“Die Another Day,” “The Fast and the Furious”) 50. 
  • Guitarist Paul Doucette of Matchbox Twenty is 49. 
  • Rapper Beenie Man is 48. 
  • Singer Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys is 48. 
  • Comedian Kristen Wiig (“Bridesmaids,” ″Saturday Night Live”) 48. 
  • Actor Jenna Leigh Green (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”) is 47. 
  • Keyboardist Bo Koster of My Morning Jacket is 47. 
  • Bassist Dean Back of Theory of a Deadman is 46. 
  • “The Late Late Show” host James Corden is 43. 
  • Guitarist Jeff Stinco of Simple Plan is 43. 
  • Actor Brandon Adams (“The Mighty Ducks”) is 42. 
  • Actor Aya Sumika (“Numb3rs”) is 41. 
  • Actor Ari Stidham (TV’s “Scorpion”) is 29.

    Tucker Carlson: 'Something Else Is Going On'


    Tucker Carlson has demanded to know why Joe Biden's closest allies and fawning liberal TV networks have turned on the president over the Afghan crisis, reports The Daily Mail.

    Speaking on his Fox News show Friday night, Carlson said: 'What is going on here? These are literally the people who got Joe Biden elected. He wouldn’t be president without these people. Now, just seven months in, they’re telling you he has failed personally? It does not make sense.'

    He made the remark moments after sharing a clip of CNN host Brianna Keilar turning on the president over the fall of Kabul to the Taliban after the US withdrew, which she said was 'stunning' to both his administration and the American people. 

    Keilar also took aim at Biden's earlier claims that he knew the withdrawal from Afghanistan would be chaotic,  and that its capital Kabul could potentially defend itself until the end of 2021.

    He said: 'Afghanistan is hardly Biden’s first disaster. As of tonight, our southern border has collapsed, the murder rate is spiking in our cities, the CVODI vaccines do not work, inflation’s out of control, and the country’s entire population of school children hasn’t been educated in more than a year. All of that’s been going on. None of that seemed to bother CNN in the slightest. 

    'In fact, they reserved their energy to attack anyone who noticed those trends. But now, suddenly their anchors are weeping on the air because Americans are trapped in Afghanistan.

    Earlier in his monolog, Carlson offered his own theory, insisting that the 78 year-old president 'is senile' and that this week's events - which saw the Taliban surround the perimeter of Kabul's Hamid Karzai Airport - highlighted Biden's inability to govern.


    During an interview with ABC News screened Thursday, Biden estimated that around 15,000 Americans, and up to 65,000 Afghans the US wants to resettle in America, remain trapped in territory that is now hostile, with no guarantees they'll make it to safety.

    Carlson said: 'We’ve learned a lot in the past five days. Maybe the important thing we’ve learned is that Joe Biden is not capable of running the country. Joe Biden is senile. Saying that out loud is not an attack on Biden.'

    He claimed everyone working around Biden knows of the president's alleged cognitive decline - and said the Afghan saga exposed it to the world, putting the US in danger.

    NYC Radio: Bo Snerdley Gets More Airtime On 77WABC

    Bo Snerdley
    John Catsimatidis, Chairman and CEO of Red Apple Group and subsidiary Red Apple Media has announced that James Golden, a.k.a. Bo Snerdley, has joined Talkradio 77WABC, beginning today. Golden, who for more than 30 years worked on The Rush Limbaugh Show, is now the host of the 4 to 5 p.m. hour every weekday on 77 WABC in New York. In addition, The WABC James Golden Show is simulcast on Red Apple Media’s 107.1 WLIR-FM in the Hamptons and worldwide at www.wabcradio.com and via the 77 WABC mobile app.This is a return to WABC for Golden, who co-hosted a political call-in show on the station from 1992 to 1998, while simultaneously working on The Rush Limbaugh Show.

    “We’re bringing all the best talent back to WABC,” said Catsimatidis. “This is what New Yorkers want… their favorite radio personalities speaking the truth about what’s going on in America and the world. James’s many years of working with Rush Limbaugh have made him a household name, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back to 77 WABC!”

    “It’s great to be back on the radio at 77 WABC,” stated Golden. “John is building a powerhouse with WABC, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

    “Our lineup is stronger than ever, and we’re proud to be America’s news/talk leader!” exclaimed Chad Lopez, President of Red Apple Media and 77 WABC. “I was struck by James’s deep knowledge of all issues, his personal perspectives on culture, government, and life. James played an integral part of the Rush Limbaugh Show success and the impact that had on America. Now, hosting his own weekday and weekend programs on 77 WABC, James will continue to advocate for positive change in America.”

    Twin Cities Radio: N/T WCCO To Skip MN State Fair

    WCCO Radio has announced that it will not be broadcasting from the Minnesota State Fair this year due to COVID-19 and Delta variant concerns, reports CBS Local.

    In a statement from management, WCCO Radio said the decision comes after the fair announced it will not require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. There are also no attendance limits being imposed.

    “The Fair chose the ‘honor system’ and for our decision-makers, it is not enough to feel comfortable,” WCCO Radio said.

    The statement continues by saying the decision was made for the “health and well-being” of employees.


    The radio station’s booth has been at the fair for decades.

    As you may recall, WCCO Radio is now owned and operated by Audacy Inc. The radio station is no longer directly associated with WCCO-TV and WCCO.com, which are owned by ViacomCBS.

    WCCO-TV and WCCO.com will have a booth at the Minnesota State Fair this year. We are making some adjustments, of course, working to keep both our staff and visitors as safe as we can.

    Meanwhile, The Star-Tribune reports Hubbard Broadcasting, which includes KSTP 1500 ESPN and KSTP KS95 FM, still plan to have its on-air personalities at the fairgrounds. But Hubbard Radio Vice President Dan Seeman said there will be no interaction between staff and fans, which means no handshakes or photo opportunities.

    Augusta Radio: WKXC Adds Jess Poxson To Morning Show

    Jess Poxson
    Beasley Media Group announces Jess Poxson has been named as the new Morning Show co-host of the “KICKS Wake up Krew” on WKXC 99.5 FM in Augusta, GA. She officially began her position alongside Co-host “Dub” Bryan on Monday, August 9, 2021.

    Poxson most recently lived in Canton, GA before moving to Augusta. She was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, where Poxson started her radio career on mornings at WDRQ-FM, before moving into afternoon drive & swing shift/weekends on WYCD-FM and WDZH-FM.

    “We are thrilled to have Jess join the KICKS Wake up Krew alongside Dub in Augusta,” said Tee Gentry, operations manager at Beasley Media Group Augusta and Fayetteville. “Her love for country music and passion for radio made her the perfect fit for KICKS 99! We look forward to Jess joining our team!”

    Atlanta Radio: Georgia Tech Extends The Fan Broadcast Deal

    The Georgia Tech Athletic Association and Atlanta-based Dickey Broadcasting Company have announced a multi-year extension to extend their long-standing partnership. 

    WCNN 680 AM / W229AG 93.7 The Fan will also remain the metro-Atlanta home of regular Tech athletics radio programming, including Geoff Collins' and Josh Pastner's weekly coach's shows, as well as director of athletics Todd Stansbury's weekly "Ask The A.D." segment.

    Adding a new element to the partnership between Tech athletics and Dickey Broadcasting will take over full production of all Georgia Tech Sports Network broadcasts. In addition to listening to the Yellow Jackets on 680/93.7 The Fan, Georgia Tech fans can continue to hear Yellow Jackets games and other radio broadcasting on a wide range of platforms in Atlanta, throughout Georgia and worldwide, including on the statewide Georgia Tech Sports Network, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets app, the 680 The Fan app, Tune-In Radio and ramlinwreck.com.

    "We're excited and grateful to extend our partnership with Dickey Broadcasting and 680/93.7 The Fan," Stansbury said. "Georgia Tech fans will benefit from our enhanced relationship with The Fan, as our radio broadcasts will take on the same level of production quality that The Fan provides for the Atlanta Braves Radio Network, and be carried on a wide variety of over-the-air and online platforms in the Atlanta metro area, across the state of Georgia and worldwide. We're looking forward to 680/93.7 The Fan continuing to be Atlanta's radio home for Georgia Tech athletics for years to come."

    "We are thrilled to extend our decades-long partnership with Georgia Tech Athletics and we are equally thrilled to be working with the great team at Legends," Dickey Broadcasting president and general manager David Dickey said. "This expanded partnership creates a dynamic, multi-media platform in which to create and distribute Georgia Tech-focused content to Tech fans throughout the State of Georgia and the Southeast. We look forward to working with this incredible team for many years to come."

    Nexstar Media to Acquire D-C Based 'The Hill'


    The Hill, a political-news organization known for its inside-the-Beltway coverage, has been sold to Nexstar Media Group Inc. for $130 million, reports The Wall Street Journal.

    The deal adds to Nexstar Media Group’s news operations, including NewsNation, formerly WGN America, a national news and entertainment cable network reaching 75 million homes. The Irving, Texas, based Nexstar also owns 199 television stations, 120 local websites and a 31% ownership stake in TV Food Network. Nexstar expects the deal to immediately increase its operating results.

    In announcing the deal, Nexstar said The Hill has 48 million average monthly users and had 2.2 billion total pageviews in 2020, citing Comscore.

    As part of the deal, The Hill’s previous owner and chairman Jim Finkelstein has left the company—with plans to take on other media ventures. The Hill was founded as a newspaper in 1994 by Mr. Finkelstein’s father, Democratic power broker and former journalist Jerry Finkelstein, and Martin Tolchin, a former correspondent for the New York Times.

    Finkelstein plans to take a day or so off and then look for a well-established brand of publications with a digital focus, he said in an interview Friday.

    The Hill will join Irving-based Nexstar’s network of 199 local TV stations in 116 U.S. markets that reach 39% of American households. The company also recently acquired product review site BestReviews from Tribune Publishing for $160 million. In 2020, it launched a nightly prime-time news show on WGN America called NewsNation that reaches 75 million U.S. homes.

    R.I.P.: Tom T Hall, Nashville Storyteller

    Tom T Hall - 1987 (Ricky Rogers photo)

    Tom T. Hall, a Country Music Hall of Fame artist who wrote unassuming songs with distinct depth, died Friday at age 85. 

    The Tennessean reports Hall died at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. 

    A consummate country songwriter who captured life's intimate details with lighthearted songs such as "I Like Beer," penned the classic "That's How I Got To Memphis" and showcased era-defining sharpness with "Harper Valley PTA," Hall entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008, alongside Emmylou Harris, The Statler Brothers and Ernest Stoneman. 

    He joined Kris Kristofferson and Billy Joe Shaver in bringing a class of storytelling to country music unlike those before them. Hall timelessly and empathetically chronicled human spirit — from barstool stories to cemetery caretakers — with tales that would influence generations of wordsmiths to follow. 

    His songbook of country hits includes "(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine," "A Week in a Country Jail," "I Love" ... and the list goes on. 

    “Tom T. Hall's masterworks vary in plot, tone, and tempo, but they are bound by his ceaseless and unyielding empathy for the triumphs and losses of others," Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame, said in a statement Friday. "He wrote without [judgement] or anger, offering a rhyming journalism of the heart that sets his compositions apart from any other writer.."

    Born May 25, 1936, in small-town Olive Hill, Kentucky, Hall wrote his first song — called "Haven't I Been Good To You," according to the Country Music Hall of Fame — at age nine. 

    Hall, the son of a preacher, quit school after his mother died and a hunting accident left his father disabled. He cut his teeth playing bluegrass, often taking the stage after shifts at a local garment factory. He took a job at a Kentucky radio station before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1957, serving in Germany — where he sometimes performed original numbers on the Armed Forces Radio Network. 


    In 1968, Jeannie C. Riley released "Harper Valley "P.T.A.," a song written by Hall that transports listeners to a world where a single mother challenges judgements from small-town hypocrites. It came at a pivotal time for songs by women in Nashville, following Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe" and arriving the same year as Loretta Lynn's "Fist City" and Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E."

    August 21 Radio History



    ➦In 1900... Announcer Ken Carpenter born (Died – October 16, 1984). He was best known for being the announcer for singer and actor Bing Crosby for 27 years.

    Ken Carpenter
    Carpenter moved to Hollywood in 1929, one year after resolving to move there after listening to radio legend Graham McNamee call the Rose Bowl. In 1930, he was a newspaper copywriter. Not long afterward, he became a staff announcer for KFI radio. As part of that job, Carpenter announced USC and UCLA football games for the Pacific Coast and the NBC radio networks from 1932 until 1935.  In 1935, Carpenter announced the Rose Bowl for NBC radio. Carpenter became the color man for Bill Stern for all NBC-originated radio programming from Los Angeles from 1938 until 1942, which included the Rose Bowl.

    In 1936, Carpenter became Crosby's announcer after Crosby began hosting the Kraft Music Hall radio variety program. Carpenter continued to announce for Crosby on various programs for the next 27 years. Crosby famously once called Carpenter "the man with the golden voice." Carpenter also announced for Al Jolson and Edgar Bergen as well.  By virtue of his extensive announcing career, he wound up with uncredited roles in well-known movies, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Susan Slept Here. He was also the narrator for producer Jerry Fairbanks' theatrical short-subject series Unusual Occupations, released by Paramount Pictures from 1938 through 1948.

    From 1949 until 1952, Carpenter was the announcer for the NBC Radio sitcom The Halls of Ivy. He was also the announcer for Lux Radio Theater from 1952 through the end of the series in 1955; from 1955 until 1957, Carpenter hosted NBC's Lux Video Theatre program during its summer seasons. Other programs for which Carpenter was an announcer on radio included The Great Gildersleeve, The Chase and Sanborn Program (featuring Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy) and a stint on The Life of Riley from 1947 through 1949.

    He died following a brief illness Oct. 16 1984 at age 84.

    ➦In 1923...Sportscaster Chris Schenkel born (Died at age 82 – September 11, 2005).  Over the course of five decades he called play-by-play for numerous sports on television and radio, becoming known for his smooth delivery and baritone voice.

    Chris Schenkel - 1964
    He began his broadcasting career at radio station WBAA while studying for a premedical degree at Purdue University where he was a member of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. He worked in radio for a time at WLBC in Muncie, IN and then moved to television, in Providence, RI, and in 1947 began announcing Harvard football games. For six years he did local radio and called the Thoroughbred horse races at Narragansett Park.

    In 1952, Schenkel was hired by the DuMont Television Network, for which he broadcast New York Giants football and hosted DuMont's Boxing From Eastern Parkway (1953-1954) and Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena (1954-56), replacing Dennis James as the network's primary boxing announcer.

    Schenkel was at the microphone for DuMont's last broadcast and its only color telecast, a high school football championship game held on Thanksgiving in 1957.

    He then moved to CBS Sports, where he continued to call Giants games, along with boxing, Triple Crown horse racing and The Masters golf tournament, among other events. Along with Chuck Thompson, Schenkel called the 1958 NFL Championship Game for NBC. He was the voiceover talent for the first NFL Films production ever made, the 1962 NFL Championship Game between the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants.

    ABC Sports hired Schenkel in 1965, and there he broadcast college football, Major League Baseball, NBA basketball, golf and tennis tournaments, boxing, auto racing, and the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. He became widely known for covering professional bowling, mainly for the Professional Bowlers Association (with the program becoming known as the Professional Bowlers Tour). He covered bowling from the early 1960s until 1997


    ➥In 1924...Sportscaster Jack Buck was born (Died from lung cancer at age 77 – June 18, 2002).  He was best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous Halls of Fame, such as the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the National Radio Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.

    Jack Buck
    After completion of his military service in 1946, Buck enrolled at (and graduated from) Ohio State University. His early sportscasting career included work for the minor league affiliates of the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1954, he was promoted to radio play-by-play of Cardinal games on KMOX, a position that he maintained for nearly all of the next 47 years. He was known in St. Louis for his trademark phrase "That's a winner!", which was said after every game that the Cardinals had won.

    In addition to his work with the Cardinals, Buck also earned assignments on many national sportscasts, including radio coverage of 18 Super Bowls and 11 World Series. Some of his famous play-by-play calls include the dramatic walk-off home runs hit by Ozzie Smith in Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series, by Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, and by Kirby Puckett in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

    The later part of his career found him working side-by-side in the Cardinals booth with his son Joe Buck, who also has risen to national sportscasting prominence.

    In addition to Joe, Buck has three daughters who worked in broadcasting. Two are from his first marriage - Bonnie Buck, who currently works in television in Los Angeles, and Christine Buck, who started her career at KPLR-TV in St. Louis. From his second marriage is Julie Buck most recently on KTRS 550 AM 550, St. Louis. In addition, Buck's late younger brother, Bob Buck was a sportscaster and sports director at KMOX/KMOV-TV in St. Louis.


    ➦In 1938...American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur Kenny Rogers was born. He died March 20, 2020.


    ➦In 1958...Non-Com KUT-FM in Austin Texas signed-on

    ➦In 2003...Longtime voice of the Boston Red Sox Ken Coleman died of bacterial meningitis at age 78 (Born - April 22, 1925).

    Coleman broke into broadcasting in Rutland, Vermont in 1947, working for station WSYB. He called the play-by-play of the minor league Rutland Royals baseball team. He also was a newscaster and a deejay on the station. He then was hired at hometown team WJDA in Quincy MA, where he worked as a sports reporter until 1951; he then worked for a year at WNEB in Worcester.

    Ken Coleman
    During this time, he was broadcasting Boston University football. He received critical praise for his college football play-by-play, which led to his big break: in 1952, he got the opportunity to broadcast for the NFL Cleveland Browns (1952–1965), calling play-by-play of every touchdown that Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown ever scored. He also began his MLB broadcasting career in Cleveland, calling Cleveland Indians games on television for ten seasons (1954–1963). In his first year with the Indians, Coleman called their record-setting 111-win season and their World Series loss to the New York Giants.

    In 1966, Coleman was chosen to become a play-by-play announcer for the Boston Red Sox, replacing Curt Gowdy, who resigned after fifteen years of calling Red Sox games, to become a play-by-play announcer for NBC. Coleman joined a broadcast team that also included Ned Martin and Mel Parnell. Coleman broadcast the 1967 World Series (which the Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals) for NBC television and radio. From 1975 to 1978 Coleman worked with the Cincinnati Reds' television crew.

    Coleman returned to Boston in 1979. He broadcast the Red Sox' 1986 World Series loss to the New York Mets and two Red Sox ALCS (1986 and 1988). Coleman remained in the Red Sox radio booth until his retirement in 1989.

    He was the father of the late Cleveland sports and newscaster Casey Coleman, who died in 2006 from pancreatic cancer.

    Jackie DeShannon is 80

    🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
    • Actor-filmmaker-writer Melvin Van Peebles is 89. 
    • Guitarist James Burton (with Elvis Presley) is 82. 
    • Singer Jackie DeShannon is 80. 
    • Actor Patty McCormack (“The Ropers”) is 76. 
    • Singer Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams is 74. 
    • Actor Loretta Devine (“Boston Public”) is 72. 
    • Newsman Harry Smith is 70. 
    • Singer Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) is 69. 
    • Guitarist Nick Kane (The Mavericks) is 67. 
    • Actor Kim Cattrall (“Sex and the City”) is 65. 
    • Actor Cleo King (“Mike and Molly”) is 59. 
    • Singer Serj Tankian of System Of A Down is 54. 
    • Actor Carrie-Anne Moss (“The Matrix,” ″Chocolat”) is 51. 
    • Kacey Musgraves is 33
      Musician Liam Howlett of Prodigy is 50. 
    • Actor Alicia Witt (“Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” ″Cybill”) is 46. 
    • Singer Kelis is 42. 
    • Actor Diego Klattenhoff (“The Blacklist”) is 42. 
    • TV personality Brody Jenner (“The Hills”) is 38. 
    • Singer Melissa Schuman of Dream is 37. 
    • Comedian Brooks Wheelan (“Saturday Night Live”) is 35. 
    • Actor Cody Kasch (“Desperate Housewives”) is 34. 
    • Country singer Kacey Musgraves is 33. 
    • Actor Hayden Panettiere (“Nashville,” ″Heroes”) is 32. 
    • Actor RJ Mitte (“Breaking Bad”) is 29. 
    • Actor Maxim Knight (“Falling Skies”) is 22.




      Friday, August 20, 2021

      Mike Richards Quits Role As 'Jeopardy!' Host


       Just nine days after being named the permanent new host of veteran syndicated game show Jeopardy!, Mike Richards has stepped down from his on-camera role, according to TV Media Watcher Marc Berman.

      "It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter," Richard said in a statement. "As I mentioned last week, I was deeply honored to be asked to host the syndicated show and was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my role. However, over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show. As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately. As a result, we will be canceling production today."

      "Sony Pictures Television will now resume the search for a permanent syndicated host," he continued. "In the meantime, we will be bringing back guest hosts to continue production for the new season, details of which will be announced next week. I want to apologize to each of you for the unwanted negative attention that has come to Jeopardy! over the last few weeks and for the confusion and delays this is now causing. I know I have a lot of work to do to regain your trust and confidence."




      Richards has come under fire in recent days for the sexist, anti-Semitic and racist comments he made on a podcast called The Randumb Show, which he hosted from 2013 to 2014, that recently resurfaced.

      Richards was also a defendant in a discrimination complaint during his time as the executive producer of The Price is Right.

      This past season, of course, Sony Pictures Television opted to temporarily fill the beloved Alex Trek’s hosting role with a parade of guest hosts that, in addition to Richards, included Jeopardy! champions Ken Jennings and Buzzy Cohen,Katie Couric, Dr. Mehmet Oz, NFL great Aaron Rodgers, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, actress Mayim Bialik, the Today show’s Savannah Guthrie, Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, LeVar Burton, CNBC’s David Faber, and Fox sportscaster Joe Buck.

      In a surprise move, Mayim Bailik was also announced as the host of special editions of Jeopardy!

      SiriusXM Radio: Launches 'TikTok Radio'


      SiriusXM and TikTok today announced the launch of TikTok Radio (ch. 4), the highly anticipated full-time music channel featuring the trending sounds that are redefining pop culture from TikTok. Presented by TikTok creators, tastemakers, top artists, and DJs, TikTok Radio will be available beginning today, at Noon ET, in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.

      Sonically synched to the TikTok experience, the groundbreaking, full-time SiriusXM music channel will sound like a radio version of the platform's "For You" feed. A talented and diverse group of TikTok creators including Billy (@8illy), Cat Haley (@itscathaley),HINDZ (@hindzsight), Lamar Dawson (@dirrtykingofpop), and Taylor Cassidy (@taylorcassidyj) will present music and share the stories behind the trends throughout each hour.  Listeners can expect to hear trending songs from music's next generation of rising stars, viral hits, throwbacks and whatever else the TikTok community is vibing to.

      TikTok Radio debuts today with takeovers throughout the week from some of the most followed personalities and artists from the TikTok Community with "Creator Invasion," which will feature appearances from Alex Warren, Ashnikko, Bella Poarch, Dillon Francis, Dixie D'Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Jack Harlow, Just Stef, JXDN, Lil Nas X, Loren Gray, Nessa Barrett, Normani, Spencer X, Tai Verdes, Walker Hayesand more.

      "Our groundbreaking new channel with TikTok is a first-of-its-kind, capturing the pulse of the global music culture, vibrancy and vitality found on the entertaining social platform and recreated as a full-time music channel on live national radio and our streaming platforms," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. "The creators, who are also presenting the music on TikTok Radio, are deeply involved in the channel and will reflect the unique sound and personality of TikTok that is so enmeshed with today's music culture and community. TikTok creators will be delivering new audio experiences for our listeners as they tap into the latest music trends on TikTok."

      "We're so excited to launch TikTok Radio on SiriusXM, which opens up artists and creators like this amazing group of hosts to new audiences," said Ole Obermann, TikTok's Global Head of Music.  "Now SiriusXM subscribers will have a new road to discover the latest trends in music and get a first listen to tomorrow's musical superstars. The channel captures song-breaking music culture that creates so much joy and entertainment on TikTok through video in an all-audio format."

      Listeners will stay up to date on the moment's most viral sounds with "The TikTok Radio Trending Ten," a weekly countdown of the top 10 songs trending in the TikTok community, presented by the channel's creator hosts.  This show will debut on Fridays at 3 p.m. ET with replays throughout the weekend and will be available anytime on the SXM App.

      Survey: False Information Should Be Restricted Online


      Amid rising concerns over misinformation online – including surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, especially vaccines – Americans are now a bit more open to the idea of the U.S. government taking steps to restrict false information online. And a majority of the public continues to favor technology companies taking such action, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

      Roughly half of U.S. adults (48%) now say the government should take steps to restrict false information, even if it means losing some freedom to access and publish content, according to the survey of 11,178 adults conducted July 26-Aug. 8, 2021. That is up from 39% in 2018. At the same time, the share of adults who say freedom of information should be protected – even if it means some misinformation is published online – has decreased from 58% to 50%.

      When it comes to whether technology companies should take steps to address misinformation online, more are in agreement. A majority of adults (59%) continue to say technology companies should take steps to restrict misinformation online, even if it puts some restrictions on Americans’ ability to access and publish content. Around four-in-ten (39%) take the opposite view that protecting freedom of information should take precedence, even if it means false claims can spread. The balance of opinion on this question has changed little since 2018.

      New Late Night King: Gutfeld!


      Fox News’ 11 p.m. ET “Gutfeld!” finally beat every other late-night show — including Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” on CBS — Tuesday in total viewership and the advertiser-coveted age demographic of 25 to 54, reports The Wrap. 

      On Tuesday night, “Gutfeld!” took in a total average of 2.120 million viewers, with 434,000 in the key demo, on average. The “Late Show,” which has an 11:35 p.m. ET start time on CBS, grabbed an average of 1.896 million total viewers of whom 423,000 were in the demo. Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show” — an NBC program which also airs at 11:35 — came next with 1.216 million total viewers, on average, and 354,000 in the demo. 


      In the 18-to-49 demo, however, Colbert still won, averaging 322,000 viewers to Gutfeld’s 281,000 and Fallon’s 255,000.

      “Gutfeld!” has routinely beaten Fallon’s program, as well as Jimmy Kimmel’s “Live!” on ABC in the past. “Live!” garnered an average of 1.978 million total viewers on Tuesday, of whom 301,000 were between 25 and 54 and 198,000 were between 18 and 49.

      “Gutfeld!” competes not only with the broadcast late-night shows, but the 11 p.m. offerings on CNN and MSNBC. 

      On Tuesday, MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams” fell right behind the “Tonight Show,” pulling in an average of 1.120 million total viewers. In the 25-to-54 demo, MSNBC pulled in an average of 167,000 viewers and in the 18-to-49 demo, that number was 117,000. CNN’s “Don Lemon Tonight” fell behind all of those as well as NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and ABC News’ “Nightline.” In total, CNN garnered an average viewership total of 570,000 on Tuesday, with 186,000 of those being in the 25-to-54 demo and 124,000 of them being in the 18-to-49 demo.

      The ACM Awards Reaches Deal To Stream On Amazon Prime Video


      The annual Academy of Country Music Awards will break new ground in 2022, becoming the first major awards show to air exclusively on a streaming network, reports The Tennessean in Nashville.

      Fans can tune into the show next year via livestream on Amazon Prime Video, marking the first time in decades country music's biggest stars won't gather for an ACMs ceremony on network television.   

      The Academy of Country Music partners with production company MRC to bring the show to Amazon. Details including a show date, host and performers should be announced in the coming months. 

      Award programs in recent years have simulcast on network television and streaming platforms, but a show hasn't before cut the cable entirely from broadcast plans. 

      “We are thrilled that the Academy of Country Music Awards are first to take this giant step toward the future of awards shows with Amazon Prime Video," Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside said in a statement. "This partnership, which reinforces our position as an innovative, progressive awards show, will deliver the broadest possible audience and, simultaneously, deliver massive value to our artists whose music lives inside this ecosystem, enabling fans to discover and stream music as they watch." 

      CBS previously hosted the ACM Awards, but contract renewal negotiations reportedly stalled earlier this year. Instead, CBS plans to host the CMT Music Awards in April. 

      The show drew an estimated 6.08 million viewers last April, according to trade publication Deadline — down from 6.6 million in September 2020.

      The ACM Awards relocated from Las Vegas to Nashville for 2020 and 2021 shows, both impacted by COVID-19 precautions. But Whiteside told The Tennessean earlier this year that he doesn't expect the ACM Awards to return to Music City in 2022. 

      Nielsen: Streaming TV Rose, Cable Lost Ground In July


      Nielsen’s measured streaming TV usage data, under its new Gauge metric, ticked up one percentage point to a 28% share from June to July -- due to more sports TV content, according to MediaPost citing the media research company.

      Nielsen's Gauge is a monthly metric showing Total Usage of Television for broadcast, streaming and cable -- in terms of total day for persons 2+.

      The time period was June 28 through July 25. The Olympics ran from July 23 through August 8.

      Streaming data was boosted by NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic games. NBCU aired Olympics content on the NBC Television Network, a number of its cable channels, and digital platforms including its Peacock streaming service.

      Nielsen also says there was ample pre-Olympics content on YouTube in the period to lift the streaming category.

      Streaming TV content has gained a one-percentage share point in each of the June and July periods. Nielsen launched The Gauge measurement with May monthly data.

      Broadcast TV also rose July one percentage point to 24%, also partly due to the opening days of Tokyo Summer Olympics, as well the NBA Playoffs/Finals on ABC.

      Cable TV, which still leads over broadcast and streaming in terms of total usage share, lost two percentage points -- from 40% in June to 38% in July.

      Nielsen has an additional “Other” category -- part of the overall streaming 28% share -- which encompasses other premium streaming platforms. It came in at 8% for July, the same percentage as in June.

      Wake-Up Call: U-S Trying To Pick-Up Pace Of Afghan Evacs

      The U.S. is trying to increase the pace of evacuations from Afghanistan through the Kabul airport of Americans and at-risk Afghans who've helped the U.S. during the two-decade war. But they are facing problems including Taliban checkpoints blocking people from reaching the airport, as well as issues with paperwork. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that 6,000 people were cleared for evacuation Thursday, a major increase from the approximately 2,000 passengers that were flown out each day on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

      The goal is to be flying out 5,000 to 9,000 people per day. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said more consular officers are being added to verify papers of Americans and Afghans who get to the airport, and additional entry gates have been opened. Meanwhile, more U.S. troops continued to arrive, with about 5,200 at the airport as of yesterday.


       

      ➤COVID DEATHS IN U.S. HOSPITALS AT LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE FEBRUARY: The number of Covid-19 patients dying in U.S. hospitals are now at levels not seen since February, Bloomberg reported yesterday, amid the nationwide surge being driven by the delta variant. The number of Covid deaths in hospitals rose to a seven-day average of 1,016 on Wednesday, the highest since February 22nd, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bloomberg said there are now more people in intensive care units statewide in Alabama than there are staffed beds available, and Florida, Mississippi, Georgia and Texas are all at more than 90 percent of their ICU capacity. 


      In more hopeful Covid news, more than one million Americans received a vaccine shot yesterday, a number we haven't had nationally in nearly seven weeks. White House Covid-19 Data Director Cyrus Shahpar also tweeted that there was a 31 percent week-over-week increase in the daily average of people becoming fully vaccinated.

      ➤MAN IN PICKUP TRUCK NEAR U.S. CAPITOL SURRENDERS AFTER CLAIMING TO HAVE BOMB: A 49-year-old North Carolina man who claimed to have a bomb while in a pickup truck near the U.S. Capitol surrendered to police after a standoff that lasted about five hours yesterday. Floyd Ray Roseberry drove onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress about 9:15 a.m. and made bomb threats to officers as he made anti-government rants during the episode that he livestreamed on Facebook. He spoke angrily about President Biden and said, "all Democrats need to step down," and also ranted about U.S. policy on Afghanistan, health care and the military, and warned about a, quote, "revolution." After Roseberry surrendered and arrested, police didn't find a bomb in the truck, but did find bomb-making materials. No information was released by police about a motive, but U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said Roseberry's mother had recently died and, quote, "There were other issues he was dealing with."

      ➤38-DAY LEGISLATIVE STANDOFF ENDS IN TEXAS WHEN SOME DEMOCRATS RETURN: A legislative standoff in Texas in which some Democratic state lawmakers fled the state to deny a quorum for a vote on new Republican-driven voting restrictions ended after 38 days yesterday when some of the lawmakers returned. Most of the more than 50 Democrats who left the state are still not back, but three Democrats showed up, who were blasted by some of their colleagues for breaking ranks, and that was enough for a quorum. The Democrats who returned said they'd successfully pushed Congress on voting rights legislation.


      ➤JUDGE GIVES CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OF BOY SCOUTS' $850 MILLION BANKRUPTCY DEAL: A bankruptcy judge yesterday approved a bankruptcy deal for the Boy Scouts of America that includes an $850 million fund to compensate some 70,000 men men who say they were sexually abused when they were boys by Scout leaders and others in the organization. However, Judge Laura Selber Silverstein also rejected two key provisions of the deal, and it wasn't immediately clear how that will affect the future of the bankruptcy case. But Paul Mones, an attorney representing hundreds of the abuse victims, said, "Basically, everybody’s going to have to go back to the drawing board. I think this is going to cause a reset."

      ➤THREE FULLY-VACCINATED SENATORS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19: Three U.S. senators have breakthrough cases of Covid-19, all three announcing yesterday that they'd tested positive despite being fully vaccinated. The three are Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper of Colorado. King said, "While I am not feeling great, I’m definitely feeling much better than I would have without the vaccine." Wicker's staff said he is "in good health" and isolating, and Hickenlooper said, "I’m grateful for the vaccine (& the scientists behind it!) for limiting my symptoms."

      ➤AMERICAN AIRLINES' ALCOHOL BAN EXTENDED INTO JANUARY: American Airlines is extending its ban on serving alcohol during flights to January 18, 2022, NBC News reported yesterday, citing an internal memo it obtained. The memo said, "We are doing all we can to help create a safe environment for our crew and customers onboard our aircraft." The airline had already pushed back the suspension once, to September 13th. Airlines had been dealing with a spike in unruly or dangerous passenger behavior since the start of the year, as passengers began to return to the skies in big numbers following the huge decline in air travel to numbers not seen since the dawn of passenger air travel due to the pandemic.
       
      ➤ONLY FANS WEBSITE TO BAN SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT:
      OnlyFans made the stunning announcement yesterday that it will ban sexually explicit content starting in October, even though that's basically what the site has become known for. OnlyFans said the policy change came after requests from, "quote, "banking partners and payout providers," suggesting it was having trouble getting those companies to do business with them. Under the new policy, nudity will still be allowed, but not if it's sexually explicit. OnlyFans, which was founded in 2016, lets creators offer either free or paid content, including livestreams and videos, and while it presents itself as a place where creative types like photographers, musicians, make-up artists, and actors can earn part or even full-time income, it's best known for sex workers and influences promoting and selling access to adult content. 

      Among the critics of the change were those who said it's the explicit content from sex workers and influencers that made OnlyFans the major platform it is today. The Verge suggested part of the reasoning behind the decision could be about the content that's making it on the site but shouldn't be. It cited a BBC investigation that set up accounts advertising themselves as being young teenagers with photos for sale and OnlyFans didn't not them until the BBC alerted them. The BBC also cited a U.S. Homeland Security agent talking about how many child abuse images originate on OnlyFans.

      ➤HOT DOGS SHORTEN YOUR LIFE BY 36 MINUTES: Every hot dog a person eats shortens their life by 36 minutes. The findings come from a University of Michigan study that created a standardized way of assessing the carbon footprint and nutritional impact of almost 6,000 foods. The researchers found that, “on average, .45 minutes are lost per gram of any processed meat that a person eats in the US.”

      JUDGE DENIES RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST BAUER: A Los Angeles judge yesterday denied a 27-year-old woman a five-year restraining order against L.A. Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, finding that he doesn't present a future threat to her. The woman has accused Bauer of assaulting her during two sexual encounters, including choking her into unconsciousness and punching her repeatedly in the face and genitals. 

      Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman said after the four-day hearing that Bauer honored the woman's boundaries when she set them, and he couldn't know the boundaries if she didn't express them. Bauer's attorneys had presented texts in which she spoke positively about being choked and wrote "gimme all the pain." But the woman's attorney said Bauer went far beyond what the woman consented to, especially in punching her in the face and vagina, and said he did things the woman couldn't consent to because she'd been choked unconscious, including, according to woman, having anal sex with her while she wasn't conscious. 

      The criminal investigation by Pasadena, California, police and the MLB's own investigation are both still continuing. Hours after yesterday's ruling, the MLB extended Bauer's suspension through August 27th.

      🏈RAMS-RAIDERS JOINT PRACTICE ENDS EARLY BECAUSE OF BRAWL: An L.A. Rams-Las Vegas Raiders joint practice ended early Thursday when the two NFL teams got into an extended brawl. The fight started and stopped several times before head coaches Sean McVay and Jon Gruden decided to end the practice 45 minutes early. Gruden said, "Just sickening, really, it’s just stupidity, but I’m done with that. It’s just child’s play to me." It was the second joint practice for the teams, after they had one Wednesday too. The Rams and Raiders will face off in a preseason game on Saturday.

       🏈JETS' LAWSON TO MISS SEASON AFTER RUPTURING ACHILLES TENDON: New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson, who was the team's biggest free-agent signing in the off-season, will miss the entire 2021-22 season after rupturing an Achilles tendon yesterday (August 19th) during practice. The Jets signed Lawson to three-year, $45 million deal in March. Jets safety Zane Lewis also had a season-ending injury during the practice, tearing a patella tendon and sprained an MCL.

      🏌KORDA, SAGSTROM, KIM TIED FOR LEAD AFTER FIRST ROUND OF WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN: American Nelly Korda, Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden and South Korea's Sei Young Kim were tied for the lead at 5-under 67 after the first round of the Women's British Open yesterday at Carnoustie in Scotland. Korda won the women's golf gold medal two weeks ago at the Tokyo Olympics and the PGA Championship in June.

      🎾OSAKA FALLS TO 76TH-RANKED TEICHMANN AT WESTERN & SOUTHERN: After bowing out of the French Open following the first round, skipping Wimbledon, and losing in the third round at the Tokyo Olympics, world second-ranked player Naomi Osaka was upset by Number 76 Jil Teichmann 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the third round of the Western & Southern Open yesterday (August 19th) in Ohio. Next up is the U.S. Open, which begins on August 30th.

      ➤WEATHER...HENRI APPROACHING NEW ENGLAND: 
      The National Weather Service issued hurricane watches early Friday morning for portions of southeastern Massachusetts, as well as Rhode Island, as Tropical Storm Henri approaches New England. Nearly all track models now show Henri’s center reaching the coast of southern New England and strengthening over the next two days, likely to become a hurricane by Saturday, forecasters said.

      Storm surge watches are also in effect for southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. Additional watches or warning may be issued later today, the weather service said. It also warned that swells from Henri will reach much of the eastern coast of the US and Canada by the end of the week, potentially causing life-threatening surf and rip currents. Henri is expected to strengthen Friday and Saturday and then weaken as it passes over cooler water. But it will still be a hurricane as it approaches Cape Cod Sunday afternoon, according to the center’s forecast.