Fox News Remains Most-Watched Basic Cable Network

FOX News Channel (FNC) capped off its 25th anniversary year by dominating all of basic cable in total day and primetime viewership for the sixth consecutive year, according to Nielsen Media Research. 

In primetime, FNC averaged 2,348,000 total viewers, 370,000 in the 25-54 demo and 231,000 in the 18-49 demo. In total day, the network delivered 1,327,000 total viewers, 222,000 in the 25-54 demo and 135,000 in the 18-49 demo. 

FNC obliterated CNN and MSNBC across the board, and was the only cable network to deliver more than 2 million total viewers in primetime and one million total viewers in total day. Additionally, according to data from Nielsen/MRI Fusion, more independents and democrats tuned into FNC than CNN this year while delivering the largest independent audience in cable news, making FNC’s audience the most politically diverse in cable news. Notably in 4Q’21, FNC had its second highest share of the cable news audience in its entire 25 year history with total day in the 25-54 and 18-49 demo. FNC also drew 57% of the total day audience in both the 25-54 and 18-49 demos, behind only 4th Quarter 2004.

In commenting on the 2021 ratings, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “As we embark on our 20th year as the leader in cable news, the last six of which as number one in all of cable, I am incredibly proud of the unrivaled success we’ve had at FOX News Channel. Not only were we the only network to grow our audience share, but we did so while changing our lineup and transforming the entire late-night television landscape in the process, ensuring our continued momentum for many years to come.”

FNC completed the fourth quarter of 2021 as the most-watched cable news network, sweeping the competition in total day and primetime total viewers and in the 25-54 demo, according to Nielsen Media Research. Notably, The Five continued to smash records and made history as the first non-prime program to rank number one in total viewers in all of cable news for an entire quarter. The program delivered a whopping 3,296,000 in total viewers, outpacing every hour across cable news. In the 25-54 demo, The Five notched 481,000 viewers, coming second behind only FNC’s Tucker Carlson Tonight’s 542,000. Aside from marking 80 consecutive quarters and number one in primetime total viewers, FNC delivered its highest-rated quarter of the year with total day while both CNN and MSNBC notched its lowest. In total day, FNC garnered 1.4 million total viewers, 236,000 in the 25-54 demo and 152,000 in the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC delivered 2.4 million total viewers, 366,000 in the 25-54 demo, and 233,000 in the 18-49 demo.

FNC programs comprised 10 of the top 15 programs in cable news, including Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Five, Hannity, The Ingraham Angle, Special Report with Bret Baier, FOX News Primetime, Gutfeld!, Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom and The Faulkner Focus. The network also notched nine of the top 15 programs in the 25-54 demo, including Tucker Carlson Tonight, Hannity, The Five, The Ingraham Angle, Special Report with Bret Baier, Gutfeld!, FOX News Primetime, Outnumbered and America’s Newsroom.

This year, FNC also launched a late-night program Gutfeld!, hosted by Greg Gutfeld, and promptly became the home of the second highest-rated show in late night television (1,701,000 total viewers and 325,000 in the 25-54 demo), topping ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC’s The Tonight Show, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, among other broadcast and cable programs. Gutfeld! was also the first late night television host to unseat CBS’ Stephen Colbert as the most-watched late night television host for a full week since 2018, finishing several weeks in 2021 with the largest audience in all of late night television. Following Gutfeld! at 12AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream, which debuted in its new timeslot earlier this year, improved the timeslot’s ratings across the board.

➤Nielsen Cable News Ratings for 2021 (12/28/20-12/26/21) vs. 2020 (12/30/19-12/27/20)

Primetime:

• FNC: 2,348,000 P2+ (down 34%); 370,000 25-54 (down 42%)
• CNN: 1,078,000 P2+ (down 40%); 268,000 25-54 (down 48%)
• MSNBC: 1,533,000 P2+ (down 28%); 216,000 25-54 (down 39%)

Total Day:

• FNC: 1,327,000 P2+ (down 29%); 222,000 25-54 (down 35%)
• CNN: 773,000 P2+ (down 32%); 185,000 25-54 (down 40%)
• MSNBC: 905,000 P2+ (down 27%); 125,000 25-54 (down 38%)

Post Christmas: Mariah's Holiday Hit Still Tops

Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. The carol, released in 1994, adds its seventh total week on top, after notching three weeks at No. 1 beginning in December 2019 and two more starting in December 2020, before it returned to the summit a week ago.

Notably, with this week’s Hot 100 dated Jan. 1, 2022, Carey’s “Christmas” is the first song to lead Hot 100 charts dated in four distinct years (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022). (It was already the only song to reign in as many as three years.)

The song leads eight Yuletide favorites in the Hot 100’s top 10, including one in the tier for the first time: The Ronettes‘ “Sleigh Ride,” up from No. 13 to No. 10. The track was originally released in 1963, just after the group posted its lone top 10: its classic “Be My Baby,” which hit No. 2. The act’s return to the top 10 is record-breaking, as it ranks in the region after a break of 58 years and two months.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Jan. 1) will update on Billboard.com Wednesday (Dec. 29). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Mariah Carey poses with a plaque commemorating 1 billion Spotify streams
for “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

Deeper Dive:

Streams, airplay & sales: Carey’s “Christmas,” on Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, drew 47.5 million U.S. streams (up 26%) and 32 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 25%, good for top Airplay Gainer honors on the Hot 100) and sold 8,100 downloads (up 9%) in the Dec. 17-23 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

The song claims a 14th total week at No. 1 on the Streaming Songs chart and rises 7-6 on Digital Song Sales and 23-13 on Radio Songs. It also leads the multi-metric Holiday 100 chart for a 50th week, of the chart’s 55 total weeks since the list launched in 2011; it has topped the tally for 35 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season, and dominates as the top title on the recently-revealed Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart.

The song was first released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in 1994 and has increased its Hot 100 fortunes in recent years as streaming has grown and holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services’ seasonal playlists.

No. 1 in its 50th week on Hot 100: As it spends its 50th week on the Hot 100, Carey’s “Christmas” is the first song to lead in as late as its 50th frame on the survey. A week earlier, when it reigned in its 49th week, it passed Los Del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix),” which led through its 46th week on the chart in November 1996. (The latter also logged multiple runs on the Hot 100, first running up 20 weeks in September 1995-January 1996 before it resurged and returned in May 1996 and lasted on the list through February 1997.)

Longest span atop the Hot 100: Carey’s “Christmas” extends its mark for the longest span from a song’s first week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 to its latest: two years and 11 days (Dec. 21, 2019-Jan. 1, 2022).

Plus, the latest week atop the Hot 100 for “Christmas” extends Carey’s record for the longest span of an artist ranking at No. 1 on the chart: 31 years and five months, dating to her first week at No. 1 on the chart dated Aug. 4, 1990, with her debut single “Vision of Love.”

Most Podcasts Listeners Are In English-Speaking Countries

For the first time, the eMarketer forecasting team at Insider Intelligence has produced a comprehensive set of international forecasts for podcast listeners. eMarketer claims it can now estimate and project podcast penetration for 18 major markets around the world, enough to develop a representative snapshot for global podcast listening.

The 18 countries include a vast majority of the largest podcast markets in the world. This cohort also comprises nearly all the core nations for podcast marketability, monetization, and advertising.

eMarketer drew a range of regional and international conclusions based on this latest data. Our major findings include:

• Podcasts are most popular in English-speaking and English-proficient countries.
• North America and Asia-Pacific have the most podcast listeners, but very different levels of adoption among their populations.
• Several emerging markets are growing their podcast listener base rapidly, particularly in Latin America.

Like many entertainment products, podcasts are an increasingly borderless medium. However, unlike movies, TV, sports, and music, podcasts are very difficult to enjoy if the listener does not understand the language spoken by the content creator. This reality is shaping the development of podcast audiences across the globe. Led by the US, countries with primarily English-speaking populations have embraced podcasts the most deeply.

The US is the global podcast leader, in terms of both content production and listener adoption. With the enormous US-made library of podcast content, English speakers around the world have a wider array of shows available to them than non-English speakers do. This in turn smooths the path for podcast adoption in countries with high levels of English-language proficiency.

Nielsen Expands its Nielsen Impact Score Offering

Nielsen announced the expansion of its Nielsen Impact Score, which helps universities recruit collegiate athletes by demonstrating the marketing value of each athletic program, to now include over 100 college football programs in its database. 

Initially launched in October for men's college basketball programs, the Nielsen Impact Score is designed to help coaches and collegiate teams position the marketing value of a program in line with new NCAA name, image, likeness rules to potential student-athletes via comprehensive recruiting and proprietary marketing data provided by Nielsen.

Nielsen announced the expansion its Nielsen Impact Score to include over 100 college football programs in its database.

Nielsen Sports, a global leader in sports media valuation, data intelligence, strategy and insights, developed the Nielsen Impact Score to help showcase the marketing impact a collegiate sports team can deliver to potential student-athletes. By tapping into Nielsen's industry-leading TV measurement tools, along with its local market research data from Nielsen Scarborough, the NIS is a first-of-its-kind solution that only Nielsen is able to deliver. The NIS database is designed to help a university team's staff showcase the impact its program can have on prospective players. This database allows universities to quantify the inherent value a program can provide to prospective student-athletes using metrics similar to those a brand would consider when evaluating sports marketing partnerships. Now, coaches can pull their program's rankings at the local or national level to help recruiting efforts, showcasing strengths in their own program as well as advantages over other programs. This allows programs that use the NIS to personalize recruiting pitches based on factors that may help a student-athlete benefit from the NCAA's new name, image, likeness rules.

The Nielsen Impact Score is a marketing value index that compares programs across three key inputs:
National Exposure – The basis for any marketing deal, this metric accounts for how much national television exposure the collegiate program provides its student-athletes. This metric is based on proprietary Nielsen TV Ratings data.

NYC Radio: WEPN's Michael Kay Beats WFAN's Carton & Roberts

The Michael Kay Show

The full fall ratings-book numbers are in, and the NY Post reports they spell victory for “The Michael Kay Show” and WEPN 98.7 FM ESPN New York over WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM's “Carton & Roberts” in afternoon drive in the fall ratings quarter.

In the time slot of 3-6:30 p.m., when both shows overlap, Kay’s show, which features Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg, bested Craig Carton and Evan Roberts with a 5.7 share in the Nielsen Audio ratings compared to 4.6 amongst men 25-54, the demographic in which sports talk radio advertising is sold against.

In this time slot, Kay finished fourth overall in the New York market, and “Carton & Roberts” seventh.

The numbers include terrestrial radio and streaming.

Newsday reports WFAN was closer from 2 to 6:30 p.m., which includes the entirety of the Carton and Roberts show, but ESPN still won in that time period, 5.1-5.0.

WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti won handily from 6 to 10 a.m., finishing second overall at 6.5 to ESPN’s 10th at 3.9. WFAN finished behind only the Spanish-language station WSKQ-FM.

WFAN’s former midday show featuring Maggie Gary and Marc Malusis ranked sixth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4.4% of the audience and ESPN was 15th at 2.9.

After winning the winter and spring books — the first full books since Carton’s return to the station — WFAN got off to a horrendous start in October (5.8-3.7) before recovering in the last two months of the book to make things closer.

The two afternoon shows were tied during the last month of the quarterly period.

Kay finished fourth behind two Spanish-language stations and WLTW-FM, which played its popular holiday music starting on Nov. 19.

Malusis and Gray are getting replaced by Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney in mid-days at WFAN in 2022. Gray left the station to host a national show on CBS Sports Radio with former “Dan Patrick Show” producer Andrew Perloff, and Malusis will remain in a utility role.

6+ December 2021 PPMs

December PPMs Day 1: NYC, L-A, Chicago +9 More Markets

Nielsen on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 released the first batch of  December2021 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.

Wake-UP Call: U-S Sets Record For COVID Cases

The U-S hit a record-high number of daily COVID-19 cases yesterday. The seven-day average of 254,496 cases surpassed the previous high number, recorded on January 11, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. "January is going to be a really, really hard month," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN.

 

Florida surgeon general says Biden admin 'actively preventing' monoclonal antibody treatmentshttps://t.co/NREvFrPR8g

— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 29, 2021

The Omicron variant now makes up about 59 percent of all new cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The remaining 41 percent of cases are the older Delta variant.

Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. are struggling with the largest increases in cases.

Harry Reid

➤SENATOR HARRY REID DIES: Retired U.S. Senator Harry Reid, whose 30-year Senate career was capped by eight years as Democratic majority leader of the Senate, has died. He was 82. Born in Searchlight, Nevada, Reid worked his way through George Washington University law school by working as an officer for the Capitol Police. He became the Democratic Party's Senate leader in 2004.

➤JUDGE REFUSES TO DISMISS CAPITOL CHARGES: A federal judge has declined to dismiss an indictment against four alleged leaders of the Proud Boys group for conspiring to attack the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral victory. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly rejected the argument that their conduct was protected by the First Amendment right to free speech. All four men are in jail awaiting trial.

➤VIDEO GAME MAKER AGREES TO PAY $100 MILLION FOR DISCRIMINATION: Riot Games, a maker of popular video games, has agreed to pay $100 million to about 2,300 current and former female employees as compensation for gender discrimination and workplace harassment. Riot Games is owned by the Chinese company Tencent. Its flagship game is League of Legends. The settlement still needs a final approval from the Los Angeles Superior Court.

➤FLIGHT CANCELATIONS CONTINUE: Another 1,200 U.S. flights were canceled yesterday as the widespread disruption to air travel dragged into a fifth day. That makes a total of about 5,900 holiday-season flights canceled by the major American airlines. Most were due to a shortage of crew and staff, though the snowstorms out West didn't help.

.@ABCWorldNews, @NBCNightlyNews, & @CBSEveningNews all ignored a report out today that food prices are predicted to spike 5% in the first half of 2022. @SpecialReport did a good breakdown of this terrible news for consumers. pic.twitter.com/BxxdYM3RFC

— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) December 29, 2021

➤$4 GAS COULD BE HERE BY MEMORIAL DAY, GASBUDDY PREDICTS:  It’s early winter, but gas prices could be quite high by Memorial Day. A new forecast from GasBuddy predicts the national average for a gallon of gas will rise to $3.41 a gallon in 2022, up from $3.02 a gallon this year. GasBuddy also predicts prices at the pump will peak nationally at a monthly average of $3.79 in May, before finally retreating below current levels by late 2022. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, says, “We could see a national average that flirts with, or in worst-case scenario, potentially exceeds $4 a gallon.” AAA reported Monday (December 27th) that the national average for a gallon of gas fell to $3.29, down from the peak of $3.42 on November 8th.

 
🏠HOME PRICE GROWTH SLOWS A BIT: The growth in prices of homes in the U.S. slowed a bit in October for the third straight month, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index. However, prices still posted a 19.1 percent gain over the same month in the previous year. The index is a composite of prices in 20 U.S. cities, and every one of them showed price increases.

CHECK IT OUT: For the breakdown by city, click here.

CNN's Brian Stelter urges Associated Press to attack Republicans harder https://t.co/41XJgpUgaW

— Jack Posobiec ✝️ (@JackPosobiec) December 28, 2021

BREAKING: Hong Kong police have arrested six members of an online news outlet for sedition in a continuing crackdown on dissent. https://t.co/2pZ8Xc1RHP

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 29, 2021

➤TIME CAPSULE OPENED: A time capsule removed from the pedestal of Richmond, Virginia's Robert E. Lee statue has been opened and found to contain various odds and ends of 1865-vintage memorabilia. 

There was a Harper's Weekly magazine with an illustration of a mourner weeping over Abraham Lincoln's grave, plus a Bible, a Richmond directory, some Civil War-era bullets, and some coins, books and letters. Conservators will continue to study the items.

🏈COLTS' WENTZ OUT FOR 10 DAYS: Indianapolis Colts Quarterback Carson Wentz is paying the price for remaining unvaccinated. He was added to the COVID-19 list yesterday. Since he's not vaccinated, that means he's out for 10 days, including Sunday's big game against Las Vegas Raiders.The NFL just changed its rules to allow vaccinated players with no symptoms to return after five days in quarantine.

 
The Colts could get an AFC playoff spot if they defeat the Raiders on Sunday.

🏈JOHN MADDEN DIES AT AGE 85: John Madden, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Raiders and long-time NFL broadcaster, died yesterday. Madden was head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 through 1978 and took the team to Super Bowl XI at the end of the 1976 season. He provided color commentary for NFL broadcasts for the next 30 years.

🏈HOLIDAY BOWL CANCELED: One more college bowl game isn't happening this year. The UCLA Bruins pulled out of their game in San Diego against the North Carolina State Wolfpack because of COVID-19 cases in the program. The cancellation came yesterday just hours before the game was to be played. Previously canceled games include the Arizona Bowl, the Hawaii Bowl, the Fenway Bowl, and the Military Bowl.

🏈TOM BRADY TOLD TO CHILL OUT: The NFL has warned Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady to stop taking out his frustrations on their tablet devices. After his team's shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 15, Brady tossed a Microsoft Surface tablet used on the sideline over his shoulder, where it bounced several times before landing. On the podcast Let's Go, Brady said the NFL has warned him not to do that again or he'll be fined.

🏒RED WINGS MISS ANOTHER GAME: The Detroit Red Wings won't be playing the New York Islanders today after all. The game has been postponed due to COVID-19. The Red Wings haven't played since December 18, when they defeated the New Jersey Devils.

The NHL postponed nine games scheduled to be played in Canada due to crowd restrictions there.

⛄17 FEET OF SNOW! Nearly 17 feet of snow has fallen so far this month in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California, according to the University of California at Berkeley's Central Sierra Snow Laboratory. It was a record for the location as far back as 1970. Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the snow lab, told CNN that still more snow is needed to alleviate the severe drought conditions of previous months.

R.I.P.: John Madden, Legendary Football Personality, Coach

John Madden 1936-2021

John Madden, a Super Bowl-winning coach who became the pre-eminent sports commentator and was the brand name for the leading football video game, has died. He was 85.

Bloomberg reports he died unexpectedly Tuesday morning, the National Football League said in a statement on Tuesday. No cause was given. 

“There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

Madden, outsized and gregarious, first earned fame during his 10 years as the no-nonsense head coach of the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders, starting in 1969. His regular season record was 103 wins, 32 losses and 7 ties, the best winning percentage among the league’s coaches with at least 100 career victories.

“Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popularity of professional football as Coach Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable,” the Raiders, now based in Las Vegas, said in a statement.

Madden’s Raiders captured their first championship with a 32–14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in 1977. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

By the time of his Hall of Fame induction, he had become the sport’s best known color commentator. He started with CBS, in 1979, delighting fans with his trademark interjections to punctuate good or awful plays: “Boom!” “Whap!” “Bang!” and “Doink.”

Later he worked for Fox, ABC, and NBC as the various networks won the rights to broadcast NFL games and persuaded Madden to join them. He retired in 2009 from TV broadcasting, having partnered with Pat Summerall and Al Michaels, among other well-known play-by-play announcers. He won 16 Emmy awards during his three decades as a broadcaster.

He also pioneered use of the telestrator, a device that allowed him to superimpose light-pen diagrams over video footage to illustrate plays. He also created a personal Hall of Fame — the “All Madden” team — to honor athletes he thought played football the right way, that is, his way.

He endeared himself to fans by traveling from game to game by bus or train to deal with a fear of flying.

Madden was so likable, he became a pitchman for a variety of products, including Ace Hardware, Miller Lite, Outback Steakhouse and Tinactin, the athlete’s foot treatment he said was “tough actin’.”

Among younger fans he was best known for the EA Sports/Electronic Arts video game that bore his name and input and was a regular best-seller each time it came out in a new edition. The games, introduced in 1988, were so popular that they spawned TV shows featuring competitions of players.

“The younger generation of football fans was introduced to the NFL because of the computer game,” ESPN columnist Len Pasquarelli said his review of the 2006 version of the game. “For that generation, Madden is, essentially, the face of the NFL.”

John Earl Madden was born on April 10, 1936, in Austin, Minnesota, to Earl and Mary Flaherty Madden. His father, an auto mechanic, moved the family to Daly City, California, where Madden attended high school.

He played college football at several schools before transferring to California Polytechnic State University, known as Cal Poly, where he played both offense and defense. While there he earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in education.

He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but suffered a knee injury in training camp that ended his playing career.

R.I.P.: Jeff Dickerson, Covered NFL Bears For ESPN

Jeff Dickerson, who covered the Chicago Bears for ESPN, died on Tuesday from complications of colon cancer at the age of 44, reports The NY Post.

Dickerson’s wife, Caitlin, died two years ago from melanoma, and the couple is survived by their 11-year-old son, Parker.

“JD was one of the most positive people you will ever meet,” ESPN deputy NFL editor Heather Burns said in a statement. “We all got together in October for an event, and there he was lifting our spirits and assuring us he was going to beat cancer. That’s just who he was. We are holding Jeff’s family, and especially his son, Parker, in our prayers.”

Dickerson’s friends and colleagues are remembering him as vibrant and helpful, in a competitive profession where that is not always the case.

“Everyone who knew Jeff Dickerson was better off for it,” tweeted Jon Greenberg of The Athletic. “I just can’t believe this is real.”

Dickerson had been a fixture at ESPN for 20 years, and in recent years was co-host of the “Dickerson and Hood” weekend show on ESPN Radio.

WMVP ESPN 1000 Chicago host Tom Waddle remembered Dickerson as selfless, and someone who showed grace amid his immense personal struggles.

The Bears released a statement remembering Dickerson and expressing the organization’s sympathies to his young son and family.

“We are absolutely heartbroken to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague Jeff Dickerson,” the team said. “Always the consummate professional, JD took a great deal of pride in his coverage of the Bears for 20 years. He was a true professional and even better person. JD always was one of the first media members to the press box on gameday, with a hello and a smile that could brighten anyone’s day. He was one of kind, and will be truly missed.”

Appeals Court Puts Part NYTimes Coverage Ruling On Hold

A New York state appeals court on Tuesday put on hold part of a trial judge's decision blocking the New York Times from reporting on documents prepared by a lawyer for the conservative activist group Project Veritas.

Reuters reports Justice William Ford of the Appellate Division in Brooklyn said the Times does not have to turn over or destroy its copies of documents prepared by Project Veritas' in-house lawyer Benjamin Barr while it appeals the coverage ban.

On Friday, in a ruling that alarmed First Amendment advocates, Justice Charles Wood of the state Supreme Court in Westchester County said Barr's memos were not a matter of public concern, and rejected the Times' claim that barring coverage would unconstitutionally restrain its journalism.

The newspaper's editorial board called Wood's decision dangerous and his rationale "breathtaking," saying no court should tell news media how to conduct their reporting and risk subjecting them to frivolous libel lawsuits as a means of controlling news coverage.

Ford directed Project Veritas to address by Jan. 14, 2022, why Wood's decision should not be thrown out, or at least stayed through a possibly expedited Times appeal.

Elizabeth Locke, a lawyer for Project Veritas, in an email said the group "joined The Times in its very limited request to maintain the status quo to allow appellate review because the proper administration of justice is paramount to American democracy, the First Amendment, and the press' freedom under it."

Times spokesman Jordan Cohen in an email said the newspaper was pleased that parts of Wood's "unconstitutional order" were stayed, and looked forward to having the Appellate Division vacate the order.

Led by James O'Keefe, Project Veritas has used what critics view as deceptive tactics to expose what it describes as liberal media bias.

The group is the subject of a U.S. Department of Justice probe into its possible role in the theft of a diary from President Joe Biden's daughter Ashley, which a right-wing website excerpted.

New Officers Elected At IBA

The Independent Broadcasters Association’s (IBA) Board of Directors has elected officers for the 2022-2023 term. The announcement was made by Ron Stone, who was re-elected for a second term as President and Executive Director of the IBA. Two of the other officers were also re-elected, Darrell Calton, Chairman and Assistant Secretary and Allen Dick, VP and Treasurer. Tony Renda was elected as Secretary and Assistant Treasurer, replacing Mike Flood.

Stone commented, “I am pleased that the Board has reelected three of the founding officers for an additional term. I am very excited to have Tony Renda as one of our leaders in the next term. Tony has been instrumental in helping the IBA with many of the initiatives we took on in our first two years. The IBA has succeeded in its first 18 months delivering many new ways for its members to save on operational cost, create new revenues, and benefit from all the professionals in the industry that are working with us. We have said from the beginning that a large independent membership provides scale and with scale we can deliver many great things for independent broadcasters. I am looking forward to working with our management team to establish new goals for the IBA for 2022 and 2023.”

NPR Morning Edition Adds Leila Fadel

Leila Fadel

NPR announced Tuesday that Leila Fadel has been selected as the fourth host of Morning Edition, NPR’s morning drive time news magazine carried by 834 public radio stations nationwide, and Up First, NPR’s daily morning news podcast. Fadel’s first day on-air will be announced in the coming weeks. She will be based at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This work is about telling stories that reflect our nation and the world as it is, to have conversations that illuminate and that hold our public officials to account,” Fadel said. “No place does this work better than NPR. I’m excited to take my years of field reporting, at home and abroad, to the host chair and work with a team I’ve long admired.”

“We are delighted to have Leila join the Morning Edition team, she has had an exceptional career to date, covering some of the biggest stories of our time on both the national and international stage,” said Sarah Gilbert, NPR’s Vice President for News Programming. “Leila’s experience and range as a journalist and host made her the natural choice for this role, which she will take up from February of 2022, based in DC.”

Fadel is currently a national correspondent for NPR based in Los Angeles, covering race and identity. Previously, she was NPR’s international correspondent based in Cairo, from where she covered the wave of revolts in the Middle East and their aftermath in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and beyond. 

Before joining NPR, she covered the Middle East for The Washington Post as the Cairo Bureau Chief, and the Iraq war for nearly five years with Knight Ridder, McClatchy Newspapers, and later The Washington Post. Her foreign coverage of the devastating human toll of the Iraq war earned her the George. R. Polk award in 2007.

Leila Fadel will be joining Steve Inskeep, A Martinez, and Rachel Martin on this bi-coastal, 24-hour news operation. 

VA Radio: WFLO Combo To Go Silent

WFLO AM and FM in Farmville, VA is going dark on Friday, Dec. 31, after more than seven decades on the air.

The pandemic hit WFLO, making it difficult to stay afloat. However, the on-air talent says it is even more challenging to pull the plug and say goodbye to longtime listeners.

“We have been in people’s homes and lives for generations, almost 75 years,” WFLO General Manager Francis Wood said. “This week is a hard week.”

Wood has been with the station for half a century.

“It’s the voice of the heart of Virginia, a 50,000-watt powerhouse with a 500-foot tower,” Wood said about WFLO. “It’s a way for the civic organizations and local high schools and colleges to get the word out, and that’s going to be gone.”

WFLO 95.7 FM (50 Kw)

Wood says between the economic crash of 2008 and COVID-19, their little homegrown station couldn’t keep up, no matter how hard they tried to pivot to other mediums.

“A lot of your mom and pop stores went away, and those were our bread and butter,” Wood said. “They kept us going all the time through everything.”

December 29 Radio History

➦In 1891...Thomas A. Edison patented "transmission of signals electrically" (radio).

Wendell Niles, Marilyn Monroe

➦In 1904...one of the prominent announcers of big-time radio & early TV Wendell Niles was born in Twin Valley Minnesota.

Niles worked on such radio shows as The Charlotte Greenwood Show, Hedda Hopper's Hollywood, The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, The Man Called X, The Bob Hope Show, The Burns & Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show and The Chase and Sanborn Hour. On February 15, 1950, Wendell starred in the radio pilot for The Adventures of the Scarlet Cloak along with Gerald Mohr.

Wendell Niles

He began in entertainment by touring in the 1920s with his own orchestra, playing with the Dorsey Brothers and Bix Beiderbecke. In the early 1930s, Niles was an announcer at radio station KOL in Seattle. He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1935 to join George Burns and Gracie Allen.

He and his brother, Ken, developed one of the first radio dramas, which eventually became Theatre of the Mind.

He toured with Bob Hope during World War II. Among his film credits are Knute Rockne, All American (1940) with Ronald Reagan and Hollywood or Bust (the last Martin & Lewis comedy, 1956) as himself.

Wendell Niles was the announcer for TV's "America's Show Of Surprises"... It Could Be You, and for the Hatos-Hall production Your First Impression. Niles was also the original announcer for Let's Make a Deal during that show's first season in 1963 and 1964; he was later replaced by Jay Stewart.

Niles and his brother, Ken, are the first brothers to have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He died March 28 1994 at age 89.

➦In 1945...Sheb Wooley recorded the first commercial record made in Nashville. The song was recorded at the studios of WSM-AM and released by the Bullet label; but it would be 13 years before Wooley would finally score with a big hit (“The Purple People Eater” was #1 for six weeks in 1958.)

WSM is credited with helping shape Nashville into a recording industry capital. Because of WSM's wide reach, musical acts from all across the eastern United States came to Nashville in the early decades of the station's existence, in hopes of getting to perform on WSM.  Over time, as more acts and recording companies came to Nashville, the city became known as the center of the country music industry. Disc jockey David Cobb is credited with first referring to Nashville as "Music City USA", a designation that has since been adopted as the city's official nickname by the local tourism board.

➦In 1945...The mystery voice of "Mr. Hush" was introduced to the audience of the radio show, "Truth or Consequences", which was hosted by Ralph Edwards.

Ralph Edwards

Born in Merino, Colorado,  Edwards worked for KROW Radio in Oakland, California while he was still in high school.  Before graduating from high school in 1931, he worked his way through college at the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.A. in English in 1935. While there, he worked at every job from janitor to producer at Oakland's KTAB, now KSFO. Failing to get a job as a high school teacher, he worked at KFRC and then hitchhiked across the country to New York, where, he said, "I ate ten-cent ($2 as of 2014),  meals and slept on park benches".

After some part-time announcing jobs, he got his big break in 1938 with a full-time job for the Columbia Broadcasting System on WABC (now WCBS-AM), where he worked with two other young announcers who would become broadcasting fixtures - Mel Allen and Andre Baruch.

It was Edwards who introduced Major Bowes every week on the Original Amateur Hour and Fred Allen on Town Hall Tonight. Edwards perfected a chuckling delivery, sounding as though he was in the midst of telling a very funny story. This "laugh in the voice" technique served him well when 20th Century Fox hired him to narrate the coming-attractions trailers for Laurel and Hardy movies. He later used the conspiratorial chuckle frequently when surprising someone on his programs.

In 1940, Edwards created the game show Truth or Consequences, which aired for 38 years on radio and television. Contestants were asked to perform (often ridiculous) stunts for prizes of cash or merchandise.

➦In 1958...the first radio broadcast from space occurred when the voice of President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "To all mankind, America's wish for Peace on Earth & Good Will to Men Everywhere".

➦In 1963...Much to the chagrin of the disc jockeys at 50,000-watt 77WABC in New York, the 5,000-watt blowtorch known as WMCA 570 AM and its famed “Good Guys” became the first New York radio station to play the Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. It didn’t take long for WABC to get revenge. WABC played the record an hour later and started calling itself the “official” Beatles station (W-A-Beatle-C).

Throughout the 1960s, WMCA would continue to beat other radio stations on most Beatles' promotions, scoring firsts, causing headaches in particular for rival WABC - most notably when Capitol Records printed a photograph of the "Good Guys" line-up - on the back of a limited edition record sleeve for the single, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (Side 2: "I Saw Her Standing There"). WMCA's Good Guys were also featured at both of the Beatles' concerts at Shea Stadium, on August 15, 1965 and on August 23, 1966.

WMCA Good Guys: Johnny Dark, Joe O'Brien, Jack Spector, B. Mitchel Reed. Harry Harrison

WABC responded in different ways, scoring a success during the Beatles' second New York visit in August 1964 - when the band stayed at the Delmonico Hotel, rousing thousands of teenage fans into a frenzy - while broadcasting from one floor above the Beatles' rooms.  WABC later went against its own music policies, promising promoter Sid Bernstein that it would play a new group he was handling before any other New York City radio station - if it could get exclusive access to the Beatles. WABC never added records "out of the box" - but it did for Sid Bernstein when it played The Young Rascals' "I Ain't Going To Eat Out My Heart Anymore" - before other radio stations.

Since WABC knew WMCA already had a relationship with the Beatles, with tapes of the group promoting the station - what could WABC do to achieve the same? In August 1965, WABC came up with what it thought was a brilliant idea - issuing "medals" called "The Order of the All-Americans" - tied to its own DJs.  The strategy was to present the medals to each of the Beatles the next time they were in New York. Everything was set. The goal was to get each Beatle to comment on the "medal" - and then to get each to say the station's call letters, "W-A-B-C." These in turn could be used in station IDs and promotions, etc. - thus matching WMCA's success at getting the Beatles to promote WMCA and its Good Guys. But WABC's plan backfired. The station got its interviews, but none of the band's members would utter WABC's call letters. According to Beatles' historian Bruce Spizer, manager Brian Epstein ordered the Beatles to stop "giving away valuable promotional spots to radio stations for free."

Ted Danson is 74

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Inga Swenson (“Benson”) is 89. 
• Actor Jon Voight is 83. 
• Singer Marianne Faithfull is 75. 
• Actor Ted Danson is 74. 
• Singer-actor Yvonne Elliman is 70. 
• Actor Patricia Clarkson is 62. 
• Comedian Paula Poundstone is 62. 

• 

  Ashleigh Banfield is 54

  Guitarist-singer Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain is 60. 
• Actor Michael Cudlitz (“The Walking Dead”) is 57. 
• Singer Dexter Holland of The Offspring is 56. 
• Actor Jason Gouldis 55. 
• News anchor Ashleigh Banfield is 54. 
• Director Lilly Wachowski (“The Matrix”) is 54. 
• Singer-guitarist Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) is 51. 
• Actor Kevin Weisman (“Alias”) is 51. 
• Actor Jude Law is 49. Actor Maria Dizzia (“Orange Is the New Black”) is 47. 
• Actor Mekhi Phifer is 47. 
• Actor Shawn Hatosy (“Reckless,” ″The Faculty”) is 46. 
• Actor Katherine Moennig (“Ray Donovan,” “The L Word”) is 45. 
• Actor Alison Brie (“Glow,” ″Community”) is 39. 
• Country singer Jessica Andrews is 38. 
• Actor Iain de Caestecker (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) is 34. 
• Actor Jane Levy (“Suburgatory”) is 32. 
• Drummer Danny Wagner of Greta Van Fleet is 23.

Wake-Up Call: CDC Reduces Recommended Isolation Time

The Centers for Disease Control has cut in half the number of days it recommends that people quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19. It now says five days in isolation should be sufficient for people who don't develop symptoms, but still recommends wearing a mask in in public for another five days. The change was motivated by studies that show most virus transmissions occur soon after infection.

Early numbers suggest that the now-dominant omicron variant is often milder and less deadly than previous variants, but health officials still warn that the sheer number of new infections could crush overburdened hospitals.

In New York City, the increasing number of children hospitalized with COVID has led health officials to urge parents to get their kids vaccinated. The vaccination rate for children is low, especially in the age 5 to 11 group.

Florida is experiencing a dramatic spike in cases. New reported infections quadrupled, reaching 125,000 new cases in the week from December 17th to December 23rd.

CBS News correspondent blasts 'crushing' COVID policies on kids: 'They have suffered and sacrificed the most' https://t.co/AkOG6x4w4p

— Brandon Gillespie (@brandon_cg) December 27, 2021

 
🛬AIRLINES GROUND MORE TRAVELERS: Another 2,800 flights were canceled yesterday as the airlines continue to wrestle with staff and crew shortages at their busiest time of the year. About 11,000 flights to or from U.S. destinations were delayed. Around the world, more than 6,000 flights were canceled between Christmas Eve and Sunday. The airlines say they're trying to reschedule customers.

ࣸ➤BIG DEFENSE BILL SIGNED INTO LAW: President Joe Biden has signed a big new defense bill into law. The price tag totals almost $770 billion, which is $24 billion more than he asked Congress to approve. The bill includes new funding to counter military expansion by China, bolster the defense of Ukraine, and procure advanced aircraft, ships, and high-tech hardware. The bill received bipartisan support in Congress.

Media working overtime to protect Biden from 'Let's Go Brandon': Sean Duffy https://t.co/d41rI7z26t

— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 28, 2021

➤FOUR DEAD IN DENVER SHOOTINGS: At least four people were killed and at least three others were injured in a string of shootings at several locations across the Denver area, police said. A single gunman suspected of all of the shootings is among the dead. Many of the details were unclear early this morning, but the final incident occurred at a Hyatt Place hotel in Lakewood, where a clerk was shot. The suspect was attempting to flee when he was confronted by police. A police officer was injured and the suspect was killed in that confrontation.

Burlington, Vermont, decided to cut its police force by 30%. Here's what happened next. https://t.co/RAt79KXqpA

— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 28, 2021

➤WHAT TO DO WITH GIFTS YOU DON’T WANT:  It’s possible you got some holiday gifts that you just don’t want. So what should you do with them? Carey Riley is a lifestyle and retail expert and says you should first know that if you’re struggling to use a tech gift you got, like a laptop or a tablet, there are services that can help you. Riley says, “You can call 855-355-TECH,” and they will help you set up any new tech items you have, including cell phones. But if you have items you really don’t want—you can always re-gift them. Riley explains, “Re-gifting used to have a bad stigma, and it doesn’t anymore—or secondhand gifting. It’s actually very much appreciated.” There are several ways to do this, including using the online platform MPB.com, which allows you to sell unwanted gifts. Finally, you can return an item for store credit. Riley notes many stores offer “a lot of leniency” right after Christmas.

🌲WHAT’S THE MOST ECO-FRIENDLY WAY TO DISPOSE OF YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE? Christmas is over, and you may be ready to take down your tree. But how should you dispose of it? If it’s an artificial tree, you should box it up and save it for next year. If it’s really at the end of its life, you should do your best to recycle it or donate it—your local Goodwill is a good place to start. Many people displayed real trees this year as well. PopSci says the ideal way to get rid of your real tree is to have it made into mulch. If you live in an urban area, you probably have access to a public works department that will take your tree and turn it into useful wood chips for gardens and parks. Also, Home Depots across the US recycle trees, just call your local store to confirm. You can also search Earth911’s database by zip code to find a tree recycling program near you. Wherever you bring your tree, be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, tinsel, nets, etc. before dropping it off. If none of these options work for you, you could always just drop your real Christmas tree into a forest, pond, or lake, as it is biodegradable, though you may want to check with your local fish and game department first.

"This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for." https://t.co/Eu6ywA8prv

— ABC News (@ABC) December 28, 2021

➤SECOND TIME CAPSULE FOUND UNDER ROBERT E LEE STATUE: Workers dismantling a giant pedestal that once held up a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, recently found a time capsule that had apparently been placed there in 1887. That turned out to be a dud. The sealed box held several damp books, a coin and some paper. But that's not the end of the story. A second capsule has been found. It hasn't been opened yet, but contemporary records suggest that dozens of Confederate artifacts may have been placed there. The box will be opened next Tuesday.

🐮COW FINDS SANCTUARY IN THE SUBURBS: A nine-month-old cow that made a daring break for freedom from a New York City slaughterhouse on December 21st has found her forever home in a New Jersey suburb. Police and urban rangers rounded up the adventurous bovine in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where she had found her way after fleeing from her captors. Her new home is the Skylands Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Sussex County, New Jersey.

🏀NBA CUTS QUARANTINE TIME: The NBA has cut to six days the length of time that pro basketball players and coaches have to spend in quarantine if they have been vaccinated but test positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN. The previous policy had required a 10-day wait before getting a chance to "test out" of quarantine and return to the game. Still in place is a rule allowing someone to leave quarantine after two negative tests in 24 hours. As of yesterday, 205 players have been in quarantine this season.

Reports: NBA reduces quarantine time to six days https://t.co/tKPtd5esN1 pic.twitter.com/KFejPkhNcN

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 28, 2021

🏈SUN BOWL IS BACK ON AGAIN: Two good teams were desperately seeking someone to play against, and fortunately they've found each other. The Washington State Cougars will play against the Central Michigan Chippewas at the Sun Bowl this Friday. It was supposed to be Washington State versus Miami and Central Michigan versus Boise State, but both those teams had to withdraw due to COVID outbreaks. The Arizona Bowl is still canceled.

🏀WARRIORS' WIGGINS RETURNS: The NBA's updated COVID-19 health and safety protocols have already been good news for Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. He entered protocols on December 19th but was taken off the list yesterday. He rejoined the Warriors for practice and is likely to be in tonight's game against the Denver Nuggets, according to The Mercury News.

🏈GAROPPOLO NURSING A SORE THUMB: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has got a seriously sore thumb. He suffered a torn ligament and a fracture in his right thumb early in last Thursday's game against the Tennessee Titans. He was not at practice yesterday, and his status for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans is uncertain, according to ESPN.

🏈SEVERAL OHIO STATE PLAYERS OPT OUT OF ROSE BOWL: Four of Ohio State Buckeyes' best players are declaring for the 2022 NFL draft and will not play in the Rose Bowl against the Utah Utes this New Year's Day. Coach Ryan Day announced yesterday that receivers Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett all are declaring for the draft.

➤STORMY WEATHER IN THE WEST: A major winter storm system continued to wreak havoc in parts of the West. Heavy snow fell in the mountains of northern California and Nevada. Interstate 80 was still closed late last night from the Nevada state line to Placer County, California due to heavy snow. Washington State and Oregon recorded record-low temperatures.