Glenn Beck Under Investigation For Alleged Trump Threat

Glenn Beck

Radio host Glenn Beck is under investigation after a comment he made on his radio show when talking about GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Beck says his comment was not directed towards the presidential candidate.

This appears to be a misunderstanding but the Secret Service tells CBS11 (in Dallas/Ft.Worth) it’s aware of the comment and will conduct an appropriate follow-up investigation.

During his radio show Friday morning, Beck and his producers were talking about the other candidates saying they would support Donald Trump if he becomes the Republican nominee.

His producer mocked Beck after Beck mentioned being in the shoes of Trump’s rivals:

“Was it gigantic shoes?” asked the producer Stu Burguiere.

“If I was close enough and I had a knife. Really.  I mean the stabbing just wouldn’t stop,” Beck responded, appearing to direct his comments at Burguiere.

Burguiere said on Facebook, “It was reported that Glenn had threatened to stab a presidential candidate this morning which was odd since I was on the show with him and didn’t notice anything like that… Of course, if you were listening, you know that Glenn actually threatened me, not Donald Trump, so I am in the odd situation of defending my boss for threatening my life.”


The reason the Secret Service said it’s doing a follow-up investigation is because they protect Trump.

Watch Beck discuss the incident and the context behind the “stabbing” comment with Dana Loesch at CPAC:

Limbaugh Warns of ‘Utter Chaos’

Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said Sunday that there's a "much bigger upside than downside" in the Republican presidential candidacy of real estate developer Donald Trump.

"I think with the case of Trump, there’s a much bigger upside than downside," said Limbaugh while appearing on Fox News Sunday.

Limbaugh also said he believes that the divide between the Republican establishment and conservatives is “longer, broader, wider than I have ever seen it."

But Limbaugh said that despite its divisions, he thinks the Republican Party will eventually settle on a nominee who will be better than the Democratic candidate, regardless of whether it is Hillary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

He also said he doesn't believe that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) will have an opportunity to get enough traction to get the nomination. And he generally praised Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R).

Hulk Hogan Leads Fans To Safety After Building Shifts

What was supposed to be a routine autograph session with wrestling star Hulk Hogan on Saturday turned into an emergency evacuation when the hundreds of people lined up in Hogan's Clearwater Beach shop suddenly felt the building move.

The bandanna-wearing Hogan, whose popularity as a pro wrestler in the 1980s led to what was dubbed "Hulkmania," has been making headlines again lately as the plaintiff in a high-profile $100 million privacy lawsuit against the website Gawker over a sex tape. A St. Petersburg jury was seated to hear the case involving Hogan — whose real name is Terry Bollea — on Friday.

The Tampa Bay Times reports on Saturday, about 500 people had turned out to get an autograph and buy merchandise from Hogan's store in the Pelican Walk Plaza shopping center.

The signing at "the official shop for all your Hulkster gear," was scheduled for noon until 3 p.m. Those attending paid $100 per ticket in advance to get in, and $50 for children 14 and under.

But at about 12:30 p.m., people in the crowd felt the entire building shift, said Clearwater public information director Joelle Castelli.

"According to Terry, it felt like an earthquake," said Hogan's attorney, David Houston. "You could see some structural change in the building. The support columns that were holding up the second floor separated from the concrete floor, and they were just hanging there."

At that point, Houston said, Hogan realized everyone needed to leave the building as quickly as possible.

"He started leading people across the street and out of danger," Houston said. The crowd remained calm, he said. Soon, the Clearwater fire department showed up and took charge, evacuating the entire two-story strip mall.

Red Sox Reporter Resigns After Relationship Questions

Jessica Moran

Jessica Moran, a reporter for Comcast SportsNet who covers the Red Sox, resigned from the network Friday amid questions about the nature of her relationship with the team’s manager, John Farrell.

“I have stepped away from Comcast SportsNet as I thought it was in my best personal and professional interest to do so,” Moran wrote in a text to the Boston Globe. “They have been extremely supportive during my tenure at the network — and with this decision — and I am very appreciative of that.”
In recent days at the Red Sox spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., there has been speculation among local and national baseball reporters about Farrell’s relationship with Moran, who until Friday covered the team for the network. Asked about the nature of his relationship with Moran, Farrell declined to comment on Friday.

He did say that he and his wife, Sue Farrell, are getting divorced. The couple, who have been married for 30 years and have three sons, have been separated for most of the past two years, he said.

“I can confirm that we’re in the process of getting a divorce,” Farrell said in a phone call from Fort Myers. “As you can understand, this is a tough time for my family.”

Internet Radio's Advantage: Low Ad Loads

Digital radio averages just 2:29 minutes of ads per hour, barely a quarter of what terrestrial radio runs, a major draw for listeners.

According to Media Life Magazine, when you ask media buyers and planners to list their beefs with traditional radio, one of the first things they’ll mention is commercial clutter.

Ad breaks are crammed with so many spots that advertisers’ messages become lost amidst a steady flow of commercials, about nine minutes per hour, according to past studies.

Terrestrial radio has experimented with cutting back on ad loads—remember Clear Channel’s less is more—but it’s never really worked.

Little wonder then that advertisers are drawn to internet radio, where ad loads are significantly lower.

A new study from XAPP Media, a service that connects advertisers and broadcasters, finds that digital radio averaged just 2 minutes and 29 seconds of ads per hour during fourth quarter of last year, down from 2 minutes and 44 seconds at the same time the previous year.

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Traditional TV Audience Aging

Nielsen says the traditional TV audience continues to get older.

While most demographics are relatively flat in the Nielsen Universe Estimate Report for 2016 versus the same period a year ago, those 65 and older witnessed an increase. Those 65 and older now account for 40 persons out of 100 TV homes -- up from 38 out of 100 a year ago.

Nielsen says the 2016 data comes from estimates as of November 2015.

Nielsen says there are 116.4 million TV homes in 2016 -- the same as 2015. TV viewers 50 years and older are the only demographic group to see a gain year-over-year-- now 106.8 million, up from 105.4 million in 2015.

Media Post reports the biggest TV demographic is viewers 18-49, which dropped from 127 million to 126.8 million in 2015. Kids 2-11 inched down from 39.2 million to 39 million, while teens 12-17 slipped to 24.3 million from 24.5 million.

Looking at gender, women 18 years and older comprised 120.8 million -- up from 120.3 million -- while men 18 years and older are now up to 112.7 million from 112.0 million.

In 2015, CBS had the oldest median age of 60, followed by ABC at 57.2, NBC with 57.0 and Fox at 48.6, according to Nielsen and MoffettNathanson Research analysis.

Cable network groups are generally lower than the broadcast networks: Fox cable networks have a median age of 54.5; Scripps Networks Interactive, 53.4; A+E Networks, 51.7; NBCU, 51.6; Discovery Communications, 50.1; AMC Networks, 50; Time Warner, 35.7; Viacom, 26.6; and Disney, 24.7.

Memphis Radio: Flinn Files Countersuit Against Nielsen

A federal court judge has given Nielsen a March 14 deadline to respond to a counterclaim filed against the measurement giant by Flinn Broadcasting that the radio industry is watching with a keen eye. It regards charges related to fraud and breach of contract.

In the counterclaim, filed Feb. 10 in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, the Memphis-based broadcaster alleged that Nielsen “fraudently induced” it into entering ratings agreements and then breached its contracts by publishing ratings based on what it calls faulty PPM methodology.

InsideRadio reports the counterclaim came in response to a suit filed by Nielsen, which alleged Flinn breached its contract by failing to pay $136,872.88 for PPM ratings and other services for its five-station Memphis cluster during an eight-month period in 2015. All told, including late fees, Nielsen is seeking $176,134.00.

In a scheduling order filed Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander also set a June 30 deadline for fact discovery and status reports, a Sept. 29 deadline for expert discovery/status reports and an Oct. 27 deadline for any motions for a summary judgement.

Flinn’s counterclaim attempts to shoot holes in the Memphis PPM ratings service methodology, claiming its sample size and demographic representation were insufficient, and adversely impacted minority broadcasters such as Flinn. The PPM, which remains unaccredited by the Media Rating Council in Memphis, produced results that were “unreliable, false and misleading,” Flinn claims, arguing that Nielsen had an obligation to “disclose such facts” before signing Flinn to a ratings contract.

Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch, Model Jerry Hall Marry

Rupert Murdoch, Jerry Hall

(Reuters) -- Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and actress and model Jerry Hall celebrated their marriage with a blessing service on Saturday at St. Bride's church on London's Fleet Street, the spiritual home of British journalism.

A star-studded guest list included actor Michael Caine, Irish rockstar Bob Geldof, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and British Justice Secretary Michael Gove, a senior figure among those who want the UK to leave the European Union.

But conspicuous by their absence were Prime Minister David Cameron and finance minister George Osborne, who want Britain to stay in the 28-member bloc.

Murdoch and Hall wed on Friday in a private ceremony in central London, after which the now four-times married 84-year-old said he was the happiest man in the world.

Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corp and owner of 21st Century Fox Inc, and Hall, 59, posed for photographs after the service at the historic church, which is famed for its wedding-cake spire, but simply smiled and made no comment to the waiting media.

Texan model and actress Hall was wearing a pale blue chiffon and silk wedding gown, reported to have been designed by Vivienne Westwood, while Murdoch was dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and brown shoes. He sported a single white rose in his breast pocket.

GUEST LIST

The couple's 10 children from previous relationships attended the service, as did Rebekah Brooks, who returned to run Murdoch's British newspapers in September, and Robert Thomson, CEO of News Corp.

Other guests included former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, artist Tracey Emin, photographer David Bailey and UK employment minister Priti Patel, who like Gove is backing Brexit.

Murdoch is an influential figure in Britain through his ownership of a clutch of newspapers.

Last month his Sun on Sunday publication said Cameron had failed to get a proper deal for Britain from other EU leaders and on Thursday he tweeted that the UK government had made false claims about the implications of Brexit aimed at scaring voters.

No more tweets for ten days or ever! Feel like the luckiest AND happiest man in world.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) March 4, 2016

Murdoch and Hall began dating last summer after being introduced while in Australia and were first seen in public together at the Rugby Union World Cup Final in London in October. They got engaged in January.

Hall was previously in a long-term relationship with Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.

St. Bride's is located on Fleet Street, where Britain's major newspapers were located from the 1700s to the 1980s.

Murdoch had an instrumental role in Fleet Street's demise as a press hub when he moved his print works to east London.

"Within months the printing dinosaur that was Fleet Street was dead. By 1989 all the national newspapers had decamped as other proprietors followed Murdoch's lead," the church's own website says.

L-A Radio: Art Vuolo's Tribute To Charlie Tuna

Videographer and Radio's Best Friend Art Vuolo Jr has assembled a stellar video tribute to the late Charlie Tuna, legendary Boss Jock who passed away February 19 from complication of liver cancer.

Click Here For Original Posting

R.I.P.: Syracuse Radio, TV Sportscaster Joel Mareiniss

Joel Mareiniss

Joel Mareiniss, a 46-year-old Syracuse media legend and one of the most colorful sportscasters in Central New York history, died on Saturday at the age 87 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

He was 87-years-of-age, according to scyracuse.com.

A native of Newark, N.J., Mareiniss enrolled at Syracuse University in 1946 and, upon his graduation, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Thereafter, he returned to SU in 1953 in pursuit of his Master's degree.

Dave Cohen, the Emmy-winning broadcaster with professional roots in Syracuse — and a long-time friend and admirer of Mareiniss — offers this snapshot of the man:

Joel was the voice of Syracuse football and basketball for 14 seasons, a WSYR-TV sports anchor, the host of  "Syracuse Bowls" for 25 years and the Syracuse Chiefs' play-by-play man for seven campaigns.

Throughout, he served as a mentor to Bob Costas, John Nicholson, yours truly and many others. His shtick, "Herbie the Handicapper," complete with costumes, has sort of been copied by Lee Corso on ESPN's college football pre-game shows.

Among Joel's most colorful expressions were these:

• When a quarterback was sacked: "He ate the pig!"
• When a basketball player jumped high for a rebound: "He climbed the invisible ladder!"
• When a basketball player gathered in a loose ball: "He has boardinghouse reach!"

R.I.P.: Former FLOTUS Nancy Reagan

(Reuters) -- Nancy Reagan, the former actress who was fiercely protective of husband Ronald Reagan through a Hollywood career, eight years in the White House, an assassination attempt and her husband's Alzheimer's disease, died on Sunday at age 94.

The cause of death was congestive heart failure, said a spokeswoman for the Reagan presidential library. She died at her Los Angeles home.

"She is once again with the man she loved," her stepson Michael Reagan wrote on Twitter.

I am saddened by the passing of my step mother Nancy Reagan...She is once again with the man she loved.God Bless...
...

— Michael Reagan (@ReaganWorld) March 6, 2016

Reagan became one of the most influential first ladies in U.S. history during her Republican husband's presidency from 1981 to 1989.

Her husband, who affectionately called her "Mommy" while she called him "Ronnie," died in 2004 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's, the progressive brain disorder that destroys memory.

As news of Nancy Reagan's death spread, tributes poured in from Washington to Hollywood.

President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and first lady Michelle Obama said Nancy Reagan redefined the role of first lady.

"Nancy Reagan once wrote that nothing could prepare you for living in the White House," the Obamas wrote in a joint statement on Sunday. "She was right, of course.  But we had a head start, because we were fortunate to benefit from her proud example, and her warm and generous advice."

Former first lady Barbara Bush said she and her husband, former President George H. W. Bush, who was vice president under Reagan, took comfort in knowing Nancy Reagan would be reunited with her husband, the late president.

The Hollywood glitterati weighed in on social media, many of them grieving the passing of an icon they remembered having grown up in the Reagan era.

"I sat near #Nancy Reagan once and felt like a teenager seeing one of my idols. She was a BOSS," wrote actress Elizabeth Banks of "The Hunger Games" fame.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who like Ronald Reagan rode his Hollywood fame to the governor's office in California, said on Twitter that Nancy Reagan was "one of my heroes."

CANDIDATES CONVEY SYMPATHIES

Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential nomination, from businessman Donald Trump to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, also conveyed their sympathies. The ghost of Ronald Reagan, who remains deeply popular among Republican voters, has hovered over the campaign as in previous years, with party candidates vying to claim the mantle of Reagan's legacy.

A Republican debate in September took place at the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, with an Air Force One jet providing a memorable backdrop.

Nancy Reagan will be buried next to her husband at that library. The public would have a chance to pay their respects prior to the funeral service, with details to come shortly.

Nancy Davis was a Hollywood actress during the 1940s and 1950s and married Reagan, a prominent film actor, in 1952. She then served as first lady of California during her husband's stint as California governor from 1967 to 1975 before moving into the White House after his decisive victory over incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Data curated by InsideGov

Her most publicized project as first lady was the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. After her husband developed Alzheimer's disease, she became an advocate for discovering a cure.

She was diminutive and publicly soft-spoken, but Nancy Reagan's strong will, high-tone tastes and clout with her husband made her a controversial figure during his presidency.

March 7 Radio History

In 1876...Alexander Graham Bell received U.S. patent for telephone

In 1933...the CBS Radio Network premiered the first daytime radio serial, "Marie The Little French Princess." It was a 15-minute show which aired until April 1934. Hilman Brown was producer and director of the serial and was one of respected people in radio. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 1962...The Beatles made their broadcasting debut on BBC radio in England.


In 1985...The song "We Are the World" was broadcast on radio for the first time.


In 2001…The Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts announced that Judy Garland's "Over The Rainbow" had been selected as their "song of the century." Rounding out their Top Ten were (#2) "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, followed by "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie, "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, "American Pie" by Don McLean, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters, "West Side Story" (album) by the original cast, "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" by Billy Murray, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by The Righteous Brothers, and (#10) "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin.


In 2014…Newsman Bill McLaughlin, a foreign correspondent and bureau chief during a 25-year career with CBS News, and for two years the United Nations correspondent for NBC News, died of cardiac arrest at 76.


In 2014…Radio personality/programming executive/blogger Jack Roberts died at age 62.

Jack Roberts

Roberts,  who served as producer for Dick Cavett's and Oliver North's national radio shows and executive producer for L.A.-based Cable Radio Network (CRN),  also created and wrote the popular broadcast and music news blog "Hollywood Hills Group", which had an estimated 10,000 daily readers since its inception in 2011. His blog was very popular with radio/TV execs from L.A. to N.Y. and numerous record label presidents, personal managers, film and TV celebrities, recording artists and many, many others.

For more than 35 years, Roberts worked with some of the top celebrity broadcasters and air talent in major markets ranging from Los Angeles to New York and Boston.  Roberts’ experience ranged from working as a Top 40 format on-air personality in the northeast at a string of stations, including Boston’s WRKO, WMEX in Edgartown, MA; WXKS in Newton, MA; Providence, RI’s WPRO; WGUY in Veazie, ME; and WDRC in Bloomfield, CT, where he also became the station’s general manager and program director.

He eventually became general manager and program director at WWRC in Washington, DC, WMRE in Charles Town, WV; WBET in Sturgis, MI; and WHIL in Mobile, AL.


In 2015…Recently retired radio personality (KSCS-FM KPLX-FM in Dallas)/Country Music DJ Hall of Famer Terry Dorsey, who spent 33 of his 46 years as a broadcaster in Dallas-Ft. Worth, died at age 66.