Monday, April 4, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Zelenskyy Accuses Russia Of Genocide

NY Post 4/4/22

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of genocide Sunday following reports of civilians found executed, some with their hands tied, and the bodies of civilians found with signs of torture in areas Russian forces pulled out of in recent days. Ukrainian officials said the bodies of 410 civilians were found in towns around the capital of Kyiv that were recaptured by Ukraine, including in the town of Bucha. Residents also gave harrowing accounts of civilians being executed.

When asked in an interview on CBS's Face the Nation yesterday, "Is this genocide?," Zelenskyy said, "Indeed. This is genocide," adding that Ukraine is being, quote, "destroyed and exterminated" by Russian forces. In a separate video address posted online, he said the Russian soldiers who it's claimed killed and tortured civilians were responsible for, quote, "concentrated evil." Russia's Defense Ministry denied the accusation, charging that the photos and videos of dead bodies were, quote, "stage managed by the Kyiv regime for the Western media."


Western leaders condemned the reports of atrocities. The U.S. has previously said it believes Russia has committed war crimes, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on CNN Sunday called the images of what was found in the areas near Kyiv a "punch to the gut." Germany's defense minister said the reports are bad enough that European officials must consider "halting" getting gas supplies from Russia, a step they've been reluctant to take as Europe gets 40 percent of its gas and 25 percent of its oil from Russia.



Zelenskyy Message Shown at Grammys: A pre-recorded message by Zelenskyy was shown at the Grammy Awards last night in Las Vegas. Speaking in English, Zelenskyy said, "Fill the silence with your music. Fill it today to tell our story. Tell the truth about the war on your social networks, on TV, support us in any way you can any, but not silence. And then peace will come to all our cities." Before the ceremony, the Recording Academy, in partnership with Global Citizen, highlighted a social media campaign called "Stand Up For Ukraine" to raise money and humanitarian support.

➤POLICE LOOKING FOR AT LEAST TWO SUSPECTS IN SACRAMENTO SHOOTING THAT KILLED SIX: Police in Sacramento are looking for at least two suspects after a shooting early Sunday morning on the outskirts of the California capital's downtown entertainment district, leaving six people dead and 12 wounded, four of them critically. Crowds were in the streets around 2 a.m. as bars and nightclubs were closing when rapid gunfire rang out and they went running. The gunfire erupted just after a fight broke out in the street, but police don't know if it was connected to the shooting. During a news conference yesterday, Police Chief Kathy Lester urged the public to share videos and other evidence that could lead to the shooters.

➤SENATE COMMITEE TO VOTE TODAY ON JACKSON'S SUPREME COURT NOMINATION: The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote today on whether to send Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate for a vote. Jackson's confirmation is virtually assured in the split 50-50 Senate, with at least one Republican, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, having said she will vote yes. Democrats are looking to have Jackson confirmed as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court by the end of the week. She would be replacing Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring this summer.



🎵JON BATISTE WINS 5 BIG ONES AND SILK SONIC SWEEPS AT GRAMMY AWARDS:  Jon Batiste had a great evening on music’s biggest night, the Grammy Awards. Going into the show as the most nominated artist with 11 nods, he walked out with 5. Honored with one of the most coveted of the night, Album of The Year, plus he picked up Best American Roots Performance, American Roots Song, Best Music Video and he tied with Carlos Rafael Rivera for Best Song Written For Visual Media.

Silk Sonic grooved their way to the stage when announced winners of Record of The Year for “Leave The Door Open.” Alongside Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak said “In the industry, we call that a clean sweep. Drinks are on Silk Sonic tonight.” They also won, Best R&B Performance and Song of The Year.

For 19 year old, Olivia Rodrigo, she went home with 3 Grammy’s… Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, and Best Pop Solo performance.


As the audience wondered if there would be an Oscar moment, host Trevor Noah said, “We’re gonna be keeping people’s names out of our mouths.”

What is sure to be a talked about moment… SZA, while on crutches, got to the stage before Doja Cat when they won for Best Pop Duo Group Performance. Doja admitted she had been in the bathroom.

One of the most talked about subjects online during the show was for categories that didn’t even air. Just nine days after drummer Taylor Hawkins died, Foo Fighters swept with 3 wins…Best Rock Performance ("Making a Fire"), Best Rock Song ("Waiting On a War") and Best Rock Album (Medicine at Midnight). The band did not attend.

Following a pre-recorded speech by Ukraine’s President Zelensky, John Legend sang about freedom for the people of Ukraine.

For a night that boasts 86 categories, a few standouts included… Best Traditional R&B Performance, it went to H.E.R. for “Fight For You.”

Country music’s Chris Stapleton, won 3. Best album, solo performance and Country Song.


Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Love for Sale. In a sentimental Grammy moment, She performed and dedicated the song to him after he introduced her from a pre-recorded video.

And Baby Keem won Best Rap Performance for "Family Ties," a song that features Kendrick Lamar.

Normally held in Los Angeles, The 64th Grammy Awards took place on Sunday evening (4-3) in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

WINNERS
  • Record of the Year "Leave The Door Open" — Silk Sonic
  • Album Of The Year We Are — Jon Batiste
  • Song of the Year "Leave The Door Open" — Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
  • Best New Artist Olivia Rodrigo
  • Best Pop Vocal Album Sour — Olivia Rodrigo
  • Best Pop Solo Performance "Drivers license" — Olivia Rodrigo
  • Best Pop Duo/Group Performance "Kiss Me More" — Doja Cat featuring SZA
  • Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Love for Sale — Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
  • Best Dance/Electronic Recording "Alive" — Rüfüs Du Sol
  • Best Alternative Music Album Daddy's Home — St. Vincent
  • Best R&B Performance 2 Winners "Leave the Door Open" — Silk Sonic "Pick Up Your Feelings" — Jazmine Sullivan
  • Best Progressive R&B Album Table For Two — Lucky Daye
  • Best Traditional R&B Performance "Fight for You" — H.E.R.
  • Best R&B Song "Leave the Door Open" — Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)
  • Best R&B Album Heaux Tales — Jazmine Sullivan
  • Best Rap Performance "Family Ties" — Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar
  • Best Rap Album Call Me If You Get Lost — Tyler, The Creator
  • Best Melodic Rap Performance "Hurricane" — Kanye West featuring The Weeknd & Lil Baby
  • Best Rap Song "Jail" — Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Brian Hugh Warner, Kanye West & Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West featuring JAY-Z)
  • Best Country Song "Cold" — Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)
  • Best Country Solo Performance "You Should Probably Leave" — Chris Stapleton
  • Best Country Duo/Group Performance "Younger Me" — Brothers Osborne
  • Best Country Album Starting Over — Chris Stapleton
  • Best Rock Performance "Making a Fire" — Foo Fighters
  • Best Metal Performance "The Alien" — Dream Theater
  • Best Rock Song "Waiting on a War" — Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett & Pat Smear, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
  • Best Rock Album Medicine At Midnight — Foo Fighters
  • Best Jazz Vocal Album Songwrights Apothecary Lab — Esperanza Spalding
  • Best Gospel Album Believe For It — CeCe Winans
  • Best Latin Pop Album Mendó — Alex Cuba
  • Best Music Video "Freedom" — Jon Batiste
  • Best Music Film Summer of Soul — Various Artists

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic opened the show following an introduction by Trevor Noah.
  • Lenny Kravitz announced Album of The Year.
  • Olivia Rodrigo started her performance of “Drivers License” while sitting in a white Mercedes on stage.
  • Billie Eilish performed while wearing a (Foo Fighters) Taylor Hawkins t-shirt.
  • BTS started their performance of “Butter” while sitting in the audience and then made their way to the stage.
  • Lady Gaga and Keith Urban were seated at the same table… not the first time this has happened.
  • Legends, Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt together introducing Brandi Carlile.
  • Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar & Giveon delivered a laid-back jam session with “Peaches.”
  • Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion presented for Best New Artist and came on stage in the same outfits and their wardrobe stylist walked up and changed them.

➤ESTELLE HARRIS DIES AT 93: Beloved Seinfeld star Estelle Harris passed away on Saturday in Palm Desert, California. She died of natural causes weeks before her 94th birthday. Her son, Glen Harris, told the publication, “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.” In addition to playing Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld, Harris was also known for playing the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise. She was featured on many shows as well, including Futurama, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Looney Tunes Show, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.


🏀SOUTH CAROLINA DEFEATS UCONN 64-49 FOR WOMEN'S NCAA TITLE: South Carolina, the overall top seed in the women's NCAA basketball tournament, defeated Number 2 University of Connecticut 64-49 last night for the championship at the Target Center in Minneapolis. This is the second title for South Carolina, which also won in 2017, and their victory gave UConn their first loss in 12 NCAA championship games. Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points for South Carolina and Aliyah Boston added 11 points and 16 rebounds. UConn's star sophomore Paige Bueckers scored 14 points. [Look in "Last Night's TV" audio for sound from the game.]

🏀KANSAS AND UNC TO FACE OFF TONIGHT FOR MEN'S NCAA TITLE: Number 1 seed Kansas and Number 8 North Carolina will face off tonight (April 4th) at the Superdome in New Orleans for the men's NCAA basketball championship. Kansas is a four-point favorite according to FanDuel sportsbook, but if North Carolina wins, they'd be only the second Number 8 seed to win the NCAA title after Villanova did it in 1985. Kansas is looking for their fourth championship, having last won in 2008, and North Carolina is looking for its seventh, with its last title in 2017.

🌃APRIL TO END METEOR SHOWER DROUGHT, BRING RETURN OF ‘PINK’ MOON:  April brings the first meteor shower since January, and other astronomy events. Venus, Mars and Saturn are still visible in the early morning sky through the first full week of April, and Mars and Saturn will come together, appearing very close to each other, about an hour before sunrise tomorrow. The Full Pink Moon will rise on Saturday, April 16th, though it won’t actually appear pink—that’s just a nickname that derives from the wild ground phlox, a pink flower that typically blooms in April. Also, the Lyrid meteor shower will peak on the night of Thursday, April 21st, into the early hours of Friday, April 22nd. It’s a typical shower with around 15 to 20 meteors per hour, but it’s the first of its kind to grace the skies since January 2nd. Then on April 30th the second new moon of the calendar month will be happening, which is known as a black moon. The last time a black moon occurred was in July 2019, and it won’t happen again until December 2024.



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U-S Journalist Employment And Pay Fell In 2021

Houston Chronicle newsroom

The number of journalists employed in the United States fell by at least 2,500 last year, according to the Press-Gazette citing new statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average journalist pay also fell by nearly $3,000 between 2020 and 2021.

According to America’s latest occupational employment and wage statistics, there were 39,080 “news analysts, reporters, and journalists” employed across the US in May 2021. This is down from 41,580 in May 2020, and 44,100 in May 2019. 

The mean annual wage for this category of worker was $63,230 in May 2021, down from $66,000 the year before.

The total number of journalists in the US will be greater than these figures suggest. They do not include self-employed people. And, for the purposes of this article, Press Gazette has focused on “news analysts, reporters and journalists” and disregarded other job categories that will include journalists.

For example, in May 2021, there were 88,780 editors employed in the United States with a mean annual wage of $76,400. But this would include editors working in the book publishing, movie, advertising, and PR industries.

Other relevant job categories not included in this article are broadcast announcers and DJs, technical writers, writers and authors, audio and video technicians, broadcast technicians, photographers, and camera operators.

Last year, the Pew Research Center estimated – based on 2020 figures – that there were 85,000 newsroom employees in the US.



The number of journalists, reporters, and news analysts working in radio and television broadcasting was 16,510 in May 2021. This was down slightly from 16,700 in 2020. Average salaries were $68,480 in 2021, down from $72,880.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics figures also break down occupations by location. New York, California, and Texas were the three states with the most employed journalists.

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Biden’s ‘Absolute’ Defense Of Hunter Leaves Media In A Muddle


“We absolutely stand by the president’s comment.” With those words, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield last week reaffirmed that President Biden maintains his son Hunter Biden did “nothing [that] was unethical” and never “made money” in China.

The Hill reports those claims appear demonstrably false — and they make the positions of both the media and Attorney General Merrick Garland absolutely untenable.

For the media, the ongoing investigation of Hunter Biden by U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware has presented a growing danger of self-indictment over its prior coverage (or noncoverage). Weiss has called a long line of witnesses before a grand jury, and there is growing expectation of criminal charges against Hunter Biden.

The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and other media faced the embarrassing prospect of an indictment based on a story they previously suggested was either a nonstory or Russian disinformation. Suddenly, in recent days, they all rushed to declare the story legitimate, 18 months after the New York Post reported it in October 2020.

What quickly emerged, though, was a new narrative: None of this implicates President Biden. On CNN, White House correspondent John Harwood declared, “There is zero evidence that Vice President Biden, or President Biden, has done anything wrong in connection with what Hunter Biden has done.” Anchor Brianna Keilar then added for emphasis that Harwood was making “an important distinction.”

It was important, but not because it was true. While many media figures now willingly admit the legitimacy of Hunter Biden’s abandoned-laptop story, they are avoiding what the emails found on that laptop actually contain. Hundreds of emails appear to detail a multimillion-dollar influence-peddling enterprise by the Biden family, including Hunter Biden and his uncle James Biden.

Influence peddling has long been the way Washington’s elite enriches itself. This common source of political corruption involves the relatives of powerful government figures who shake down corporations or countries for access and influence. 

Tweet from Constitutional Attorney Jonathn Turley:


The key in any influence peddling scheme is to protect the principle.

As vice president, Joe Biden flew to China on Air Force Two with Hunter Biden, who arranged for his father to meet some of his business interests. Hunter Biden’s financial interest in a Chinese-backed investment firm, BHR Partners, was registered within weeks of that 2013 trip. Yet, President Biden repeatedly insisted that he never discussed such dealings with his son, a claim Hunter Biden has contradicted. 

Even if President Biden was not influenced by all of this, it’s hard to believe he didn’t know his son was selling access. In his book, Hunter Biden claims his father repeatedly intervened due to his addictions — and yet we are to believe that Joe Biden did not express curiosity about how his addicted son was raking in millions from foreign sources?

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AP Slammed Over Claim Biden 'Misspoke,' Rather Than 'Lied'


The Associated Press (AP) was slammed by critics this week for a fact-check in which it claimed President Biden "misspoke," rather than "lied," about how much money Americans would save on average by switching to renewable energy sources for their homes, reports Fox News. 

"If you're home is powered by safer, cheaper, cleaner electricity like solar or heat pumps, you can save about $500 a month on average," Biden falsely claimed Thursday while announcing plans to release 1 million barrels of oil a day for the next six months from the strategic oil reserve.

In a tweet later that evening, the AP claimed its fact-check found that Biden "misspoke," and pointed to a White House statement saying people using green energy might save $500 a year, not per month.

In its fact-check, the AP noted that the average electric bill for homeowners never passed $120 per month between 2009 and 2019, and was $115 per month in 2019, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.



Critics took to social media to slam the AP, with some claiming Biden didn't misspeak, but actually lied, and others arguing that if a Republican was being fact-checked by the outlet, it would have accused them of "disinformation." 

"Every single ‘misspeaking’ a Democrat makes is to up-sell their BS policies, and ‘fact-checkers’ still refuse to call it a lie," wrote Townhall columnist Derek Hunter, while conservative website ForAmerica simply tweeted, "Biden didn’t misspeak, he lied."

"The AP is a Democrat activist organization. If a Republican politician said this, the AP would accuse him of ‘disinformation’ (lying). But when a Democrat politician says it, he 'misspoke,'" wrote Christina Pushaw, press secretary to Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

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NYC Radio: Ed Coleman, A WFAN Original, Retires

Ed Coleman has retired

Ed Coleman, the longtime Mets reporter and a WFAN 660 AM original from the station’s 1987 debut, has decided to retire, reports Neil Best at Newsday.

Coleman, 72, had been expected to call some games from the booth this season with Howie Rose cutting back for medical reasons, but instead he opted to move on.

“It’s been a great ride,” Coleman told Newsday on Friday, shortly after Newsday broke the news of his departure. “It’s been more ups and downs than I care to think about with the Mets, that’s for sure.

“But I’ve loved the callers. I’ve loved the fans. The feedback that I got, I always got positive stuff from fans.”

Brad Heller is expected to succeed Coleman as the pregame and postgame host for Mets games on WCBS-AM, which has the same parent company as WFAN in Audacy.

The company still is considering candidates to fill in for Rose, who will skip West Coast games this season, and is focused on younger announcers for that role.

Coleman’s retirement is part of a wave of departures in recent years by WFAN fixtures. Newsday has learned that longtime update man Bob Heussler also plans to leave the station.

Since 2019, Tony Paige, John Minko, Joe Benigno, Mike Francesa and Steve Somers have left, and now Coleman and Heussler.

Coleman began his WFAN career as Somers’ overnight update man before later pairing briefly with Francesa and then with Dave Sims on the “Coleman and the Soul Man” midday show. He began covering the Mets in 1993.

Coleman said he had been thinking about leaving for a while, especially after the past two seasons were affected by COVID-19. He had to fill in extensively for Rose last year — often calling games off a TV monitor.
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Former Player, Broadcaster Tim McCarver Has Retired

Tim McCarver and Joe Buck

Former Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC baseball analyst Tim McCarver, who was in the analyst chair for 24 World Series, has officially retired reports .

McCarver, who last called games on the national stage in the 2013 World Series, had worked Cardinals games for Bally Sports Midwest for six years after that and had been on hiatus during the pandemic.

“I think I’m happy about it,” he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I think that’s the best.”

The 80-year-old former World Series-winning catcher had all but officially been retired the last couple of years, but the announcement is still notable.

For 18 years, McCarver and Joe Buck called the World Series on Fox, with Buck saying at one point that he learned more about broadcasting from McCarver than his father, Jack.

“There will never be another one like him,” Buck said during the 2013 season. “I personally think it’s a tougher analyst job than in the NFL, NHL, NBA. Because of that, it’s the hardest role to fill. He’s done it forever and there’s a reason why — it’s not that easy.”

In addition to his work nationally, McCarver called games for the Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Giants, including 15 years with the Mets. Along with Fran Healy and Tom Seaver, he’s one of three broadcasters to have covered both the Mets and Yankees. His playing career also spanned more than 20 years, between the Cardinals, Phillies, Expos and Red Sox.

Added Dan McLaughlin, McCarver’s partner on Cardinals broadcasts: “I hope fans understand and don’t take for granted how lucky we were to have Tim in the booth. There will never be another baseball analyst like him. Ever.”

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Philly Radio: Value of MLB Phillies Jumps 12 Percent


The value of the Philadelphia Phillies climbed 12% during the past year to $2.3 billion, according to The Philly Business Journal citing a report published by Forbes.

That figure, attained despite the Phillies missing out on the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season in 2021, ranked the team at No. 8 among Major League Baseball's most valuable franchises. Philadelphia had the same ranking last year.

The New York Yankees claimed the top spot in Forbes' rankings with a value of $6 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers at just under $4.1 billion and the Boston Red Sox at $3.9 billion. The Phillies finished one spot below the St. Louis Cardinals, which Forbes valued at $2.45 billion, and one spot ahead of the Los Angeles Angels at $2.2 billion.

The Phillies were one of 11 MLB teams that saw their value jump at least 10% year over year, tying the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Guardians for the sixth-highest increase in the league.

Forbes' team values are enterprise values, which combine equity and net debt. Its values are calculated using multiples of revenue that are based on "historical transactions and the future economies of the sports and teams."




The analysis credited the boost in MLB team values, which averaged 9% league-wide, to new television money and provisions in the newly signed collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that will provide new sponsorship revenue opportunities for teams in the years ahead.

That potential infusion will be well-received, given the hit baseball teams took over the past two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Overall, the report noted, MLB lost more than $1.1 billion during the past two years as teams struggled with a shortened season in 2020 when no fans were allowed in ballparks and a full 2021 season when attendance was restricted at most stadiums until July.

According to Forbes, the Phillies lost $17 million last year while generating revenue of $323 million — including gate receipts of $55 million.




Under the five-year CBA signed two weeks ago, teams are expected to be able to generate more than $400 million combined in new revenue for jersey and helmet sponsorships beginning in 2023. Forbes said the jersey patch deals are expected to be done at the local level, meaning teams will be able to keep all revenue. The helmet deal is expected to be done at the league level, with revenue split evenly among the league's 30 teams. A portion of the helmet sponsorships will go toward the $50 million bonus pool created under the CBA for younger players who do not qualify for salary arbitration.

On the television front, the league's decision to expand the playoffs to 12 teams will mean more postseason broadcasting revenue under the league's deal with ESPN, which has the rights to the additional games. The league also signed new streaming deals with Apple and Peacock valued at $115 million annually.

The Phillies, Forbes notes, have one of the five most lucrative local cable television rights deals in the league, collecting about $110 million in fees from Comcast in 2021. Only the Dodgers and Yankees collected more from cable fees last season, according to Forbes.
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Atlanta Radio: MLB Braves Radio Teams Looks Similar


The MLB Braves’ radio broadcasting rotation this season will be “very similar” to last year, team CEO Derek Schiller said.

That means the tandem of play-by-play announcer Ben Ingram and analyst Joe Simpson will work the bulk of the games, with Jim Powell joining Simpson or Ingram for a lesser number of games, according to ajc.com.

Simpson is entering his 31st season as a Braves broadcaster. He has called games on both TV and radio through the years, but he has worked exclusively on radio the past two seasons, as he will this year. He was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame in 2018.

Ingram is entering his 12th season with the Braves Radio Network, his fourth with a regular play-by-play role. He previously hosted the pregame and/or postgame shows. His play-by-play duties were expanded last season.

Powell is entering his 14th year as part of the Braves’ radio team after spending the previous 13 seasons calling Milwaukee Brewers games. His appearances on the Braves broadcasts were reduced last season. He was inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2020.

“Radio is going to be very similar to last year,” Schiller said this week. “Ben Ingram and Joe Simpson will carry the large portion of the duties, along with Jim Powell, and then we will add some guest appearances by some former Braves players and others from time to time.”

Games will be broadcast across Georgia and seven other states on at least 172 radio affiliates, including flagship station 680 The Fan in Atlanta and stations as far away as Richmond, Va., and Louisville, Ky. The games will be carried on at least 82 radio stations in Georgia.

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Message To Mickey: Stop Wasting Money On Political Crusades


A Disney shareholder is speaking out against the company's involvement in Florida politics by actively opposing the Republican-led "Parental Rights in Education" bill championed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Fox Business reports Ray Keating, an economist and editor of DisneyBizJournal.com, said when companies dive into politics, it rarely turns out and well.

"Here’s a suggestion for Disney CEO Bob Chapek: Get back to business, that is, excellence in storytelling, and stop wasting shareholder’s money on political crusades that have nothing to do with Disney’s business," Keating told Fox News Digital.

"We all have the right to have our voices heard on issues, but not on the shareholders’ dime."

DeSantis signed the legislation into law last week that bars instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Critics have depicted the bill as hurtful to LGBTQ inclusiveness and dubbed it the "Don't Say Gay" bill. 

Disney last week said it will work to repeal the legislation in Florida because it's dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of the LGBTQ+ community. 


Keating, who has written about how Disney's activism is bad for business, said Disney's decisions on the Florida bill has meant the company is catching heat from both sides of the political spectrum. Ever since Chapek spoke up, critics on the right have condemned Disney as being too "woke" and even talked of boycotting the resort.

"Disney’s management succumbed to political pressure from activists on the Left, and now it’s getting hit from the Left and the Right," Keating told Fox News Digital. "If I weren’t a shareholder, I’d find it amusing."

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MI Radio: WUOM Highest N/T Ratings In Nation


A recently published story by Inside Radio reveals that Michigan Radio’s WUOM-FM signal has the highest audience share of all news/talk radio stations in the United States, in its home market of Ann Arbor. 


According to the Fall, 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings for Ann Arbor (market rank 151), the station has 15.8 audience share among persons 12+, Monday-Friday 6am-7pm. That places the station #1 among all news/talk stations in markets 101+. Another story published by Inside Radio shows audience share for stations in markets 1-50 and 51-100. According to that, WUOM’s 15.8 audience share is actually #1 among all news/talk stations in the country, regardless of market size.




“Ann Arbor is a well educated market, and people here are curious about the world,“ said Steve Schram, Executive Director & General Manager of Michigan Radio. “We’ve been a full-time NPR news station since 1996 and while many news operations have been cutting back staffing, we’ve been expanding ours. When people turn to us, they know they’ll be getting fact based journalism from a dedicated team of reporters and producers at the largest public radio newsroom in the state.”
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'The Slap'Triggered Dozens of FCC Complaints

NY Post composite graphic

Actor Will Smith’s now-infamous slapping of comedian Chris Rock during last weekend’s Oscars broadcast prompted outrage from some viewers — several dozen of whom filed formal complaints with a federal watchdog.

The FCC received at least 66 formal complaints from disgruntled viewers over the slap heard ‘round the world, reports The NY Post.

Smith rushed the stage to slap Rock and continued to hurl profanities after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.

The complaints condemned Smith for getting violent and using foul language — with some calling for both the actor and Academy Awards broadcaster ABC to face penalties over the incident.

“During the broadcast of the Oscars on 3/27/2022, Will Smith went on stage and smacked Chris Rock with an open fist. It is devastating to watch something so violent and unexpected during a show,” a viewer in Corpus Christi, Texas, said.

“I watch the Oscars with my family, it seems one of the few event shows we can all watch together. It’s a special night for my children and we celebrate it with a late night viewing. My five-year-old daughter cried when he slapped Chris Rock, and started shaking when Will Smith foully cursed,” a viewer in Hamden, Connecticut, wrote.

“ABC failed to post warnings prior to this year’s Academy Awards which aired on 3/27/22. Not only did the show contain a violent assault on air but it also failed to censor the vulgar rant afterwards that explicitly contained the four-letter ‘F’ word,” another viewer from Boeme, Texas, griped in a message to the watchdog agency.

It’s unclear if the FCC will take action over the incident. Smith’s slap aired live during ABC’s broadcast, but the profanity-laced audio was censored thanks to a 20-second tape delay.

Unedited versions of the incident quickly spread on social media, and closed captioning on ABC’s broadcast showed that Smith yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth” after returning to his seat.

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NYC Radio: 1010 WINS Honored With World Radio Day Award

Left to right: Ben Mevorach, Brand Manager 1010 WINS; Deborah Parenti, President, Streamline Publishing, American Academy of Radio juror; Heather Cohen, Executive Vice President, The Weiss Agency, American Academy of Radio juror

Audacy’s 1010 WINS in New York has been named the recipient of the 2022 World Radio Day Award, presented by the American Academy of Radio.

The theme of this year's award centers on citizens' trust in radio. The award was established in 2018 as part of the worldwide UNESCO celebration of radio and its value in the lives of people across the world.

“No station personifies the city of New York quite like 1010 WINS,” said Ben Mevorach, Brand Manager, 1010 WINS. “We are thrilled to be recognized for our relentless dedication to our guiding principles of fairness, trust, inclusion, and information so that, together with our listeners, we improve the communities we serve."

1010 WINS has been recognized over the years with numerous awards including the Marconi Awards’ “Legendary Station of the Year,” multiple Gracie Awards and Murrow Awards, as well as an NAB Crystal Award for excellence in community service.
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Ukrainian News Reporter Killed In Action

Maksim Levin
Maksim Levin, a photographer and videographer who was working for a Ukrainian news website and was a long-time contributor to Reuters, was killed while covering Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He leaves behind his wife and four children.

His body was found in a village north of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on April 1, the news website LB.ua where he worked said on Saturday.

Levin, born in 1981, was a documentary film maker who had contributed to Reuters' coverage of the country since 2013.

He had been working in the village of Huta Mezhyhirska. There had been heavy shelling in that area.

The prosecutor general's office in Ukraine said Levin was "killed by servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces with two shots from small arms". This could not be independently verified.

John Pullman, Reuters' global managing editor for visuals, said: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Maksim Levin, a long-time contributor to Reuters, in Ukraine."

"Maks has provided compelling photos and video from Ukraine to Reuters since 2013. His death is a huge loss to the world of journalism. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time."

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R.I.P.: Dana Potter, Longtime Binghamton NY Radio Broadcaster

Dana Potter
Veteran Binghamton, NY radio personality Dana Potter has died. He was 67.

Potter's death was announced Friday evening in a post on the website of WLTB Magic 101.7 FM.

In the message, a colleague wrote: "We have lost one of the finest people we have ever had the privilege to be part of the G.M. Broadcasting family... Dana Potter fought hard in his battle with cancer but as it often does, it took our friend tonight and the world is a more empty place for it."

Potter grew up in Broome County and developed his love for radio as a child. In 1971, he became a member of Explorer Post 12, which was sponsored by WNBF radio and television when the stations were located on Front Street in Binghamton.

Potter's first on-air shifts were on WNBF radio, where he was hosting the station's overnight music program at the age of 20.

Potter later worked at various other radio stations in the Binghamton market, including WENE and WMRV in Endwell for 13 years. Over the past couple of decades, he was midday host at Magic 101.7, which now is based in Endwell.

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April 4 Radio History


➦In 1906...Actress Beatrice Benaderet born (Died at age 62 from lung cancer – October 13, 1968). She was a radio and television actress and voice actress. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, she began performing in Bay Area theatre and radio before embarking on a Hollywood career that spanned over three decades. Benaderet first specialized in voiceover work in the golden age of radio, appearing on numerous programs while working with comedians of the era such as Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, and Lucille Ball. Her expertise in dialect and characterization led to her becoming Warner Bros.' leading voice of female characters in their animated cartoons of the early 1940s through the mid-1950s.

Bea Benaderet
Benaderet was then a prominent figure on television in situation comedies, first with The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show from 1950 to 1958, for which she earned two Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In the 1960s, she had regular roles in four series up until her death from lung cancer in 1968, including the commercial successes The Beverly Hillbillies, The Flintstones, and her best known role as Kate Bradley in Petticoat Junction. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring her work in television.

In 1926, Benaderet joined the staff of KFRC San Francisco, which was under the new ownership of Don Lee and where her duties included acting, singing, writing, and producing. Initially seeking work as a dramatic actress, she switched to comedy and performed on multiple shows in nine years with the station, in particular the Blue Monday Jamboree variety program, where her castmates included Meredith Willson, Elvia Allman, and future I Love Lucy producer Jess Oppenheimer. She additionally hosted the musical variety show Salon Moderne and gained attention for her work as a female announcer, which had become a rarity in radio in the 1930s.

Benaderet moved to Los Angeles station KHJ in 1936. She made her network radio debut upon being hired by Orson Welles for his Mercury Theatre repertory company heard on The Campbell Playhouse.  The following year she received her first big break in the industry on The Jack Benny Program, where she played Gertrude Gearshift, a wisecracking Brooklyn-accented telephone operator who gossiped about Jack Benny with her cohort Mabel Flapsaddle (Sara Berner).  Intended as a one-time appearance, the pair became a recurring role starting in the 1945–46 season, and in early 1947, Benaderet and Berner momentarily took over the actual NBC switchboards in Hollywood for publicity photos. She performed in as many as five shows daily,  causing her rehearsal dates to conflict with those of The Jack Benny Program and resulting in her reading live as Gertrude from a marked script she was handed upon entering the studio.

Other recurring characters Benaderet portrayed were Blanche Morton on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show; school principal Eve Goodwin on The Great Gildersleeve; Millicent Carstairs on Fibber McGee & Molly; Gloria the maid on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet; and Iris Atterbury on the Lucille Ball vehicle My Favorite Husband, opposite Gale Gordon. Benaderet voiced various one-time parts before joining the main cast as Iris, the neighbor and friend of Ball's character Liz Cooper. The 1950 CBS program Granby's Green Acres, a perceived spinoff of My Favorite Husband, was her one radio lead role and reunited her with Gordon as a husband and wife who abandon city life to become farmers, but it lasted only eight episodes.

Beginning in 1943, Benaderet became Warner Bros.' primary voice of adult female supporting characters for their Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes animated shorts.

Benaderet was Lucille Ball's first choice as Ethel Mertz for the sitcom I Love Lucy; Ball said in a 1984 interview that she had "no other picture of anyone" for the role of Ethel.  However, Benaderet had to turn down the offer since she was contracted to the television adaptation of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, so Vivian Vance was eventually cast. Benaderet guest-starred on the January 21, 1952 first-season episode "Lucy Plays Cupid" as the character of Miss Lewis, a love-starved spinster neighbor.

➦In 1906...John Cameron Swayze born (Died – August 15, 1995), He was a news commentator and game show panelist during the 1940s and 1950s who later became best known as a product spokesman for Timex watches.

Swayze
Swayze first wanted to be an actor; however workon Broadway ended when acting roles became scarce following the Wall Street Crash of 1929.  Swayze returned to the Midwest and worked for the Kansas City Journal Post as a reporter.

From there he graduated to radio, doing news updates for Kansas City's KMBC in 1940 and, reportedly, an experimental early television newscast. In Kansas City, Swayze broadcast news items prepared by United Press Kansas City bureau overnight editor Walter Cronkite. Four years later, Swayze went farther west, to Los Angeles and Hollywood, where NBC hired him for its western news division before moving him to its New York City news operation in 1947.

During 1948, Swayze provided voiceover work for the Camel Newsreel Theatre, an early television news program that broadcast Movietone News newsreels.

At the same time, Swayze proposed and obtained a radio quiz program, Who Said That?. The radio version lasted only a year, but Swayze was an occasional panelist in the television version of the program, which was broadcast on NBC from 1948 to 1955.

NBC, meanwhile, made Swayze the host of its national political convention coverage in 1948, the first commercial coverage ever by television. (NBC Television did broadcast the Republican National Convention from Philadelphia during 1940 on a noncommercial, semi-experimental basis, seen in just three cities: Philadelphia, New York City and Schenectady, NY).

In October 1948, Swayze was a permanent panel member of the quiz show Who Said That? and was referred to as the anchorman in what may be the first usage of this term on television.

Swayze was chosen in 1949 to host NBC's first television newscast, the 15-minute Camel News Caravan. He read items from the news wires and periodically interviewed newsmakers, but he is remembered best for reporting on the Korean War nightly and for his two catchphrases: "Let's go hopscotching the world for headlines" and his signoff: "That's the story, folks—glad we could get together. And now, this is John Cameron Swayze saying good night." Veteran broadcaster David Brinkley wrote in a memoir that Swayze got the job because of his ability to memorize scripts, which allowed him to recite the news when the primitive teleprompters of the time failed to work properly.

➦In 1914... Julia Frances Langford born (Died at age 89 – July 11, 2005). She was a singer and entertainer who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and also made film appearances over two decades.

While a young girl she required a tonsillectomy that changed her soprano range to a rich contralto. As a result, she was forced to change her vocal style to a more contemporary big band, popular music style. Cigar manufacturer Eli Witt heard her sing at an American Legion party and hired her to sing on his local radio show. After a brief stint in the Broadway musical "Here Goes the Bride" in 1931, she moved to Hollywood appearing on the Louella Parsons' radio show "'Hollywood Hotel' while starting a movie career. While singing for radio during the early 1930s, she was heard by Rudy Vallee, who invited her to become a regular on his radio show.  From 1935 until 1938 she was a regular performer on Dick Powell's radio show. From 1946 to 1951, she performed with Don Ameche as the insufferable wife, Blanche, on The Bickersons.

➦In 1922...WAAB (Baton Rouge La) becomes 1st US radio station with call-letters starting with a "W".

➦In 1964...As the April 4 issue of Billboard magazine demonstrates, the Beatles were simply dominating the American music scene. And during that unforgettable week, their music occupied the top five chart positions — the only time in pop-music history that a single act has accomplished such a feat. With “Can’t Buy Me Love” holding down the top slot, “Twist and Shout” was second and “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Please Please Me” rounded out the top five.

Even more incredibly, the Beatles held seven additional positions on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “I Saw Her Standing There” at No. 31, “From Me to You” at No. 41, “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” at No. 46, “All My Loving” at No. 58, “You Can’t Do That” at No. 65, “Roll Over Beethoven” at No. 68 and “Thank You Girl” at No. 79.

As if to underscore the awe-inspiring power of Beatlemania during that fabled period, two Beatles tribute acts clocked hits that very same week, including the Carefrees’ “We Love You Beatles” at No. 42 and the Four Preps’ “A Letter to the Beatles” at No. 85. For April 11, 1964, issue of Billboard, the Beatles added two more hits to the Hot 100, including “There’s a Place” at No. 74 and “Love Me Do” at No. 81, giving them a total of 14 hits songs on the Billboard charts at the very same time.

Don Imus
➦In 2007...Don Imus called the Rutgers women basketball team "nappy-headed hos". The comment erupted into a firestorm of condemnation which a week later led to him being fired from his nationally syndicated radio show.

On April 4, 2007, during a discussion about the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, Imus characterized the Rutgers University women's basketball team players as "rough girls," commenting on their tattoos. His executive producer Bernard McGuirk responded by referring to them as "hardcore hos". The discussion continued with Imus describing the girls as "nappy-headed hos" and McGuirk remarking that the two teams looked like the "jigaboos versus the wannabes" mentioned in Spike Lee's film, School Daze; apparently referring to the two teams' differing appearances.

After outrage from the initial reports, Imus dismissed the incident as "some idiot comment meant to be amusing".  He also stated that "nappy-headed hoes" is a term that rap artists use to refer to African-American women.

He said: "That phrase [nappy-headed ho] didn't originate in the White Community. That phrase originated in the Black community. Young Black women all through that society are demeaned and disparaged and disrespected by their own Black men, and they are called that name in Black hip hop."

In response to mounting public censure, Imus issued a statement of apology:

"I want to take a moment to apologize for an insensitive and ill-conceived remark we made the other morning regarding the Rutgers women's basketball team, which lost to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game on Tuesday. It was completely inappropriate and we can understand why people were offended. Our characterization was thoughtless and stupid, and we are sorry."





On April 9, Imus appeared on Al Sharpton's syndicated radio talk show, Keepin' It Real with Al Sharpton, to address the controversy. Sharpton called the comments "abominable", "racist", and "sexist", and repeated his earlier demand that Imus be fired. Imus said, "Our agenda is to be funny and sometimes we go too far. And this time we went way too far. Here's what I've learned: that you can't make fun of everybody, because some people don't deserve it."

The Rutgers basketball team held a news conference at which coach C. Vivian Stringer stated that the team would meet with Imus to discuss his comments. Several of the players expressed their outrage over his remarks. Team captain Essence Carson said Imus' remarks had "stolen a moment of pure grace from us".

On April 11, 2007, Steve Capus of NBC News, announced that MSNBC would no longer simulcast Imus in the Morning, effective immediately. The next day, CBS Radio canceled Imus in the Morning, effective immediately. CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves stated:

From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship with such class, energy and talent. There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society. That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision.  Moonves had met with Sharpton and Jesse Jackson shortly before the announcement was made.

Craig T Nelson is 78

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

  • Actor Craig T. Nelson is 78. 
  • Actor Christine Lahti (“Chicago Hope”) is 72. 
  • Singer Steve Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers is 71. 
  • Actor Mary-Margaret Humes (“Dawson’s Creek,” ″History of the World Part 1″) is 68. 
  • Writer-producer David E. Kelley (“Ally McBeal,” ″The Practice”) is 66. 
  • Amanda Righetti is 39
    Actor Constance Shulman (“Orange Is The New Black”) is 64. 
  • Actor Hugo Weaving (“The Matrix,” ″Lord of the Rings”) is 62. 
  • Bassist Craig Adams (The Cult) is 60. 
  • Talk show host Graham Norton is 59. 
  • Comedian David Cross (“Arrested Development,” ″Mr. Show”) is 58. 
  • Actor Robert Downey Jr. is 57. 
  • Actor Nancy McKeon is 56. 
  • Country singer Clay Davidson is 51. 
  • Singer Josh Todd of Buckcherry is 51. 
  • Singer Jill Scott is 50. 
  • Bassist Magnus Sveningsson of The Cardigans is 50. 
  • Magician David Blaine is 49. 
  • Singer Kelly Price is 49. 
  • Singer Andre Dalyrimple of Soul for Real is 48. 
  • Guitarist Josh McSwain of Parmalee is 47. 
  • Actor James Roday (“Psych”) is 46. 
  • Actor Natasha Lyonne (“Orange Is the New Black,” ″American Pie”) is 43. 
  • Actor-comedian Eric Andre (“The Eric Andre Show”) is 39. 
  • Actor Amanda Righetti (“The Mentalist”) is 39. 
  • Actor-singer Jamie Lynn Spears (“Zoey 101″) is 31. 
  • Actor Daniela Bobadilla (“The Middle,” “Anger Management”) is 29. 
  • Singer Austin Mahone is 26.

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