BIA Increase Ad Revenue Forecast

BIA Advisory Services has revised its 2021 forecasts for U.S. Local Advertising Revenues to $142.4 billion, up $4.8 billion from its November 2020 estimates. The projection is split between traditional and digital media but shows that the divide is narrowing, with traditional advertising only eight percent ahead of digital mediums that include mobile, online, over-the-top, email, and traditional media’s online ventures.

“There’s an acceleration in the market that couldn’t be accounted for last fall,” said Mark Fratrik, SVP and Chief Economist, BIA Advisory Services. “The economy is growing and we’re observing money being spent to reach audiences through various media.”

Fratrik points to OTT as growing 16 percent this year, surpassing the trajectory of mobile as more consumers take advantage of various streaming services on their TV screens.

Local television advertising this year will dip to $16.2 billion in 2021 but bounce up to $19.3 billion in 2022, with $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion, respectfully, coming from digital platforms. Local radio advertising will rebound somewhat to $11.7 billion in 2021 and $12.3 billion in 2022, with $.94 billion and $1.04 billion, respectfully, coming from digital platforms.

The revised forecast also sees a 5.6 percent increase in overall compound annual growth in U.S. spending in local ad markets and expects the amount to reach $157.1 billion in 2022 and $162.1 billion in 2023. While the digital media share will first leapfrog to 51 percent over traditional media by 2023.

BIA’s U.S. Local Advertising Forecast Report provides a nationwide overview of U.S. spending. BIA updates it throughout the year to reflect current economic situations and to adjust ad spend across top media and business verticals. The forecast covers all media, offering a comprehensive and authoritative view of all “local” advertising spent by national and regional companies, as well as small and medium-sized businesses. The forecast can be purchased here.

Judge's Order Stops Episode Of "The View" About Bill O'Reilly

The Daily Beast Composite

“The View” canceled a planned appearance Wednesday by a woman who settled a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill O’Reilly, after the former Fox News Channel personality sought and received a restraining order against her, reports The Associated Press.

O’Reilly accused his former producer, Andrea Mackris, of violating a non-disclosure agreement by talking about her experiences with him nearly two decades ago.

ABC’s daytime talk show, in a statement, said that after being notified of the restraining order “we decided to postpone her interview pending further developments. We look forward to welcoming her to ‘The View’ at a later date.”

Mackris gave an interview to the Daily Beast earlier this month detailing her experiences with O’Reilly. She had accused him of making repeated lewd telephone calls, while he accused Mackris of an extortion attempt before agreeing to a $9 million settlement in 2004. In the July 13 article, Mackris spoke about her emotional distress and of being effectively blackballed in the news industry in the years following her case.

Fox News in 2017 fired O’Reilly, then its most popular star, after it was revealed the company had paid five women a total of $13 million to keep quiet about disturbing encounters with him.

O’Reilly, in court papers filed this week in New York state Supreme Court in Nassau County, accused Mackris of violating the confidentiality obligations she had agreed to in her settlement. While Mackris apparently believes the terms don’t apply to her, “she has not offered to return any of the millions of dollars she received,” O’Reilly’s lawyers said.

Judge Randy Sue Marber, signed the restraining order Tuesday and ordered a hearing for July 26.

Mackris told the Daily Beast on Wednesday that “I hope the days of the law allowing the silencing of women are over. I will continue to fight for my voice.”

Colorado Springs Radio: Cliff Cage To Host Evenings On KKMG

Cliff Cage

CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has appointed veteran Colorado Springs radio personality Cliff Cage as On-Air Host, Nights, on heritage Top 40 KKMG 98.9 MAGIC FM. 

This marks a return to the station for Cage, who hosted Overnights on KKMG from 2010-2019. Cage will be behind the mic Monday-Friday from 7:00pm to Midnight.

Dylan Salisbury, Program Director, 98.9 MAGIC FM/KKMG-FM, said: 

“The name Cliff Cage goes beyond radio here in Southern Colorado. He is well known for many things in this town like his ties to the hip hop community, as an emcee for a local baseball team, and once again, as a radio host. I’m very excited to work with him and continue to strengthen the MAGIC brand here in Colorado Springs."

Cliff Cage commented: “I’ve done most of my growing up in the 719, so being back home at Southern Colorado’s biggest station and now hosting the night show is literally the dream. I love this city.“

TV Ratings: NBA Finals Soar, But Way Down From 2019

The 2021 NBA Finals saw The Milwaukee Bucks win their first championship in 50 years. Unfortunately for the NBA and host network ABC, the series was not much one for the history books in terms of Nielsen numbers, though this one rose from last year’s, reports The Wrap.

The six-game series, which saw the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns win Games 1 and 2 at home before ultimately losing the next four in both Wisconsin and Arizona, averaged 9.9 million total viewers per game, according to Nielsen’s Live + Same Day ratings. That was up 32% from the 2020 NBA Finals, which averaged just 7.5 million viewers per game.

Of course, last year’s NBA Finals were delayed to late September/early October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing was not ideal, nor was the bubble setting. There were no fans in attendance for the 2020 Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers series, won in six games by L.A.

The 2019 Finals, the most recent normal one, averaged 15.1 million total viewers per game. From that one — when Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games — to this one, the decline is 34%.

Throughout the entire 2021 postseason, TV-usage levels (called PUT levels, or People Using Televisions) were down 14% vs. 2020 and -23% vs. 2019. And airing this year’s Game 5 on a Saturday — the first time an NBA Finals game was played on a Saturday in 40 years — certainly didn’t help in series averages.

Due to the coronavirus’ impact on the 2019-20 NBA season, the start to the 2021 NBA Postseason was pushed back a bit, just like the regular season. And in general, the adjusted July footprint for these delayed NBA Finals delivers 5% fewer organic TV viewers than does the championship series’ normal two-week window in June.

Audacy Names Bob Philips President For New Sales Position

Audacy has announced that Chief Revenue Officer Bob Philips is relinquishing his current position to be President of Audacy Networks and Multi-Market Sales. The company has begun a search for a new CRO. Until then, Chief Operating Officer Susan Larkin will oversee the company’s sales leaders and teams.

Larkin unveiled the change in an internal memo:

Team:

Bob Philips

Today, we’re announcing Bob Philips will be assuming a new role at Audacy as President of Audacy Networks and Multi-Market Sales. We believe Bob will deliver significant revenue impact and client outcomes by focusing on growing our Network and multi-market sales businesses as we continue to execute our market growth strategy.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Bob was a catalyst for innovation and growth. Under his leadership, we streamlined multiple revenue departments, launched the Audacy Network and our in-house traffic network while also revolutionizing our approach to national sales, bringing new brands and bigger opportunities onto our platform. And, as the economy rebounds and local and national advertising return to pre-pandemic levels, Bob will build exponential value for our clients and for Audacy.

We will begin a search for a new CRO immediately, and during this transition, I will be working closely with our sales leaders and teams.

We greatly appreciate Bob’s continued commitment to our future growth.

Susan

Philips joined the company from CBS Radio when it and Entercom merged in November 2017.

Judge Rules Talker Larry Elder's Name Must Appear On Ballot

Larry Elder

Los Angeles talk show host Larry Elder secured a major court victory Wednesday when a judge ordered that his name be included on the gubernatorial recall ballot, reports CBS2-LA.

“This isn’t just a victory for me, but a victory for the state of California,” Elder said on Twitter after the ruling. “And not just those who favor the recall and support me, but all voters, including many who will come to know me. I am thankful for a fair judge.”

Elder was initially left off the list of recall candidates after the California Secretary of State’s Office said he failed to meet a requirement to release his tax returns for the past five years, as is required for gubernatorial elections.

However, the judge ruled that the tax return rule does not apply to a recall election. The judge also said that even if it did apply, Elder had “substantially complied” with it.

The recall election is set for Sept. 14, and there are more than 40 candidates on the ballot hoping to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom.

July 22 Radio History

➦In 1932...'The Father of AM' Reginald Fessenden died at age 65. The broadcasting inventor, engineer, had 300 radio patents.  

Until the early-1930s, it was generally accepted that another early radio pioneer, Lee de Forest, who conducted a series of test broadcasts beginning in 1907, and who was widely quoted promoting the potential of organized radio broadcasting, was the first person to transmit music and entertainment by radio. De Forest's first entertainment broadcast occurred in February 1907, when he transmitted electronic telharmonium music from his laboratory station in New York City.

The first widely publicized information about Fessenden's early broadcasts did not appear until 1932, when an article prepared by former Fessenden associate Samuel M. Kintner, "Pittsburgh's Contributions to Radio", appeared in the December 1932 issue of The Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers.

This reviewed information included in a January 29, 1932 letter sent by Fessenden to Kintner. (Fessenden subsequently died five months before Kintner's article appeared). In this account, Fessenden reported that on the evening of December 24, 1906 (Christmas Eve), he had made the first of two radio broadcasts of music and entertainment to a general audience, using the alternator-transmitter at Brant Rock. 

Fessenden remembered producing a short program that included a phonograph record of Ombra mai fu (Largo) by George Frideric Handel, followed by Fessenden playing Adolphe Adam's carol O Holy Night on the violin and singing Adore and be Still by Gounod, and closing with a biblical passage: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will" (Luke 2:14). 

He also stated that a second short program was broadcast on December 31 (New Year's Eve). 

The intended audience for both of these transmissions was primarily shipboard radio operators along the Atlantic seaboard. Fessenden claimed that the two programs had been widely publicized in advance, and the Christmas Eve broadcast had been heard "as far down" as Norfolk, Virginia, while the New Year Eve's broadcast had reached listeners in the West Indies.

➦In 1968...WIBC 93.1 FM Indianapolis became WNAP, but Naptown listeners didn't feel The Wrath of the Buzzard for a few more years. 

Jack Lescoulie

➦In 1987..WNEW 1130 AM Radio/TV personality, former Today Show host Jack Lescoulie died.

On radio, he was billed as the "Grouchmaster" on The Grouch Club (1938–40), a program in which people aired their complaints about anything,  created by future TV legend Nat Hiken, creator of The Phil Silvers Show /You'll Never Get Rich and Car 54, Where Are You?. In the 1940s, he was morning-drive partner to Gene Rayburn on WNEW radio (now WBBR 1130 AM) in New York City, before turning over his role in the team to Dee Finch. The Lescoulie and Finch pairings with Rayburn provided what are believed to be radio's first two-man morning teams.

During World War II, Lescoulie served as a war correspondent, flying in Air Force planes on bombing missions over Italy.

Today's Frank Blair, J. Fred Muggs Dave Garroway

In the fall of 1947, Lescoulie became the "all night radio man" on the Mutual Broadcasting System's New York affiliate WOR 710 AM. On April 12, 1948, he portrayed a mysterious newscaster in "Twelve to Five," a Quiet, Please fantasy drama which recreated an all-night request radio program so convincingly that some listeners phoned in with requests. He returned to Quiet Please June 4, 1949, in the horror drama, "Tanglefoot."

On Today, he was teamed with Dave Garroway for over nine years, covering sports, news and features. The tall, blond performer was called ''the saver'' by Garroway because of his ability to enliven lackluster interviews with his wit. Often characterized as a good-humored, all-American boy, his frequently lighthearted tasks for ''Today'' included wrestling a walrus, interviewing a penguin and eating six breakfasts in one sitting. He departed 'Today' in 1961.

During the 1950's, Lescoulie also made commercials for Milton Berle, was an announcer for ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' on CBS and was the host of an NBC sports-interview series called ''Meet the Champions.'' He also filled in as host of NBC's ''Tonight: America After Dark,'' a show that briefly replaced the ''Tonight'' show in 1957.

Don Henley is 74

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Louise Fletcher is 87. 
• Singer Chuck Jackson is 84. 
• Actor Terence Stamp is 83. 
• Singer George Clinton is 80. 
• Singer-actor Bobby Sherman is 78. 
• Actor Danny Glover is 75. 
• Writer-director Paul Schrader is 75. 
• Singer Don Henley is 74. 
• Actor-comedian-director Albert Brooks is 74. 
• Composer Alan Menken (“Little Mermaid,” ″Little Shop of Horrors”) is 72. 
• Singer-actor Lonette McKee (“The Women of Brewster Place”) is 68. 
• Musician Al Di Meola is 67. 
• Actor Willem Dafoe is 66. 
• Actor John Leguizamo is 61. 
• Singer Keith Sweat is 60. 
• Singer Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls is 58. 
• Actor-comedian David Spade is 57. 
• Actor Patrick Labyorteaux (“JAG,” “Little House on the Prairie”) is 56. 
• Bassist Pat Badger of Extreme is 54. 

• 

  Selena Gomez is 29

  Actor Irene Bedard (“Pocahontas”) is 54. 
• Actor Rhys Ifans (“Elementary,” ″Notting Hill”) is 54. 
• Actor-singer Jaime Camil (“Jane the Virgin”) is 48. 
• Musician Daniel Jones (Savage Garden) is 48. 
• Singer Rufus Wainwright is 48. 
• Actor Franka Potente (“The Bourne Identity”) is 47. 
• Actor Parisa Fitz-Henley (“Jessica Jones,” “Midnight, Texas”) is 44. 
• Actor A.J. Cook (“Criminal Minds”) is 43. 
• Actor Keegan Allen (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 34. 
• Singer-actor Selena Gomez is 29.

Maria Taylor EXITS ESPN

Maria Taylor

Maria Taylor is leaving ESPN after the network and she jointly announced Wednesday that they were unable to reach a contract extension, The Wrap is reporting.

Taylor’s contract with ESPN expired Tuesday, July 20, and Taylor’s assignment during last night’s NBA Finals was her last ESPN assignment.

Taylor is leaving ESPN following the uproar over comments made by her ESPN colleague Rachel Nichols in 2020, where she suggested Taylor was picked over her to cover last year’s NBA Finals because of her race. Nichols’ comments drew swift backlash and public support of Taylor, who has been a rising star at ESPN.

“Maria’s remarkable success speaks directly to her abilities and work ethic. There is no doubt we will miss Maria, but we remain determined to continue to build a deep and skilled talent roster that thoroughly reflects the athletes we cover and the fans we serve. While she chose to pursue a new opportunity, we are proud of the work we’ve done together,” ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.

“So thankful to Jimmy and all of my great teammates and friends at the SEC Network, College GameDay, Women’s and Men’s college basketball, and the NBA Countdown family — the people who believed in me, encouraged me, pushed me, and lifted me up.  Words are inadequate to express my boundless appreciation, and I hope to make them proud,” Taylor said in a statement.

In July 2020, a tape leaked of a conversation between Nichols and LeBron James’ advisor Adam Mendelsohn. In the conversation — which was accidentally recorded and uploaded to ESPN’s servers because Nichols forgot to turn her video camera off — Nichols expressed frustration that Taylor had been chosen over her to host “NBA Countdown” during last year’s NBA Finals, suggesting that the network made the decision because it was “feeling pressure” on diversity.

Ad Market Recovering, 'But Not All The Way Back'

Shares in advertising holding company Interpublic Group of Cos. climbed more than 10% Wednesday — hitting a 52-week-high — after reporting earnings that show the rebound of the ad market, CNBC reports. 

IPG is a holding company that owns creative, media, PR, experiential and other agencies operating in the advertising industry. The company, like many in the ad industry, suffered at the outset of the pandemic: Its shares dropped 45% from pre-pandemic levels on February 28 to a low of $11.63 on March 23. 

The pandemic caused an immediate pullback in ad budgets in 2020, with certain areas like travel remaining slow throughout the year. But while areas like digital rebounded quickly, more impacted areas like events appear to be showing positive traction. IPG said its events and sports marketing disciplines, which had been “significantly impacted” during the pandemic, have seen some recovery. 

“We clearly have experiential and events showing a real recovery, though they’re not all the way back,” CEO Philippe Krakowsky said on the company’s earnings call. “Month to month in the quarter, we saw consistency. So that’s something where in terms of projecting forward we see that as encouraging.” 

The company reported second quarter 2021 net revenue of $2.27 billion, up 22.5% from the second quarter of 2020. Executives said if public health issues continue to progress, they believe the company can deliver organic growth of 9% to 10% for the full year. 

J.P. Morgan analysts said the results are indicative of both a “robust advertising recovery” and IPG’s “premium positioning” in the market. IPG competes with other major holding companies including WPP, Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group, which also reported earnings this week. 

Omnicom on Tuesday reported global revenue of $3.6 billion in the second quarter, a 27.5% increase year-over-year. Those results reflect a “strong global macro recovery” and the collapse in ad spend a year ago, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note Wednesday.

House Passes Diversity Act, Senate To Consider

The House Tuesday passed a bill and a resolution aimed at achieving greater media diversity. The votes on each were 319-105 — they were part of a block vote on a handful of communications-related bills, reports nexttv.com.

H.R. 1754, the MEDIA (Measuring the Economics Driving Investments and Access) Diversity Act, was introduced by Reps. Billy Long (R-Mo.) and Marc Veasey (D-Tex.). If approved by the Senate and signed by President Biden would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the FCC to consider market entry barriers for socially disadvantaged individuals in the media industry.

Also passed was a resolution committing the House to work with media entities and others to advance media diversity by developing “common ground solutions to eliminate barriers to media diversity.” Resolutions don't have the force of law but instead express the sense of the House on a subject.

National Association of Broadcasters president Gordon Smith applauded the bills for “promoting solutions that address barriers to entry into the media industry for underserved populations.”

Insights: New Findings Should Encourage Radio Advertisers

Nielsen held a client webinar last week to reveal the findings of their sixth COVID consumer tracking study since the pandemic. 1,000 Americans 18+ were surveyed this June 2021. Nielsen’s findings are validated by just-released June data from Apple Maps, GeoPath, Google Trends, and Moody’s Analytics.

The Westwood One blog provides a list of 5 things advertisers need to know about Nielsen’s very encouraging findings:

• It is time to advertise: The three-month period from March 2021 to June 2021 saw an extraordinary jump in consumer confidence pointing to things getting back to normal. The “ready to go” segment only grew six points from June 2020 to March 2021. From March 2021 to June 2021, the optimistic “ready to go” consumer segment grew an astounding 29 points.
• Brands need to capitalize on this positive consumer outlook: On the economy, 25% more consumers feel things will improve versus get worse (48% improve versus 23% get worse). Nearly the same percentage more (22%) say their household finances will improve versus get worse (35% improve versus 13% get worse).
• Americans are back in their cars and listening to AM/FM radio: The majority of workers are commuting. Families are driving their kids to school. Time spent listening to AM/FM radio is up.
• Commuters are still leery about public transportation, a positive for AM/FM radio: 32% of consumers say they will spend less time on public transport versus 17% who will spend more time.
• Retailers need to continue to invest in ecommerce and ensure their AM/FM radio ads drive to web as shopping will be omni-channel: While stores are open, the convenience of hybrid shopping approaches remain: buy online and in-store or curbside pickup.

Americans are getting out of the house and on the move. A recently released consumer tracking study from GroupM’s Mindshare found 34% of Americans plan to spend more time outside and 21% plan to spend less time online during 2021. “[These findings] bode well for media consumed out-of-home, especially outdoor, place-based media and radio,” according to MediaPost’s Joe Mandese.

Consumers spending time outdoors plus growth in vehicular traffic and miles traveled mean increases in AM/FM radio time spent. With an 87% share of ad-supported audio in the car, AM/FM radio is the queen of the road.

Geopath, the Nielsen of the outdoor advertiser industry, reports June 2021 miles traveled has recovered to the 2019 baseline. Miles traveled over the last six months lagged about -10% below historical norms. April, May, and June 2021 saw a sharp recovery to 2019 levels.

Netflix Adds 1.5 Million Subscribers

The streaming giant Netflix told investors Tuesday that while its competition is growing and rivals are combining to create more formidable entertainment platforms, it sees no need to get bigger to compete, reports The Wall Street Journal.

“We don’t view any assets as ‘must-have’ and we haven’t yet found any large scale ones to be sufficiently compelling to act upon,” Netflix said in its second-quarter letter to shareholders.

The company said that the potential of streaming is driving the deal-making but that it doesn’t believe the media consolidation of the past several years has affected its growth.

Netflix’s declaration came as the company said it added 1.5 million memberships in the second quarter as the streaming giant continues to see slower growth in new subscribers following a surge last year at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Netflix said the pandemic had created what it called “lumpiness” in its membership growth, referring to higher growth last year and slower growth this year. The company said it has 209.2 million subscribers world-wide. Shares were flat in after-hours trading.

The global leader in streaming’s approach to acquisitions is the opposite of the rest of the entertainment industry, which is in a frantic phase of deal-making in the hopes of assembling content giants that can be formidable rivals to Netflix.

In May, AT&T Inc. and Discovery Inc. agreed to combine their media operations into a new stand-alone company whose assets will include HBO Max, CNN, Discovery+ and the Warner Bros. movie and TV studios. Last month, Amazon.com Inc. struck a deal to acquire MGM for $6.5 billion in the hopes of using the famed movie and TV studio’s library and intellectual property to bolster its Prime Video streaming service.

The deal-making might not be finished. Comcast Corp. , parent of NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS Inc. have discussed creating a streaming partnership for international markets, according to people familiar with the matter.

While Netflix is steering clear of deals, it is looking to expand into new businesses, particularly gaming. Last week, the company hired Facebook executive Mike Verdu as vice president of game development. The company said it would focus on games for mobile devices and would likely rely on Netflix shows and movies for content. Games will be included at no extra cost to Netflix members.

Netflix’s addition of 1.5 million subscribers for the three-month period ending June 30 exceeded its earlier forecast of an additional one million memberships. It added 10 million in the second quarter a year earlier, when much of the world was in lockdown mode.

Total revenue at the Los Gatos Calif.-based company rose to $7.34 billion, compared with $6.15 billion a year earlier. Wall Street had expected $7.32 billion, according to FactSet.

Profit at Netflix increased to $1.35 billion, or $2.97 a share. A year earlier, earnings were $720 million, or $1.59 a share. Earnings missed estimates for GAAP earnings of $3.18 a share.

Wake-Up Call: Delta Variant Now 83 Percent Of All COVID Cases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in testimony before a Senate committee yesterday that the delta variant now makes up an estimated 83 percent of U.S. Covid-19 cases, up from 50 percent at the beginning of the month. She said the increase is happening the most in unvaccinated areas of the country, stating, "The message from CDC remains clear: the best way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 variants is to prevent the spread of disease and vaccination is the most powerful tool we have." Addressing the issue of boosters, experts said immunity will slowly decrease, and when the vaccines get to around 70 percent to 80 percent immunity, boosters will be needed. Walensky said, "Fortunately, we're anticipating that this will wane and not plummet, so as we see that waning, that will be our time for action."

As delta variant spreads, medical experts warn of risk to young children. https://t.co/ZWui20qe4z

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 21, 2021

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell separately implored unvaccinated Americans to get vaccinated, saying, "These shots need to get in everybody’s arms as rapidly as possible or we’re going to be back in a situation in the fall that we don’t yearn for -- that we went through last year." The Kentucky Republican urged that people ignore what he called the "demonstrably bad advice" coming from pundits and others against the vaccines.

➤BARRACK, HEAD OF TRUMP'S INAUGURAL COMMITTEE, ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF ACTING AS FOREIGN AGENT FOR UAE: Tom Barrack, who was the chairman of former President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee, was arrested Tuesday on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates. The 74-year-old Barrack was one of three men charged with acting as unregistered foreign agents as they tried to influence U.S. policy on behalf of the UAE while Trump was running for president in 2016 and later while he was president. Additionally, prosecutors said Barrack gave UAE officials sensitive information about developments in the Trump administration. Barrack, who's a longtime close friend of Trump, was also charged with obstruction of justice and making multiple false statements during a 2019 interview with federal agents. He has denied any wrongdoing.

➤HAITI INSTALLS NEW PRIME MINISTER: The Haitian government installed a new prime minister on Tuesday, two weeks after the July 7th assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Designated Prime Minister Ariel Henry was sworn in to replace interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who assumed leadership with the backing of police and the military after the assassination. Henry has promised to form a provisional consensus government until elections are held. Meanwhile, Police Chief Leon Charles announced the arrest of four more people, at least three of them police officers, saying, "There was infiltration in the police. It happened with money." At least 26 people have been arrested in the case, three of them Haitian-Americans.

➤FLOODING INUNDATES CHINESE CITY, KILLING 12, TRAPPING PEOPLE IN SUBWAYS: Severe flooding inundated the Chinese city of Zhengzhou on Tuesday, dropping a stunning eight inches of rain in one hour between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and killing at least 12 people. Streets were turned into rapid rivers, cars floated away, and water flooded subway stations, with video showing people trapped in subway cars in water up to their chests. Many people stranded by the flooding were spending the night in their workplaces.

Passengers were trapped on a metro line in Zhengzhou, China after downpours hit the city. Rescue efforts have been underway. #GLOBALink pic.twitter.com/im4nvAfhv0

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) July 20, 2021

 
➤COUPLE WHOSE GENDER REVEAL PARTY STARTED WILDFIRE CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER: A Southern California couple whose use of a pyrotechnic device during a gender reveal party last September started the El Dorado Fire that killed a firefighter have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez pled not guilty Monday (July 19th), it was reported Tuesday. The party was held at the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa.

➤BEZOS THANKS ALL THE LITTLE PEOPLE:  After Amazon founder Jeff Bezos returned from his 11-minute space flight on his company Blue Origin's rocket yesterday, the world's richest man thanked Amazon's employees and customers -- and that didn't sit well with some people. Bezos, who stepped down as Amazon's CEO in July, said at a news conference, "I want to thank every Amazon employee, and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all this." There have been growing complaints about how Amazon treats and compensates its employees, including opposition to unionization. 

Jeff Bezos at #BlueOrigin news conference:

"I want to thank every Amazon employee, and every Amazon customer, because you guys paid for all this — Thank you from the bottom of my heart very much."pic.twitter.com/ZrWf6nuB7Y

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 20, 2021

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich reflected that criticism yesterday, tweeting, "Amazon workers don’t need Bezos to thank them. They need him to stop union busting -- and pay them what they deserve." Similarly, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, "Yes, Amazon workers did pay for this - with lower wages, union busting, a frenzied and inhumane workplace, and delivery drivers not having health insurance during a pandemic. And Amazon customers are paying for it with Amazon abusing their market power to hurt small business." Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren zeroed in on a ProPublica report that said Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. She tweeted, "Jeff Bezos forgot to thank all the hardworking Americans who actually paid taxes to keep this country running while he and Amazon paid nothing."

The only problem I have with Bezos’ Blue Origin space rocket ship into outer space is that it’s going to come back.

— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) July 20, 2021

 After his trip to space yesterday, Bezos gave $100 million donations to both Washington, D.C., chef Jose Andres, whose nonprofit World Central Kitchen provides meals to people after natural disasters, and CNN contributor Van Jones, who has founded a number of nonprofit organizations. The money is for them to put towards any charity or nonprofit of their choice.

😂CNN SAID IT WITH A STRAIGHT FACE: 

CNN Says CNN+ Service Will Not Be Liberal, 'We're Not an Opinion Network' | Newsbusters https://t.co/pfL3mPZ3Re

— MediaResearchCenter (@theMRC) July 21, 2021

➤HARVEY WEINSTEIN SENT TO CALIFORNIA TO FACE RAPE AND ASSAULT CHARGES: Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein flew to California Tuesday to face additional sex assault charges there, according to multiple reports. He is serving a 23-year-sentence for rape and assault at the Wende Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

The 69-year-old was taken out of prison in a wheelchair, Page Six reports, and his walker was packed for his journey. The disgraced movie producer faces 11 counts of rape, battery and other charges against five women in L.A. If convicted on all charges, he could face another 140 years to life behind bars.

His legal team has repeatedly argued that his health is too frail to withstand travel, but the judge ultimately blocked the move to stop extradition.

➤STUDY..SPRINGING FORWARD AFFECTS EARLY BIRDS LESS THAN NIGHT OWLS:  It turns out “springing ahead” affects early birds less than night owls. University of Michigan researchers say each spring, the Daylight Savings Time (DST) shift means many lose an hour of sleep. They found those whose genetic profile makes them more likely to be “early birds” the rest of the year were found to adjust to the time change in just a few days, while those who tend to be “night owls” could take more than a week to get back on track with their sleep schedule. Study co-author Dr. Srijan Sen says, “This study is a demonstration of how much we vary in our response to even relatively minor challenges to our daily routines, like DST. Discovering the mechanisms underlying this variation can help us understand our individual strengths and vulnerabilities better.”

➤U-S LIFE EXPECTANCY DECLINE IN 2020 BIGGEST SINCE WORLD WAR TWO: Life expectancy in the U.S. fell by a year and a half in 2020 amid the pandemic, the largest one-year decline since World War Two, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today (July 21st), and the drop was even worse, three years, for Black and Hispanic Americans. The CDC said the pandemic was responsible for close to 74 percent of the overall decline. Drug overdoses also played a role, particularly among whites, and rising homicides had a small, but significant, effect for Black people. Overall life expectancy in the U.S. was 78 years and 10 months in 2019 and last year in was 77 years, four months.

➤ANIMATRONIC BIDEN TO DEBUT AT DISNEY'S HALL OF PRESIDENTS NEXT MONTH: An animatronic President Joe Biden will make his debut next month at the Hall of Presidents attraction in Disney World next month. Disney officials said Monday (July 19th) that they were putting the finishing touches on the animatronic Biden, who will be in the forefront as the current president. Next to him will be a table with peach blossoms, to represent his home state of Delaware, and a pair of aviator sunglasses, which he likes to wear. Biden's real voice will be heard reciting the presidential oath of office in a recording made at the White House. The Hall of Presidents has been closed for several months to add Biden.

➤SUBWAY LAUNCHED AN ENTIRE WEBSITE TO PROVE THEIR TUNA IS REAL: You likely remember the recent drama surrounding Subway’s tuna products. In a not-so-shocking turn of events, Subway has now created a website all about their tuna, claiming it’s absolutely real. This all stems from when The New York Times purchased Subway tuna sandwiches and sent the fish off to a lab that specializes in fish testing. The test found that “No amplifiable tuna DNA was present in the sample.” Subway’s new site also contains information about where they source their fish, their quality control processes, and additional information about the margin of error in lab tests. You can see for yourself by visiting www.subwaytunafacts.com.

🏀BUCKS WIN FIRST NBA CHAMPIONSHIP IN 50 YEARS, DOWN SUNS 105-98 IN GAME 6: The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 105-98 before their hometown fans last night to win their first NBA championship in 50 years, taking the NBA Finals 4 games to 2. The Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time regular season MVP, scored 50 points, his third game in the series with at least 40 points, and was voted the unanimous NBA Finals MVP. The Bucks became just the fifth team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two games. For the Suns, they go home still without having ever won an NBA championship in franchise history.

🏆🍾🦌#PhantomCam pic.twitter.com/SlS9j2nyxs

— NBA (@NBA) July 21, 2021

🥎JAPAN BEATS AUSTRALIA IN SOFTBALL GAME THAT KICKS OFF OLYMPICS: The first competition of the Tokyo Olympics took place on Tuesday -- three days before the opening ceremony -- when Japan defeated Australia 8-1 in a softball game. The U.S. defeated Italy 2-0 in the second of the day's three softball games. No fans are being allowed at the Games because of the pandemic, so only about 50 spectators were at the venue, about 150 miles north of Tokyo, likely team and Olympic officials and media.

⚾TIGERS STARTER TURNBULL TO HAVE TOMMY JOHN SURGERY: The Detroit Tigers announced yesterday (July 20th) that starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of this season and most or all of the 2022 season. The 28-year-old, who threw a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on May 18th, was 4-2 in nine starts.

🏈SABAN..ALABAMA QB YOUNG HAS NEARLY $1 MILLION IN ENDORSEMENTS: Alabama football coach Nick Saban reportedly said yesterday that quarterback Bryce Young, who hasn't yet been named the team's starter for next season -- although he is the presumptive favorite -- already has nearly $1 million in endorsement deals. Saban reportedly made the comment to the Texas High School Coaches Association's convention. Young, a sophomore who was the primary backup to starter Mac Jones last year, signed a deal to be represented by Creative Artists Agency on July 2nd, the day after the NCAA changed the rules to allow college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. Jones was taken in the first round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots.

Tom Brady jokes that 40 percent “still don’t think we won” as Bucs visit White House https://t.co/0iadRkptJU

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 20, 2021

🏈BUCCANEERS VISIT WHITE HOUSE, BRADY JOKINGLY REFERS TO TRUMP: The reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited the White House yesterday, where quarterback Tom Brady made a couple of jokes referring to former President Donald Trump, who's been an old friend of his. Brady compared those who couldn't believe that the Bucs won the Super Bowl to the false assertion by Trump that he won last November's election, saying, "Not a lot of people think that we could have won, and in fact I think about 40 percent of the people still don’t think we won. You understand that, Mr. President?” President Biden responded to laughter, "I understand that." Brady also referred to the mocking nickname Trump used for Biden of "Sleepy Joe," referring to a time when he forgot what down it was, saying, "I lost track of one down in 21 years of playing, and they started calling me 'Sleepy Tom.' Why would they do that to me?" In his remarks, Biden compared himself to Brady being the oldest quarterback and Bruce Arians the oldest coach to win the Super Bowl, saying, "You won’t hear any jokes about that from me. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with being the oldest guy to make it to the mountaintop."

Charlotte Radio: WBT Fills Noon-3 Slot With Pete Kaliner

Radio One and News Talk 1110 & 99.3 WBT have hired radio and podcast veteran Pete Kaliner to host a daily talk show from 12 PM to 3PM.

‘The Pete Kaliner Show’ will explore the important issues facing our nation, welcoming participation from the Charlotte audience, as part of WBT’s live and local weekday lineup from 5 AM to 7 PM.

Known for his quick wit and asking thoughtful questions intended to highlight all sides of a topic, Kaliner has spent the better part of the past decade hosting afternoon drive at WWNC, Asheville, and producing a daily news-based podcast that explores national and state issues. Returning to WBT where he spent twelve years as a highly respected news reporter and host, Kaliner looks forward to re-engaging with the Charlotte audience in middays. And, just as WBT has supported the community of Charlotte for over 99 years, Pete will join in this commitment to service by raising awareness to anti-poverty and animal welfare organizations as WBT approaches its Centennial celebration in 2022.

“For three decades, ‘Noon to 3’ has been synonymous with an icon that is irreplaceable,” said Marsha Landess, Regional Vice President and Market Manager for Radio-One Charlotte. “We know that no one will ever replace Rush, and we’re not attempting to replace him. Bringing Pete Kaliner back to WBT represents our commitment to serving this community, which includes his decades of experience in covering national issues and how they affect us here. We are excited by the future that having Pete on this team brings.”

“Returning to WBT is somewhat surreal, as it has been such a huge part of my life. Being a part of WBT for all those years meant being a part of Charlotte’s unique and inspiring story. WBT and Charlotte are inextricably connected by a century of history. I am sincerely humbled and honored to be entrusted to help contribute to the next chapters,” said Kaliner.

The Pete Kaliner Show debuts on July 26, 2021, on News Talk 1110 & 99.3 WBT.

TV Ratings: 'Shark Week' Proves To Be A Potent Event

Recent research illustrated the potency of 'Shark Week" in bringing new viewers to the network, something increasingly important in an era where television networks and streaming services are competing furiously for eyeballs.

The Associated Press reports a study by LG Ads found that during Shark Week last year, 37% of the people who tuned in hadn’t watched Discovery at any point during the previous month. That phenomenon was more pronounced for National Geographic’s Shark Fest, where 51% of viewers hadn’t seen the network the month before.

For both networks, more than one-third of those new viewers came back for other programming within the next month.

“In a world where cable just doesn’t come on automatically when you turn on your TV, that just is incredibly important,” said Justin Fromm, an executive at LG Ads.

It’s the definition of event programming, which networks use to advertise their wares — as the NBC Universal networks will do starting this Friday with the Olympics.

Discovery programs averaged 687,000 viewers in prime time last week, oddly lower than the previous week, although there was competition from the NBA Finals and baseball’s All-Star Game. The first night of Shark Week, July 11, is the most popular and was counted in last week’s Nielsen company figures. Viewing increased among viewers aged 18-to-49, an indication that the network’s audience composition was different than typical weeks.

Benefiting from their sports events, ABC averaged 4.1 million viewers in prime time last week, and Fox had 2.9 million. NBC had 2.6 million, CBS had 2.4 million, Univision had 1.6 million, Ion Television had 1.1 million and Telemundo had 1 million.

➤Top 20 Prime-Time Shows (Total Viewers):

1. NBA Finals: Phoenix at Milwaukee, Game 4, ABC, 10.26 million.

2. NBA Finals: Milwaukee at Phoenix, Game 5, ABC, 9.62 million.

3. Baseball: All-Star Game, Fox, 9.62 million.

4. “America’s Got Talent,” NBC, 7.1 million.

5. “Home Run Derby,” ESPN, 6.29 million.

6. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 5.96 million.

7. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.84 million.

8. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 3.95 million.

9. “NCIS,” CBS, 3.925 million.

10. “Home Run Derby Prelude,” ESPN, 3.925.

11. “The Chase,” ABC, 3.83 million.

12. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 3.81 million.

13. “The Bachelorette,” ABC, 3.71 million.

14. Soccer: Mexico vs. El Salvador, Univision, 3.64 million.

15. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.63 million.

16. “NBA Countdown” (Wednesday), ABC, 3.5 million.

17. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 3.49 million.

18. “The Neighborhood,” CBS, 3.36 million.

19. “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC, 3.32 million.

20. “To Tell the Truth,” ABC, 3.26 million.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening news ratings race, averaging 7.6 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 6.1 million viewers and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.7 million.

Fox News Channel led the cable networks, averaging 2.13 million viewers in prime time. ESPN had 1.35 million, MSNBC had 1.28 million, HGTV had 1.23 million and Hallmark had 1.01 million.

➤Basic Cable TV (Total Viewers):

➤Basic Cable TV (Viewers 25-54):

Tucker Carlson Tonight remained the No. 1 show on cable news last week, averaging 3 million viewers, and 523,000 in the 25-54 demo. The program averaged 3.2 million total viewers to go with 526,000 adults 25-54 the previous week.  Hannity remained the No. 2 show on cable news, followed by The Five, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, and The Ingraham Angle.

Report: Cracks Showing In Netflix's Dominance

Netflix is still king of streaming video, but audiences are slowly shifting toward new rivals, namely the Walt Disney Company’s Disney+, according to The NY Times citing research from Parrot Analytics.

Netflix’s share of worldwide demand interest — a measure, created by Parrot, of the popularity of shows and a key barometer of how many new subscribers a streaming service is likely to attract — fell below 50 percent for the first time in the second quarter of the year

The company’s “lack of new hit original programming and the increased competition from other streamers is going to ultimately have a negative impact on subscriber growth and retention,” Parrot said in a news release before Netflix announced its quarterly earnings on Tuesday.

Netflix said it had attracted 1.5 million new subscribers in the second quarter of the year, beating the low bar it had set when it told Wall Street that it anticipated adding just one million.

The company said it expected to add about 3.5 million new subscribers in the third quarter, lower than the approximately 5.5 million that investors were expecting. Netflix shares fell as much as 4 percent in after-hours trading on Tuesday before bouncing back a little.

The company now has 209 million subscribers, but it lost 430,000 in the United States and Canada, its most lucrative region, over the period. It now has 73.9 million subscribers in that market, with about 66 million in the United States.

Netflix has downplayed competition concerns even as newer entrants have chipped away at its long-held grip. Disney+ more than doubled its share of demand interest in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, and Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV+ and HBO Max are also gaining, according to Parrot.