Radio host and financial advisor Dave Ramsey said he was against another round of stimulus checks and those in need of them were already "screwed" during a Thursday morning appearance on Fox News, reports Business Insider.
"I don't believe in a stimulus check because if $600 or $1,400 changes your life you were pretty much screwed already," Ramsey said. "You got other issues going on."
Ramsey said those who need the money have problems with their careers, debt, relationships, or their mental health. and said the checks were simply throwing money at the problem or "peeing on a forest fire" but not fixing the issue.
"That's not talking down to folks. I've been bankrupt. I've been broke. I work with people every day who are hurting. I love people. I want people to be lifted up, but this is, again, it is just political rhetoric," he said.
Congress has been working towards another round of stimulus checks, with Democrats aiming to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion rescue package by early March.
Biden is in support of sending $1,400 checks to people making up to $75,000 a year.
The support comes as millions of Americans lose income and are financially strained due to the pandemic.
Bruce Springsteen told a park officer he had done two shots in the previous 20 minutes but wouldn’t take a breath test before he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in New Jersey in November, according to a document filed Thursday in federal court, The Associated Press reports.
The officer at Gateway National Recreation Area wrote in the statement of probable cause that he saw Springsteen take a shot of tequila and then get on his motorcycle.
The officer wrote that the rocker “smelt strongly of alcohol” Nov. 14 and “had glassy eyes” and that there was a bottle of Patron tequila that was “completely empty.”
The report described Springsteen as “visibly swaying back and forth” during a field sobriety test and said he declined to provide a sample on an initial breath test.
Springsteen “took 45 total steps during the walk and turn instead of the instructed 18,” the officer wrote.
Springsteen hasn’t commented publicly on the charges.
Springsteen received citations for driving while under the influence, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. He is scheduled to make a remote court appearance on a date to be determined.
The recreational area is better known as Sandy Hook, the name of the narrow Atlantic Ocean peninsula on which it sits.
After news of the arrest, Jeep put on pause an ad that ran during the Super Bowl featuring Springsteen in Kansas urging people to find common ground. In a statement, Jeep said it would pause the commercial “until the actual facts can be established.”
Springsteen had performed Jan. 20 as part of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, singing “Land of Hope and Dreams” in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
Microsoft Corp. said the U.S. should copy Australia’s controversial proposal that tech companies pay newspapers for content—putting it at odds with Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc.
The Wall Street Journal reports it isn’t the first time Microsoft has stepped into feuds involving rivals—particularly in areas where they have an edge. Its Bing search engine lags behind Google in market share. Microsoft has urged governments to better regulate facial-recognition technology and last year sided with a videogame developer against Apple Inc. in a dispute about app-store fees.
The Australian proposal, if enacted into law—it is now before a parliamentary committee—could prompt other countries to follow suit in a global transformation of the relationship between tech companies and traditional media.
Some countries, particularly in Europe, have tried to force tech companies to pay publishers, often with little success. Australia’s effort gained momentum last year, when the pandemic-driven downturn further strained the finances of media companies.
“The United States should not object to a creative Australian proposal that strengthens democracy by requiring tech companies to support a free press,” Microsoft President Brad Smith wrote in a blog post published Thursday. “It should copy it instead.”
The Australian proposal would effectively require publishers and tech companies to negotiate, and submit to binding arbitration if they can’t reach a deal. It would also require tech companies to notify publishers of algorithm changes that could affect search rankings.
The Trump administration opposed the proposal, objecting to its applying first to two U.S. companies and to some specifics of the arbitration process, which it said would favor the news companies. Microsoft’s Mr. Smith said the Biden administration should reconsider.
ViacomCBS Inc. is reviving a streaming version of the newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” hoping the series can draw viewers to its new online service Paramount+, reports Bloomberg citing people familiar with the situation.
The company had created a spinoff of the show called “60 in 6” for the short-lived Quibi, but it was left in limbo when the streaming startup announced plans to close down in October. Though Quibi sold the rights to old episodes to Roku Inc., ViacomCBS is interested in making a new version of the series, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan isn’t yet public.
The Quibi show, a roughly six-minute version of the top-rated news program, condensed what was normally an hourlong news magazine into smaller bites. It featured reports on civil-rights protests and racial strife from Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Wesley Lowery, as well as segments reported by Laurie Segall, Seth Doane and Enrique Acevedo.
First introduced in 1968, “60 Minutes” remains the gold standard in TV news. The show has won more than 140 Emmy awards, and ranks as the most-watched news series in prime time. It averaged 10.5 million viewers during the 2019-2020 season, ranking in the top 20 among all shows.
Documentaries and news programs have proven to be big drivers for streaming services, including Netflix, HBO Max and Hulu. Streaming subscribers also skew younger than traditional TV viewers, so an offshoot could help “60 Minutes” expand beyond its generally older audience.
CBS already operates free online news services in major markets across the country, and includes evening news programs in All Access, its current streaming offering. News will play a big part in ViacomCBS’s efforts to expand the audience for the rechristened Paramount+ platform next month. The company plans to unveil details about the service at an investor day Feb. 24 prior to its release to the public.
Hours after it came out that the New York Times had spiked a column in which Bret Stephens complained about the way the paper handled the ouster of star reporter Donald McNeil Jr., the New York Post has published the article in full.
The Wrap reports the Post took pains to distance Stephens himself from the publication of his spiked column. “The piece has circulated among Times staffers and others — and it was from one of them, not Stephens himself, that The Post obtained it,” the note said.
McNeil’s ouster came after The Daily Beast reported last week that he used the N-word and also made additional sexist and racist comments on a 2019 trip with students. When the story came out, the Times said it had investigated the incident in 2019 and had taken unspecified disciplinary measures. The Daily Beast’s report prompted outrage from New York Times staff and on Friday McNeil quit. In a statement accompanying his resignation, McNeil didn’t address the accusations of racist and sexist comments, and said only that he used the n-word to describe what someone else had said. McNeil apologized for that specific act.
Like McNeil, Stephens also ignored the substance of the other accusations reported by the Daily Beast, and wrote his column as though the only thing McNeil was accused of was his admitted use of the n-word.
After quoting New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet, who said regarding McNeil that “We do not tolerate racist language regardless of intent,” Stephens wrote in part:
“This is not a column about the particulars of McNeil’s case. Nor is it an argument that the racial slur in question doesn’t have a uniquely ugly history and an extraordinary capacity to wound. This is an argument about three words: ‘Regardless of intent.’ Should intent be the only thing that counts in judgment? Obviously not. Can people do painful, harmful, stupid or objectionable things regardless of intent? Obviously.”
Stephens argued that McNeil’s intent in using the word should matter as much as the usage.
Earlier Thursday, NBC News’ Dylan Byers said that Stephen accused New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger of personally spiking the column. But a representative for the Times told TheWrap that the decision came from opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury. “We kill columns all the time for various reasons,” she told CNN’s Oliver Darcy. “The bar is especially high for columns that could reflect badly on colleagues. And we decided that this column didn’t reach that bar.”
➦In 1904...radio/TV talent show host Ted Mack was born William Edward Maguiness in Greeley Colorado. Mack died July 12, 1976 at age 72.
Mack succeeded Major Bowes as host of The Original Amateur Hour for the period 1948-52 on radio, and until 1970 on TV. His discoveries include Gladys Knight, Pat Boone, & Teresa Brewer. He also hosted TV’s Ted Mack Family Hour, a show similar to Ed Sullivan.
The Original Amateur Hour began on radio in 1934 as Major Bowes' Amateur Hour, and ran until the 1946 death of its creator, Major Bowes. Mack, a talent scout who had directed the show under Bowes, revived it in 1948 for ABC Radio and the DuMont Television Network.
The show lasted on radio until 1952 and until 1970 on television, where it ran on all four major networks, ending as a Sunday afternoon CBS staple. A success in the early days of television, the program set the stage for numerous programs seeking talented stars, from The Gong Show to Star Search to American Idol to America's Got Talent.
➦In 1909...singer/producer Barry Wood was born in New Haven Conn. He was the singing star of radio’s Lucky Strike Hit Parade in the early 40’s just ahead of Frank Sinatra, and went on to perform in lesser-known radio shows. In the TV era he was host of several shows including Places Please & Backstage with Barry Wood, and producer for The Bell Telephone Hour & Wide Wide World. He died July 19 1970 at age 61.
Ken Roberts- 1945
➦In 1910...Longtime radio announced Ken Roberts born (died at age 99 June 19, 2009). He was known for his work during the Golden Age of Radio and for his work announcing the daytime television soap operas The Secret Storm, Texas and Love of Life, each for a two-decade span.
His first announcing job was at WMCA in New York lasting three weeks. Next at WLTH in Brooklyn. In an interview for the book The Great American Broadcast, Roberts told Leonard Maltin that he had started at the Brooklyn station in 1930, where his responsibilities included answering phones and sweeping the floors, in addition to on-air roles playing piano and reading poetry.
During the 1930s and 1940s, at the height of the radio era, Roberts' voice appeared widely in live programming to introduce programs, moderate game shows and do live reads for commercials. Despite his Errol Flynn-like good looks and the frequent broadcasts featuring his voice, as often as several times each day, few listeners knew who he was or would have recognized him in public.
Radio credits include The Shadow (including the 1937-38 season on the Mutual Broadcasting System with a 22-year-old Orson Welles starring in the role of Lamont Cranston), the comedy Easy Aces, along with soap operas Joyce Jordan, M.D. and This is Nora Drake. In 1941, he achieved his goal of hosting his own quiz show, with Quick As a Flash on the Mutual network.
He also announced or hosted a number of game shows, such as What's My Name? and the parody It Pays to Be Ignorant, in which he would pose questions to actors portraying contestants such as "Who came first: Henry I or Henry VIII?" that would be answered incorrectly. At various times, he performed on eponymous programs for Fred Allen, Milton Berle, Victor Borge and Sophie Tucker.
In 1941, he achieved his goal of hosting his own quiz show, with Quick As a Flash on the Mutual network.
Del Sharbutt
➦In 1912..Bigtime radio announcer Del Sharbutt was born in Cleburne Texas.
His first appearance on radio was in 1929 as a singer on WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. He became a staff announcer for CBS Radio in 1933, and is best remembered as spokesman for Campbell’s Soup (“Mmm mmm Good!”) beginning in the ’30’s. He was also TV announcer for Your Hit Parade, and worked until retirement in 1976 as newscaster for the Mutual Radio network. He died April 26, 2002 at the ripe old age of 90.
Old-time radio shows for which Sharbutt was an announcer included The Man I Married, Lavender and Old Lace, Guy Lombardo, Jack Pearl, Ray Noble, Bob Hope, The Song Shop, Hobby Lobby, Myrt and Marge, The Hour of Charm, Melody and Madness, Colgate Ask-It-Basket, Lanny Ross, Amos 'n' Andy, Club Fifteen, The Jack Carson Show, Lum and Abner, Your Hit Parade, The Campbell Playhouse, Request Performance, Meet Mr. McNutley and Meet Corliss Archer.
In 1958,Sharbutt became a disc jockey on 77WABC in New York City. He and another old-time radio announcer, Tony Marvin, began "hosting afternoon record shows in their distinctively deep voices."
He died April 26, 2002 at the ripe old age of 90.
➦In 1915...newscaster/actor Lorne Greene was born in Ottawa. He was called “The Voice of Doom” as the nightly newsreader on CBC Radio during World War Two.(1939-42) On TV he starred in Bonanza, Battlestar Gallactica & Code Red. He died Sept 11, 1987 after an operation for a perforated ulcer, at age 72.
➦In 1924…The Eveready Hour was the first commercially sponsored variety program in the history of broadcasting. It premiered February 12, 1924 (other sources: December 4, 1923 or November 4, 1923) on WEAF Radio (now WFAN) in New York City. Radio's first sponsored network program. it was paid for by the National Carbon Company, which at the time owned Eveready Battery
In early 1924 The Eveready Hour began to be carried simultaneously by a second station, WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island, and the number of outlets was expanded to a group of Eastern and Midwestern stations "as quickly as WEAF could add stations" to its "WEAF chain" radio network. On election night, November 4, 1924, the program, hosted by Wendell Hall, was carried by 18 stations, with Will Rogers, Art Gillham, Carson Robison and the Eveready Quartet entertaining between election returns given by Graham McNamee. Joseph Knecht led the Waldorf-Astoria Dance Orchestra.
The Bowery Boys were featured on the Eveready Hour
In 1926 the WEAF chain operations were purchased by the Radio Corporation of America, becoming the basis of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in early 1927. The Eveready Hour continued as a featured broadcast on NBC until 1930.
Calvin Coolidge
➦In 1924...President Calvin Coolidge became the first President to make a political speech on the radio. It originated from New York City and was broadcast on five radio stations to an audience of an estimated 5M listeners. During his presidency, Coolidge made around 50 broadcasts. He soon learned how to make best use of the new technology, adding a consultant to his staff to help him polish his radio persona.
While Coolidge was a radio pioneer, the American president most associated with radio is Franklin D. Roosevelt. From 1933 to 1944, Roosevelt delivered 30 “fireside chats,” in which he addressed the American people in a friendly, plainspoken manner about his efforts to bolster the depressed economy through innovative government programs and about global challenges in the run-up to World War II.
➦In 1940…New York radio station WOR presented the first broadcast featuring the comic-strip hero, “Superman“. The 15-minute juvenile adventure became a feature of the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1942, three times a week to start, then daily.
On Mutual, it was broadcast from August 31, 1942, to February 4, 1949, as a 15-minute serial, running three or, usually, five times a week. From February 7 to June 24, 1949, it ran as a thrice-weekly half-hour show. The series shifted to ABC Saturday evenings on October 29, 1949, and then returned to afternoons twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of The Adventures of Superman aired on American radio.
The Man of Steel first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938. When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance, the character took on an added dimension with Bud Collyer in the title role.
During World War II and the post-war years, the juvenile adventure radio serial, sponsored by Kellogg's Pep, was a huge success, with many listeners following the quest for "truth and justice" in the daily radio broadcasts.
➦In 1951...Radio Personality, Pat St. John, was born in Detroit.
St. John, Age 18
In early 1969, at the age of 18, he landed his first gig as a radio personality on Windsor's CKLW, where he also worked for CKLW's 20/20 news doing newscasts one day a week, and part-time booth announcing on CKLW-TV Channel 9. In late 1970 he moved across the border to WKNR and was then hired in early 1972 at the ABC-owned album-oriented rock (AOR) station WRIF until 1973.
In April 1973, St. John began an almost 15-year stint at New York's WPLJ. He survived the station's transition from AOR to top 40 in 1983.
He left WPLJ in 1987, and returned to his rock roots on WNEW-FM, which had been WPLJ's rival during its AOR years. He became the station's program director in the early 1990s. St. John remained with the station until it switched to a hot talk format in 1998.
After the demise of WNEW's rock format, St. John was one of the first programmers hired by CD Radio in October 1998 as the Director of classic Rock Programming. CD Radio would later change its name to Sirius Satellite Radio, and then after acquiring XM Satellite Radio become known as SiriusXM, where he remains today as one of their most popular personalities on its Sixtie On Six channel.
He also joined WCBS 101.1 FM in 2002, followed by moving to WAXQ in 2004 where he stayed until late 2006. In July 2007, he returned to the re-incarnated WCBS-FM. For the first decade of the new century he was the announcer for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. He continues to do voiceover work for radio and TV commercials as well as station imaging for radio and television as well as narration.
In March 2015, St. John announced that he was leaving WCBS-FM and that he and his wife were moving to California to be closer to their grandson. He aired his final show on April 12, 2015 marking the end to a legendary career in New York City radio.
In March 2015, St. John announced that he was leaving WCBS-FM and that he and his wife were moving to California to be closer to their grandson. He aired his final show on April 12, 2015 marking the end to a legendary career in New York City radio.
He is now heard daily on SiriusXM's 60's On 6 channel 3 to 6pm (Eastern).
St. John is known for his conversational on-air style with interspersed bits of music trivia, along with "Collectible Cuts" from his extensive record library. Pat has been called a "walking encyclopedia" when it comes to his knowledge of music.
➦In 1964...The Beatles made their third appearance in the U-S. They played two 25-minute concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City, concluding a very successful American tour. There was such a demand for tickets that some extra seating was arranged surrounding the stage. Tickets went for between $1.65 and $5.50. The New York Times review claimed it was the frenzied audience that put on the show and the Beatles merely accompanied them
The late promoter Sid Bernstein speaks about Brian Epstein, The Beatles , their first trip to America in 1964 and Carnegie Hall.
➦In 1999... the longtime voice of the Cleveland Indians Jimmy Dudley, also the lead announcer for the Seattle Pilots for their lone year (1969), died at age 89.
He began broadcasting in the late 1930s, starting out at a Charlottesville VA radio station. He moved up to calling Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games from 1938–1941 before serving as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
Dudley was the Cleveland Indians' lead announcer from 1948 until his firing by the club in January 1968. In 1969, Dudley broadcast for the expansion Seattle Pilots; when the club moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers the following year, he did not join them.
Dudley broadcast for a number of minor league teams in the 1970s before retiring. As an announcer, Dudley was known for his friendly, homespun style and his signature catchphrases: "Hello, baseball fans everywhere" (to start a broadcast), "The string is out" (describing a full count on a hitter), "A swing and a miss!-he struck him out", "That ball is going...going...gone!" (to describe a home run) and "So long and lots of good luck, you hear?" (signing off at the game's end). Dudley called the 1954 World Series and All-Star Game for the Mutual network, and 1961's first All-Star Game for NBC Radio.
In addition to baseball, Dudley also broadcast football at various times for the Ohio State University, the University of Washington, and the NFL's Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Colts.
Dudley was presented with the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
Gary Owens
➦In 2015...Gary Owens, veteran of KFWB in the Top 40 heyday, two decades with the Station of the Stars 710/KMPC, KPRZ, KKGO, KFI, KLAC, and KGIL, died February 12, 2015, at the age of 80. A diabetic since the age of 8, Gary died in his home surrounded by family.
Gary was voted the #1 disc jockey for the second half of the 20th century, by readers of Los Angeles Radio People. He was nationally known for holding his cupped hand over his ear while announcing the comedy breakthrough show Laugh-In. Gary is one of the most famous broadcasters in Los Angeles radio history.
Gary was born Gary Altman in Plankenton, South Dakota. He started on the air at KORN radio, worked at KMA-Shenandoah, Iowa, and KOIL-Omaha. It was at KOIL that Gary changed his name to Owens. After stops at KIMN-Denver, KILT-Houston, KTSA-San Antonio, WNOE-New Orleans, WIL-St. Louis, and KEWB-San Francisco, he moved to KFWB in 1961, where "G.O." became the morning man, with number one ratings.
A year later, he moved to KMPC, staying for two decades. Gary has made over 1,000 national on-camera tv appearances, been on over 10,000 radio shows, nearly 3,000 cartoon episodes, 35 videos, 20 albums and CDs (six Grammy nominations), 12 books on tape, thousands of commercials (he has won over 50 Clio awards) and appeared in 12 motion pictures.
Gary worked every episode of the Emmy award-winning Laugh In, making famous the phrase "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" which he had been using for years on his radio show. R&R and Billboard called him "a legend." Advertising Age and Adweek said he’s "the most decorated man in broadcasting." He was the emcee for the 1969 Grammy ceremony and the nighttime host of The Gong Show.
Gary's comedy writing included Bullwinkle and Fractured Flickers. He was the voice of Roger Ramjet. The Times named Gary 1968 Disc Jockey of the Year. At KFI he teamed with longtime friend Al Lohman. Gary was inducted into The National Broadcasters Hall of Fame, The National Radio Hall of Fame, The NAB Hall of Fame, and The South Dakota Hall of Fame - all in the same year. In 1979 he was the first radio personality to be inducted into the Hollywood Hall of Fame. In 1980, he was honored with a Star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. He received the NAB Radio Award for lifetime achievement. In late 1995, Gary was listed in Vanity Fair's TV Hall of Fame as one of the legendary voices in the history of television. Gary was one of the original voices for the "Music Of Your Life" format and in early 1997, he became the announcer on the Rosie O’Donnell Show. (Previous content used by permission from Don Barrett at LARadio.com)
“Humor has helped protect me from the bruises of life, in addition to a daily supply of fantasy, illusion and talcum powder."
A gifted punster, Owens became known for his surrealistic humor. Among his trademarks were daily appearances by The Story Lady (played by Joan Gerber); the Rumor of the Day; myriad varieties of "The Nurney Song"; and the introduction of the nonsense word "insegrevious", which was briefly included in the Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary.
“Humor has helped protect me from the bruises of life, in addition to a daily supply of fantasy, illusion and talcum powder."
A gifted punster, Owens became known for his surrealistic humor. Among his trademarks were daily appearances by The Story Lady (played by Joan Gerber); the Rumor of the Day; myriad varieties of "The Nurney Song"; and the introduction of the nonsense word "insegrevious", which was briefly included in the Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary.
Owens also did amusing radio promotions, such as sending in for "Yours", which turned out to be a postcard from him at the radio station which simply said "Yours" on it; autographed pictures of the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles; and his famous "Moo Cow Report", in which Gary and his character Earl C. Festoon would describe where cows were moving inbound on the crowded freeways of Los Angeles.
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY:
Joanna Kerns is 68
Actor Joe Don Baker is 85.
Country singer Moe Bandy is 77.
Actor Maud Adams (“Octopussy”) is 76.
Actor Cliff DeYoung is 75.
Actor Michael Ironside is 71.
Guitarist Steve Hackett (Genesis) is 71.
Singer Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers) is 69.
Actor Joanna Kerns is 68.
Actor Zach Grenier (“The Good Wife,” ″Deadwood”) is 67.
Actor-talk show host Arsenio Hall is 65.
Actor John Michael Higgins (“Raising the Bar,” ″A Mighty Wind”) is 58.
Actor Raphael Sbarge (“Once Upon A Time”) is 57.
Actor Josh Brolin (“True Grit,” ″No Country for Old Men”) is 53.
Singer Chynna Phillips of Wilson Phillips is 53.
Bassist Jim Creeggan of Barenaked Ladies is 51.
Keyboardist Keri Lewis of Mint Condition is 50.
Actor Jesse Spencer (“House”) is 42.
Rapper Gucci Mane is 41.
Actor Sarah Lancaster (“Chuck”) is 41.
Actor Christina Ricci is 41.
Actor Jennifer Stone (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) is 28.
Actor Baylie and Rylie Cregut (“Raising Hope”) are 11.
Michael Tabor, the investment mogul behind the British radio and outdoor media group Global, has taken a stake of almost 9% in its bigger US audio rival, iHeartMedia, in a surprise move.
According to the Campign Live website, a U-S stock market filing shows Tabor is the “beneficiary” of a trust that owns Honeycomb Investments, which spent $117.6M to acquire the 8.8% investment in iHeartMedia at the end of January.
Tabor, who has made his fortune through bookmaking and investments, is listed as a citizen of the United Kingdom.
A spokesperson for Honeycomb Investments confirmed the share purchase to Campaign, saying it was “pleased to be able to have acquired this stake in a sector that it knows well”.
iHeartMedia is the biggest commercial radio operator in the US, with 850 stations in 160 markets and revenues of $3.68B in 2019, according to its most recent annual results.
That is roughly three times the size of Global Media & Entertainment, the UK parent company of Global, which is the biggest media owner in commercial radio and second biggest in outdoor in the UK.
Both companies have said in their financial results that revenues have fallen because of Covid-19.
iHeartMedia has had historic debt problems but restructured its finances in 2019 as part of a Chapter 11 process, slashing its debt from $16.1bn to $5.75bn and separating itself from outdoor business, Clear Channel, which is now an independent company.
iHM took another step that made itself potentially more attractive to investors in November 2020 when it said it had received authorization from the Federal Communications Commission, the US communications regulator, that allows the company to increase “foreign ownership” to up to 100% of its shares.
It is understood there are other FCC limitations on foreign ownership, which means individual investors still need regulatory approval for significant shareholdings.
iHeartMedia has yet to comment on Tabor’s share purchase.
In the last year, Taylor Swift has surprised fans with two new albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore,” and revealed the she had been rerecording her first six albums in an effort to control her own masters, reports CNBC.
On Tuesday, the musician announced during a segment on Good Morning America that her rerecorded version of “Love Story” would be available at midnight. She also teased that she had finished rerecording her album “Fearless” and would be releasing it to the public “soon.”
Her official website is offering preorders of the album, which are set to be delivered on April 9th.
The album features six songs that didn’t make the cut when the original was released. The album is officially called “Fearless: Taylor’s Version.”
“My version of ‘Fearless’ will have 26 songs on it because I’ve decided to add songs from the vault, which are songs that almost made the original ‘Fearless’ album, but I’ve now gone back and recorded those so that everyone will be able to hear not only the songs that made the album, but the songs that almost made it,” Swift said.
“Fearless,” which was originally released in 2008, is the most-awarded country album of all time. It is the only album in history to win the all-genre album of the year award and country album of the year award from the Grammys, as well as the top awards from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and the American Music Awards.
In November, Swift confirmed that the rights to her first six albums had been sold by Scooter Braun to a private equity firm in a deal worth more than $300 million.
Swift had tried to buy back her masters, but said Braun’s team wanted her to sign a non-disclosure agreement before she was permitted to look at Big Machine’s financial records and the NDA would also have required her to never speak out against Braun again.
The singer promised to rerecord her old songs, recognizing that it would reduce the value of her masters.
Sponsors for “Tucker Carlson Tonight” faced renewed calls for boycotts Thursday after Carlson falsely claimed Wednesday night that George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis last summer, died of a drug overdose.
The claim Carlson shared on Fox News Wednesday has been debunked and it earned him significant ire as a result, reports The Wrap.
Sleeping Giants, an organization that frequently calls on Fox News sponsors to remove their ads from the channel and its associated website, started tweeting the video of Carlson making the claim directly at brands like Sandals Resort and Nutrisystem, which advertise during his primetime hour. The move has been successful for Sleeping Giants in the past.
Representatives for Sandals and Nutrisystem did not immediately return a request for comment. The brands have advertised with the network for years and their commercials have remained on the airwaves through previous rounds of advertiser boycotts aimed at Carlson and Laura Ingraham.
Carlson’s goal in repeating the debunked claim about Floyd was to suggest that powerful individuals feed false claims to the masses in order to drum up anger.
While Fentanyl was found in Floyd’s body, the autopsy report from Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded his cause of death was “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression” — or heart failure.
NBCUniversal reported in late January that its six-month-old Peacock streaming service had amassed 33 million “signups” by the end of 2020 — ostensibly positive news, given that NBCU had projected that Peacock would reach 30 million to 34 million active users by 2024, the year targeted for its breakeven.
However, based on having seen internal NBCU documents on Peacock, The Information is reporting that Peacock recently had just 11.3 “monthly active ad-supported accounts” — household accounts, which may include multiple viewers.
A Peacock spokesperson told the Silicon Valley news site that the 11.3 million figure was “low, ” reports MediaPost.
The documents also suggest that just 4% of Peacock signups were for its premium $9.99-per-month tier (no ads, all content), meaning that most signups are either for the free tier with ads or the $5-per-month tier with limited ads.
In other words, Peacock is currently reliant on competing for advertising with TV networks, YouTube and other giants, whereas the Netflix, rapidly-growing Disney+ and HBO Max have subscription-based, ad-free models, The Information notes.
Netflix ended 2020 with 203 million subscribers worldwide, and year-old Disney+ is already at 87 million worldwide — although HBO Max, which is planning to launch a hybrid subscription/limited-ads tier in Q2 2021 — has only about 17 million subscribers, including 10 million who have switched from HBO.
NBCU’s strategy for Peacock is to differentiate it from other streamers with a traditional network-like model that includes news and sports, as well as entertainment. However, NBCU CEO Jeff Shell reportedly wants to build up Peacock’s premium subscriber base, without spending exorbitant amounts to develop original content.
The solution has been “to strike deals with other entertainment companies to broaden either Peacock’s programming or its distribution,” notes the report, pointing to Peacock’s recent programming deals with World Wrestling Entertainment and A&E.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has promoted Joel Shimer to Co-Host for the top-rated morning show in Allentown, PA, The HAWK Morning Show, on Classic Rock station,WODE 99.9 The Hawk.
Shimer debuted as Co-Host alongside Rick Michaels, popular Morning Host and show lead, on Monday, February 8, 2021. He will continue to serve as Producer for the show. The program also updates its brand to The HAWK Morning Show with Rick and Joel. Shimer joined 99.9 The HAWK in late 2016 during his senior year of high school and has served as Producer of The HAWK Morning Show since May 2019. The HAWK Morning Show with Rick and Joel can be heard Monday through Friday from 5:30am-9:00am on 99.9 The HAWK.
Joel Shimer
Elizabeth Pembleton, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Lehigh Valley-Poconos, said: “I couldn’t be more excited about the evolution of The HAWK Morning Show with Rick and Joel! I’m so proud of Joel and he is the perfect example of how young talent is being developed under the tutelage of our incredibly talented programming team at Cumulus and his amazing veteran morning host, Rick Michaels.
Sal Palazzolo, Program Director, 99.9 The HAWK/WODE-FM, commented: “Joel is an excellent example of how hard work pays off. Joel joined our team back in the fall of 2016 and worked his way through the ranks of Promotions, Production, and Part-Time On-Air work, quickly becoming Producer of The Hawk Morning Show with Rick Michaels. By pairing Joel on-air with our heritage Morning Host, Rick Michaels, It will only help take The HAWK to new heights! Once we put them together in the room, we knew we had something truly special and unique. It’s great to curate the next generation of talent like Joel to invest in the future of our business.”
Joel Shimer remarked: “I am thrilled to continue my contribution to the success of The Hawk Morning Show. I still have to PINCH myself that I now get to work on the show I grew up listening to every morning! Special thanks to Sal Palazzolo, Jerry Padden and Liz Pembleton.“
Benztown announces that internationally syndicated hit weekend radio show Sunday Night Slow Jams is now broadcast to 200 affiliates worldwide, with the addition of Rhythmic Top 40 station KS 107.5/KQKS-FM in Denver, CO.
Helping to fuel Sunday Night Slow Jams’ impressive growth are three additional new affiliates: KRBQ-FM in San Francisco, CA (Throwback edition), WHMX-FM in Madison, WI (Hot AC edition), and WHBC-FM in Akron, OH (Hot AC edition).
Sunday Night Slow Jams, the #1 weekend radio show in America, is available to a wide variety of formats in multiple versions for Top 40, Hot AC, Urban, Urban AC, Rhythmic/Hip-Hop, and Classic Hip-Hop stations. Slow Jams currently reaches over three million consumers per week. The show’s Creator, Host and Producer, R Dub!, also produces a weeknight version of Slow Jams, which airs Monday through Thursday from 10PM-12M.
R Dub! said: "I was just a kid who loved listening to Slow Jams and dedications shows on the radio. I was elated when I got my own radio show at 16 years old - Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would one day be heard across America. And while I searched for something profound to say for this special occasion, I just kept coming back to "thanks." That's all I really want to communicate: a very heartfelt thank you to the program directors who believe in me and the stellar team at Benztown and Compass Media for helping me execute this vision. But most importantly, thanks to my listeners who show up every Sunday night to experience and engage in the magic of a very special radio show.”
Dave “Chachi” Denes, Benztown President, said: "It’s been an honor and a career highlight being able to work alongside R Dub! and watch him reach this incredible milestone. You can hear the passion and enthusiasm he has for this medium we all love so dearly in every Sunday Night Slow Jams show and that’s why I believe he’s loved by listeners and programmers around the globe. Congratulations, R Dub!, Mark Wilson and to the Benztown and Fusion Radio Networks teams!”
Stations of all formats that wish to try Sunday Night Slow Jams’ upcoming Valentine's Day weekend special with no cost or commitment, may sign up to receive it now at: https://benztown.com/press/slow-jams-valentines-day.
The Democratic House managers prosecuting the case in former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial made video of the January 6th attack on the Capitol -- much of it never seen before -- central to their presentation as they delivered their opening arguments on Wednesday.
WATCH: New video at the impeachment trial showed when former Vice President Mike Pence was escorted away from the Senate Chamber area on Jan. 6 at rioters invaded the Capitol.
The video showed the extent of the violence police were at times battling as well the potential danger members of Congress were in, with scenes shown including: body cam footage of a Capitol Police officer as he and other officers were being attacked outside the building; Vice President Mike Pence being escorted out of the Senate chamber by the Secret Service as rioters were nearby; and Senator Mitt Romney being told by Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman -- who'd already been hailed as a hero after the attack for leading some of the rioters away from the Senate chamber -- to go in the opposite direction because he was heading toward the mob.
Never-before-seen security footage from the U.S. Capitol shows officer Eugene Goodman leading Sen. Mitt Romney away from the violent mob. pic.twitter.com/V310S2n4mB
There was also video in which a rioter was walking in the Capitol as he taunted, "Where are you Nancy?" looking for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and audio played of frantic communications by police who were being overrun and attacked the violent mob. Video snippets also showed the crowd chanting "Hang Mike Pence!" and shouting against him as Trump tweeted during the attack that Pence, quote, "didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution."
The managers used the gripping video to support the case they presented that Trump, who is facing a single charge of "incitement of insurrection," spent months lying about the election, stoking anger and urging action by his followers with his rallies and tweets to, quote, "stop the steal," laying the groundwork for his supporters to carry out the attack on January 6th. They further said that he did nothing to stop the attack while it was going on, and in fact enjoyed watching as the mob rampaged in support of him. Rep. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands said, "They did it because Donald Trump sent them on this mission. President Trump put a target on their backs and his mob broke into the Capitol to hunt them down."
Lindsey Graham on Fox News: “What did Nancy Pelosi know and when did she know it?” pic.twitter.com/shbTmDAhaW
The House managers will continue to present their case today, and then Trump's attorneys will put on their defense starting Friday.
Sen. Tuberville: "I want to know how the Democrats can justify spending millions of dollars on an unconstitutional trial when Americans are out of work." https://t.co/xgNsmYrIfOpic.twitter.com/NP8SjVz9uy
➤CDC UPDATES CORONAVIRUS FACE MASK GUIDANCE, ENDORSES ‘DOUBLE MASKING’: The CDC has updated its face mask guidance. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky made the announcement yesterday, noting a recent lab experiment found that placing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask or using a medical procedure mask with knotted ear loops and tucked in sides decreased exposure to potentially infectious aerosols by about 95 percent. The guidance advises adhering to two important steps: 1) making sure the mask fits snugly against the face, and 2) picking a mask with layers to “keep your respiratory droplets in and others out.” But, at this time, the agency advises against using two disposable masks, as they are “not designed to fit tightly and wearing more than one will not improve fit.” It also does not advise combining a KN95 mask with any other mask.
➤FEDS INVESTIGATING HUGE COUNTERFEIT N95 FACE MASK OPERATION: Federal authorities are investigating a huge counterfeit N95 face mask operation in which fake 3M masks were sold to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies in at least five states. Minnesota-based 3M is among the world's largest producers of N95 masks, which are considered the gold standard in protecting against the coronavirus. The foreign-made fakes are becoming harder to spot, and their use by health care workers could put them at risk for Covid-19, while they falsely believe they are protected by the mask.
➤GEORGIA D.A. OPENS CRIMINAL PROBE INTO ELECTION INFLUENCE ATTEMPTS, INCLUDING TRUMP'S CALL: A Georgia district attorney said yesterday that she'd opened a criminal investigation of attempts to influence the November election, including a January 2nd phone call by then-President Donald Trump asking Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the state. The news from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat elected in November, comes after Raffensperger's office opened an administrative probe earlier this week into a complaint alleging Trump's call to the secretary of state violated Georgia law. Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller blasted the D.A.'s announcement, saying, "This is simply the Democrats’ latest attempt to score political points by continuing their witch hunt against President Trump, and everybody sees through it."
➤U.S. IMPOSING NEW SANCTIONS ON MYANMAR AFTER MILITARY COUP: The administration yesterday ordered new U.S. sanctions on Myanmar in the wake of the military coup there on February 1st during which national leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior politicians were arrested. President Biden said he's issuing an executive order that will prevent Myanmar’s generals from accessing $1 billion in assets in the U.S., and that there will be further action coming, stating, "The military must relinquish power it seized and demonstrate respect for the will of the people of Burma," using an alternate name for Myanmar. Large numbers of protesters against the coup turned out again in Myanmar yesterday, despite an increased use of force against them by security forces.
➤DAILY COFFEE LINKED TO LOWER RISK FOR HEART FAILURE: If you’re the type of person who drinks a cup of coffee each day, you may be in luck. University of Colorado researchers found that having one or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day might reduce the risk of heart failure. Penny Kris-Etherton, immediate past chairperson of the American Heart Association’s Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Council Leadership Committee commented on the findings, saying, “The bottom line: enjoy coffee in moderation as part of an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern that meets recommendations for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat/ nonfat dairy products, and that also is low in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars.”
➤DOCTORS: MILLENNIALS ARE IRREPARABLY DAMAGING THEIR LIVERS AS AMERICANS DRINK MORE ALCOHOL: Americans have spent a lot more time at home over the last 11 months, and in that time drinking rates and alcohol sales have both steadily climbed. Doctors are warning this is concerning, with some saying the consequences have already arrived as alcoholic liver disease is increasingly affecting people younger than age 40. Dr. Raymond Chung is a hepatologist at Harvard University, and says the trend “has been alarming for years,” but that the pandemic means “what we’re seeing now is truly dramatic.” Dr. Haripriya Maddur is a hepatologist at Northwestern Medicine, and she says young people are facing unique hardships, like trying to start a family, or find a job in a tough economy, she says, “They have mouths to feed and bills to pay, but no job, so they turn to booze as the last coping mechanism remaining.” One study found that alcohol consumption was up nearly 30 percent more during the pandemic, compared to a few months before.
"Mandalorian" actress Gina Carano dropped by Lucasfilm and talent agency after controversial tweets https://t.co/zhGeL5KuFG
➤'THE MANDALORIAN' ACTRESS DROPPED OVER POST: Actress Gina Carano, who was a regular on the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, was dropped by Lucasfilm yesterday as well as by her talent agency over an Instagram post the night before in which she compared violence against Jews in Nazi Germany to how conservatives are currently treated in the U.S. Carano had previously drawn fire for social media posts making fun of people for wearing face masks, mocking people who put their gender pronouns next to their name, and suggesting vote fraud change the outcome of the presidential election. Lucasfilm said in a statement, "Her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable." The Hollywood Reporter cited a source as saying Lucasfilm had, quote, "been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and today was the final straw." The report also said Carano was supposed to have been named in December as the star of a new Disney+ series, but those plans were derailed by her first controversial social media posts in November
🎾DEFENDING AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMP KENIN UPSET IN SECOND ROUND: Fourth-seeded Sofia Kenin was upset in the second round yesterday as the 22-year-old American tried to defend her Australian Open title. Kenin fell to 35-year-old veteran player Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Top-seeded Ash Barty won her second-round match against fellow Australian Daria Gavrilova, and other winners included second-seeded Simona Halep and Number 3 Naomi Osaka. On the men's side, fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas took five sets to beat 267th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Number 9 Matteo Berrettini and American Mackenzie McDonald also advanced.
🏀MAVERICKS TO RESUME PLAYING ANTHEM AFTER NBA REITERATES POLICY: One day after it was reported that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had stopped having the national anthem played before Mavericks home games this season, Cuban reversed course Wednesday after the NBA reiterated what it described as "longstanding" policy that the anthem be played before games. The NBA had initially said teams could handle pregame activities however they wanted to amid the unusual circumstances caused by the pandemic, but reversed course as Cuban's decision got national attention. The Mavericks released a statement from Cuban: "We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country. But we also loudly hear the voices of those who feel that the anthem does not represent them. We feel that their voices need to be respected and heard, because they have not been." Many NBA players kneeled during the anthem last season amid the racial justice protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing.
Tom Brady throws the Lombardi trophy from his new $2,000,000 boat to Cameron Brate during the Bucs’ Super Bowl parade...and it’s caught.
🏈BUCCANEERS CELEBRATE SUPER BOWL WIN WITH BOAT PARADE: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated Sunday's Super Bowl victory with a boat parade yesterday on the Hillsborough River near downtown Tampa. At one point during the parade, quarterback Tom Brady tossed the NFL's championship Lombardi Trophy to tight end Cameron Brate in another boat. In addition to watching from shore, dozens of people gathered in their own boats and other watercraft, but they were told to stay at least 50 feet from the players' boats.
🏒GOLDEN KNIGHT'S NOSEK POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS: The NHL said yesterday that Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Nosek had tested positive for the coronavirus and was in isolation. Vegas is still scheduled to play the Anaheim Ducks today, pending test results of players and staff on both teams. Meanwhile, Minnesota forward Victor Rask was added to the Covid-19 list, with the Wild now having 13 players on the list, due to either positive tests or contract tracing, and their games are postponed through at least Saturday.
⚾RED SOX SEND BENINTENDI TO ROYALS IN THREE-TEAM TRADE: The Boston Red Sox sent outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals in a three-team trade yesterday that also included the New York Mets. Boston traded Benintendi and an unspecified amount of cash to the Royals for outfielder Franchy Cordero and two players to be named later. Boston also received minor league Josh Winckowski and a player to be named later from the Mets, who got outfield prospect Khalil Lee from the Royals.
The National Association of Broadcasters has come out strongly against the idea of changing the FM booster rule to allow geo-targeting. It says such a change could undermine the very business model of U.S. radio.
The NAB filed comments to the Federal Communications Commission on the proposal from GeoBroadcast Solutions.
The Notice advances a Petition for Rulemaking, which has developed technology to enable FM radio broadcasters to use boosters to air geo-targeted content, independent of a broadcaster's primary signal, within different portions of a station's market (aka ZoneCasting). After a review of the Notice, NAB wrote it strongly opposes revising the booster rule.
NAB wrote that a close review of the Notice suggests that rather than bolster the industry's economic outlook, GBS's proposal would instead "undermine the industry's fundamental business model." "The vast majority of broadcasters -- from a wide array of perspectives -- agree that permitting program origination on boosters will almost certainly drive both advertising rates and revenues down even further as advertisers push to purchase geo-targeted ads," writes the trade group.
The outcome is unavoidable, given the obvious business incentives for advertisers to purchase spots that cherry-pick what they view to be their most desirable customersand at a lower cost.Further inspection also leads to the inevitable conclusion that broadcasterswill not be able to recoupsuch lossesthrough sales of any additional spot inventory that is created on boosters.
"Based on their considerable advertising expertise, most station owners predict that existing advertising customers will likely substitute, rather than supplement, market-wide ads with cheaper, geo-targeted ads. They also agree that potential sales of geo-targeted ads to new customers are purely speculative. Broadcasters do not by and large see pent-up demand by small businesses in their local markets that have not previously purchased advertising time, and even if such demand exists, it would not be economical to undertake the substantial investment to capture the additional business.
"Stations would be forced to hire and retrain sales staff and implement sophisticated systems for managing ad inventory and maximizing revenues. Revising the booster rule could therefore devastate radio net revenues, hampering stations'ability to serve listeners. Moreover, this proposal comes at a time when broadcasters are already reeling from the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and competing in a slowing advertising market against a growing array of digital outlets. It is far too risky at this point to introduce a new product that could further destabilize a critical industry," wrote NAB.
"Today's filing of comments marks the beginning of an active debate on innovation in the radio industry," said Robert Udowitz, a spokesperson for GeoBroadcast Solutions. "Some parties oppose new technologies and innovation, and that is a familiar story for those who have watched broadcast media evolve over the decades. However, a broad range of large and small stations and broadcast groups, the advertising community, and minority coalitions, have indicated their desire to embrace innovation and the future by using broadcast airwaves for a more personal and localized experience."
"The proposed rule change will enable those broadcasters who want to use technology to pursue radio geo-targeting, which we see as the entryway to a potential trove of economic improvement and business opportunities for each broadcaster. We recognize that some parties see only complexities and challenges with this new technology, but we see potential and the ability for the radio industry to finally join other media in the 21st Century to bring more targeted content and enable advertisers to reach specific audiences. The net result has great potential to promote localism and to improve the balance sheet of the industry and we are excited to work closely with the industry to address the benefits and concerns," added Udowitz.
iHeartMedia has named industry veteran Jeff Moore as its new Philadelphia market president. He replaces Nick Gnau who was promoted to a division president role last year.
The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Moore began his career at iHeart as a sales manager 10 years ago, most recently serving as the senior vice president of sales. He will be succeeded in that role by Chris Squire, who joined the company last August as station manager for iHM’s highest-rated station, urban adult contemporary formatted 105.3 WDAS-FM.
As market president, Moore, a 2001 Temple University graduate, will oversee programming, business and sales teams for iHM’s six terrestrial radio stations in Philadelphia as well as its digital properties. He will report to New York-based Scott Hopeck, division president for iHeartMedia.
Prior to joining iHM last year, Squire had been general sales manager at Townsquare Media in Trenton/Princeton and has spent more than 30 years in the radio business. He is a 1982 graduate of Loyola University in Chicago.
“It’s especially rewarding to find the best candidates for key leadership roles within your own division,” Hopeck said of Moore and Squire. “They’ve collaborated under the most difficult circumstances in 2020 and clearly demonstrated their creativity and resilience. I’m confident this duo will continue to lead our Philadelphia operation to new highs.”
Chris Squire
Gnau is based in Detroit and had been essentially serving as head of both the Detroit and Philadelphia markets since replacing the reassigned Richard Lewis in 2018. Lewis has since left the company.
When the pandemic hit, iHeart revealed that it planned to trim $250 million in costs. It told employees in late April that if they had not agreed already to take a 5% pay cut, they would be forced to take two weeks of unpaid leave.
In November, a workforce reduction hit Philadelphia, where layoffs included one of its most senior local executives and two disc jockeys. Brian Check, who had been with the company and predecessor Clear Channel in Philadelphia since 2002 and most recently served as vice president of programming for iHeart’s six-station Philadelphia cluster, was among those affected.
iHM’s chief Philly rivals, Naples, Florida-based Beasley Media Group and Philadelphia-based Entercom Communications Corp., also imposed austerity measures such as layoffs when the pandemic’s impact was first felt last spring.
In its Philadelphia cluster, iHM also operates adult contemporary station The Breeze 106.1 (WISX-FM); Top 40 station Q102 (WIOQ-FM); hip-hop and R&B station Power 99 (WUSL-FM); modern rock station Radio 104.5 (WRFF-FM); and The Gambler, a sports talk station the company launched last year. In August, iHM leased 610 ESPN (WTEL-AM) from Beasley and flipped the format to its Black Information Network.
FOX News Channel says it is giving a weeknight talk show this spring to its satirical personality Greg Gutfeld, in a further expansion of its opinion programming.
Gutfeld, who has been hosting a weekend show and is a panelist on “The Five,” brings a conservative voice to a late-night comic fraternity of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah that skews liberal.
Greg Gutfeld
His show will air at 11 p.m. Eastern and displaces Fox’s “News @ Night” program, which shifts to midnight. With the recent launch of an opinion show at 6 p.m., Fox is moving out two news-oriented hours that had surrounded its prime-time lineup.
“People need a reason to laugh,” said Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott. “Greg’s unique and irreverent talk show has been an incredible success, often beating the late-night broadcast competition, despite its Saturday time slot.”
Gutfeld said that he’s frequently been asked when his weekend show would go nightly, “so now that we are, there will be approximately 3 million people who will claim it’s their idea.”
He’s the author of an upcoming book, “The Joy of Hate, How to Triumph Over Whiners, Hurt Feelings and Spineless Liberals in the Age of Phony Outrage.”
The 56-year-old satirist joined Fox in 2007 after being a magazine editor at Men’s Health, Stuff and Maxim in the U.K.
Fox said Gutfeld will also continue on “The Five.”
Country singer Morgan Wallen issued a detailed apology late Wednesday, more than a week after video surfaced of him shouting a racial slur in Nashville that prompted swift backlash from the music industry, reports The Tennessean in Nashville.
In the five-minute video posted to YouTube, Wallen further apologized for his actions, describing what is depicted in the video as "hour 72 of 72 of a bender." He first issued a brief apology via TMZ — which published the video — last week.
"Obviously, the natural thing to do is to apologize further and just continue to apologize but because you got caught and that's not what I wanted to do," Wallen said. "I let so many people down. And [people] who mean a lot to me and give so much to me. And that's just not fair."
Since the video published, many in country radio shelved Wallen, streaming services pulled his music from promoted playlists, the ACM Awards withdrew him from eligibility and his label, Nashville's Big Loud, suspended his contract.
After the video ignited public backlash, Wallen said he took meetings with "some amazing Black organizations." Last week, performance rights organization BMI asked gospel legend BeBe Winans to discuss with Wallen the impact of his words; the Nashville NAACP reportedly invited Wallen to have a conversation.
He said he heard firsthand stories from Black leaders "that honestly shook me." He added that his experience this week "doesn't even compare to some of the trials I've heard about from them."
"Our actions matter, our words matter and I just wanna encourage anyone watching to please learn from my mistake," Wallen said.
And he asked followers who defended his actions to stop. The call comes after Wallen's songs continue to surged on iTunes and Billboard sales charts following his racial outburst.
Billboard reported that his new release "Dangerous: The Double Album" sold 25,000 copies during the week ending Feb. 4, an increase of 102%, according to MRC Data. Song downloads from the album also grew 67%. The record bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a fourth consecutive week.
