A Tarrant County, TX grand jury has indicted a former Dallas-Fort Worth radio host in connection with the reported sexual assault of a girl at a New Year’s Eve party at his home after he had given her an alcoholic drink.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports jurors returned the indictment on Tuesday against 48-year-old Justin Barrett Frazell on a charge of aggravated sexual assault. A trial is pending in the case.
Frazell, a longtime radio personality at Fort Worth’s KFWR 95.9 The Ranch, was arrested in March on the charge and he’s been free on $25,000 bond.
Following his arrest, Frazell, a morning radio host, was fired, according to a statement released by the radio station. In April, he was arrested again in Denton County on a charge of indecent assault, a misdemeanor. He was released on $2,500 bail, jail records show.
A warrant written by Mansfield Detective S. Peacock gave this brief account of the allegations: Several people were at Frazell’s Mansfield home on New Year’s Eve for the celebration. Adults were there along with teens who were allowed to drink, according to the warrant. Children also were at the home.
The teens were hanging out in a bedroom when one of them was left alone in one of the rooms. That girl began to FaceTime with a friend, which lasted for hours. Her parents left the party, but she was allowed to stay overnight. At some point, Frazell entered the room, gave her a drink and said, “This is between us. Don’t say I never do anything for you,” according to the warrant.
She drank a little of the Whiteclaw (an alcoholic seltzer). She fell asleep, but the girl told Mansfield police Frazell pulled off the blankets and committed sex acts on her without her consent, the warrant states. Frazell stopped when he heard a child at a bathroom.
Frazell went to the door and told the child that he was in the bedroom checking on the girl. He then left the bedroom, and the girl began texting relatives at about 5 a.m. on Jan. 1, trying to reach someone to come get her from the home. She reached a relative, and the girl started crying. Someone in the home heard her and Frazell came back to the room, checking on her.
In the Denton County case, a woman told a deputy that she was at the Lucky Spur Ranch Retreat in Justin for an event which was being hosted by Frazell, according to the Dallas Morning News. Her statement was in a warrant. The woman said that after the event ended, she was lying on top of the covers in her bedroom, with her date asleep next to her, when Frazell — wearing a T-shirt and underwear — walked into the room and began fondling her. Frazell later left when she began to wake up her date.
His next court date is Dec. 8 in the Denton case, according to court records.
Universal Music Group, the world’s largest record label, which reps the likes of Taylor Swift, BTS, Kanye West and Billie Eilish, is in advance talks to scoop up Sting’s song catalog for upwards of $250 million, Variety reported this week.
Meanwhile, Warner Music Group, home to artists such as Cardi B, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, is in talks with Bowie’s estate to acquire the late music icon’s songwriting catalog, according to a report from the Financial Times.
The company is raising $535 million in debt to support the potential deal, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.
The deals are part of a long string of established artists selling their songbooks to big-pocketed investors or music labels. They’re also fueled by streaming, which offers the possibility of more lucrative royalties as customers flock to services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Sting’s song catalog could fetch upwards of $250 million, according to The NY Post.
Sting’s music, which includes hits like “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle” and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” may remain with Sony Music Publishing. But the potential deal is part of a larger push of music labels to shell out big bucks for the master rights of legendary musicians’ work.
David Bowie’s master recordings, which includes “Space Oddity,” “Life on Mars?” and “Rebel Rebel” could bring in over $500 million.
Case in point: Bob Dylan sold his massive 600-song catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group for a reported $300 million to $400 million in December 2020. Around the same time, Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks sold 80 percent of her rights to her own songwriting catalog, including hits like “Landslide” and “Edge of Seventeen,” to music publisher Primary Wave for a reported $100 million.
A month later, Neil Young sold half the rights to his song catalog to UK publishing house, Hipgnosis Song Fund, including “Heart of Gold,” “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Cinnamon Girl.” The deal was estimated to be worth $150 million.
In April of this year, Paul Simon sold his catalog, which includes hit songs such as “The Sound of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson,” for a reported $250 million to Sony Music.
And the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, which buys hit catalogs and then gives investors the chance to make money from the royalties, also spent about $670 million from March 2020 to September 2020 alone on acquiring the rights to more than 44,000 songs by Blondie, Enrique Iglesias, Barry Manilow and Timbaland, and others.
NBC has achieved one of its major objectives over the past year, retaining U.S. rights to broadcast the Premier League for another six years.
The associated Press reports the Premier League announced the deal on Thursday. NBC will pay more than $2.7 billion to continue showing the world’s richest soccer competition. A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press it almost triples the value of the U.S. English- and Spanish-language broadcast rights.
The person divulging the financial figure spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the terms were confidential.
NBC won the rights to England’s top league in October, 2012, for $250 million over three years. When the new deal kicks in next season, it will average $450 million per season.
The previous six-year deal, which began in 2016, was worth $1.1 billion, an average of $183.3 million per season.
“Certainly the value and price has gone up that is because the property is incredibly valuable in the U.S.,” NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said during a conference call. “We had a range that we were comfortable with. We know this will continue to be a success for our company.”
Interest in the Premier League has grown significantly since NBC first gained the rights from Fox for the 2013-14 season. Matches are averaging 609,000 viewers this season, its highest average through this point since 2015-16 and up 14% from last year.
Premier League matches average 220,000 during the 2012-13 season on Fox and ESPN, which broadcast under a sublicense from Fox.
➦In 1919...Radio, TV Personality Alan Young was born in England.
He moved to Vancouver at 6, and had his own CBC Radio show by the age of 17. He got a big break when he was hired as the 1944 summer replacement for Eddie Cantor’s NBC radio show.
He hit the big time in TV as co-star to the talking horse on the Mr. Ed series. He also has done voices for many cartoon characters, notably Scrooge McDuck. Happy 96th Birthday, Mr. Young!
➦In 1933…Radio, TV talk show host, Larry King was born Larry Zeiger in Brooklyn. (Died January 23, 2021)
Larry King
King got his first job in radio in 1957, when the manager of a small station, WAHR (now WMBM 1490 AM) in Miami Beach, hired him to clean up and perform miscellaneous tasks. When one of their announcers quit, they put King on the air. His first broadcast was on May 1, 1957, when he worked as the disc jockey from 9 a.m. to noon. He also did two afternoon newscasts and a sportscast. He was paid $55 a week.
He acquired the name Larry King when the general manager Marshall Simmonds said that his real last name Zeiger was too ethnic and difficult to remember, so Larry chose the surname King, which he got from an ad in The Miami Herald for King's Wholesale Liquor, minutes before air.
He started doing interviews on a mid-morning show for WIOD 610 AM, at Pumpernik's Restaurant in Miami Beach. He would interview anyone who walked in. His first interview was with a waiter at the restaurant. Two days later, singer Bobby Darin, in Miami for a concert later that day, walked into Pumpernik's as a result of coming across King's show on his radio; Darin became King's first celebrity interview guest.
Circa 1960
His Miami radio show launched him to local stardom. A few years later, in May 1960, he hosted Miami Undercover, airing Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. on WPST-TV Channel 10 (now WPLG). On the show, he moderated debates on important issues of the time.
King credits his success on local television to the assistance of comedian Jackie Gleason, whose national TV variety show was being taped in Miami Beach during this period. "That show really took off because Gleason came to Miami," King said in a 1996 interview he gave when inducted into the Broadcasters' Hall of Fame. "He did that show and stayed all night with me. We stayed till five in the morning. He didn't like the set, so we broke into the general manager's office and changed the set. Gleason changed the set, he changed the lighting, and he became like a mentor of mine."
In 1978, King went national, inheriting the nightly talk show slot on the Mutual Broadcasting System, broadcast coast-to-coast, that had been "Long John" Nebel's until his death, and had been pioneered by Herb Jepko. King's Mutual show developed a devoted audience.
It was aired live Monday through Friday from midnight to 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time. King would interview a guest for the first 90 minutes, with callers asking questions that continued the interview for another 90 minutes. At 3 a.m., he would allow callers to discuss any topic they pleased with him, until the end of the program, when he expressed his own political opinions. That segment was called Open Phone America.
The show was successful, starting with relatively few affiliates and eventually growing to more than 500. It ran until 1994.
For its final year, the show was moved to afternoons. The afternoon show was eventually given to David Brenner and radio affiliates were given the option of carrying the audio of King's new CNN evening television program. The Westwood One radio simulcast of the CNN show continued until December 31, 2009.
➦In 1954…The First practical transistor pocket radio, the Regency TR-1 went on sale.
Earlier in the year, Texas Instruments was looking for an established radio manufacturer to develop and market a radio using their transistors. No major radio maker, including RCA, Philco, and Emerson, was interested. The President of I.D.E.A. at the time, Ed Tudor, jumped at the opportunity to manufacture the TR-1, predicting sales of the transistor radios would be "20 million radios in three years.
One year after the TR-1 release, sales approached 100,000 units. The look and size of the TR-1 were well received, but reviews of its performance were typically adverse.
The Regency TR-1 circuitry was refined from the Texas Instruments drawings, reducing the number of parts, including two expensive transistors. Though this severely reduced the audio output volume, it let I.D.E.A. sell the radio for only a small profit. The initial TR-1 retail price was $49.95 (roughly $443 in year-2016 dollars) and it sold about 150,000 units.
The TR-1 uses Texas Instruments' NPN transistors, hand-picked in sets of four. A 22.5 volt battery provided power. The current drain from this battery allowed 20 to 30 hours of operation.
While the radio was praised for novelty and small size, the sensitivity and sound quality were behind the tube-based competitors. A review in Consumer Reports mentions the high level of noise and instability on certain radio frequencies, recommending against the purchase.
➦In 1957…The local chapter of the Elvis Presley fan club picketed Chicago radio station WCFL 1000 AM (now Sports WMVP) after it banned Presley's records (before the station flipped to Top 40). The station didn’t overturn its no-Elvis policy until almost a decade later.
➦In 1971…Sportscaster Bill Stern died at age 64 (Born - July 1, 1907). In 1984, Stern was part of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame's inaugural class which included sportscasting legends Red Barber, Don Dunphy, Ted Husing and Graham McNamee. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame (1988) and has a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Bill Stern's Sports newsreel was a show about the way Bill Stern broadcast baseball games from 1937 to 1956. Stern made famous the dramatic pause, the over emotional call and exaggerated words.
Bill Stern
Stern began doing radio play-by-play commentary in 1925, when he was hired by a Rochester station, WHAM, to cover football games. Shortly after that, he enrolled at Pennsylvania Military College, graduating in 1930.
NBC hired him in 1937 to host The Colgate Sports Newsreel as well as Friday night boxing on radio. Stern was also one of the first TV boxing commentators.
He broadcast the first televised sporting event, the second game of a baseball doubleheader between Princeton and Columbia at Columbia's Baker Field on May 17, 1939. On September 30, he called the first televised football game.
According to the book Sports on New York Radio by sportscaster and Westwood One executive David J. Halberstam, Stern's remarkable career flourished despite a physical handicap. In 1935, on his way home from a football game in Texas, the car Stern was in got into an accident, injuring him severely enough that his left leg had to be amputated just above the knee.
Some observers consider Stern's style a blueprint in the 1940s for the style of Paul Harvey, ABC Entertainment Network commentator, who adapted both Stern's newscasting (transforming his Reel One to 'Page One') and his stories about the famous and odd (to Rest Of The Story), although Stern made no effort to authenticate his stories and, in later years, introduced that segment of his show by saying that they "might be actual, may be mythical, but definitely interesting." Harvey, on the other hand, said he told only stories he had authenticated in some way.
After many years with NBC he switched to ABC, where he lasted until 1956. After retiring from television broadcasting, Stern did radio sports reports and commentaries for the Mutual Broadcasting System in the late 1950s and 1960s.
➦In 1980…the "Sunday Morning Oldies Show" with Roger Ashby debuted on CHUM 1050 AM in Toronto.
Dick Cavett is 85
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
Talk show host Dick Cavett is 85.
Media mogul Ted Turner is 83.
Fashion designer Calvin Klein is 79.
Sportscaster Ahmad Rashad is 72.
Actor Robert Beltran (“Big Love,” ″Star Trek: Voyager”) is 68.
Actor Kathleen Quinlan is 67.
Actor Glynnis O’Connor is 66.
Journalist Ann Curry is 65.
Actor Allison Janney (“Mom,” “The West Wing”) is 62.
Drummer Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver (and Guns N’ Roses) is 61.
Actor Meg Ryan is 60.
Actor Jodie Foster is 59
Actor Terry Farrell (“Becker”) is 58.
Actor Erika Alexander (“Living Single,” “The Cosby Show”) is 52.
Drummer Travis McNabb (Better Than Ezra) is 52.
Singer Tony Rich is 50.
Singer Jason Albert of Heartland is 48.
Country singer Billy Currington is 48.
Dancer-choreographer Savion Glover is 48.
Singer Tamika Scott of Xscape is 46.
Rapper Lil’ Mo is 44.
Actor Reid Scott (“Veep,” “My Boys”) is 44.
Director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) is 42.
Guitarist Browan Lollar of St. Paul and the Broken Bones is 39.
TuneIn, the world’s leading live streaming audio service, today announced the addition of a commercial-free version of ESPN Radio to TuneIn Premium, providing sports fans with a one-stop destination for the most in-depth sports news coverage.
TuneIn Premium is now the place for sports fans around the world to listen to a full day’s lineup of ESPN Radio programs like “Keyshawn, JWill and Max” and “Greeny’' with no breaks in between. This partnership adds to TuneIn’s impressive Premium lineup of commercial-free stations which includes MSNBC, CNN, Fox News Radio, and more. Users will be able to engage with ESPN Radio shows live and on-demand regardless of their physical location so they can keep up to date with all the latest sports news. Current TuneIn Premium subscribers can access the new commercial-free ESPN Radio immediately. Access to the existing ad-supported ESPN Radio remains available to non-subscribers.
“Every day, millions of people around the world trust ESPN to provide them with the latest and greatest in sports coverage and commentary,” said Richard Stern, CEO of TuneIn. “Now more than ever TuneIn is committed to meeting our listeners' demand for timely and uninterrupted sports talk. As longtime partners with ESPN, we are incredibly excited to bring ESPN Radio Commercial-Free to TuneIn Premium, and give our listeners even more sports to consume.”
The audio destination for 80 million monthly active users globally, TuneIn continues to dominate the audio news space with the exclusive availability of top news networks. Globally, TuneIn can be accessed in 100+ countries and can be found across 200 different major platforms and devices. TuneIn partnerships in the voice assistant space include Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby and Cortana, as well as key integrations with Sonos, Bose and Tesla.
On January 3, WGN 720 AM will debut a new weekday programming schedule. The station has also hired longtime radio personality Lisa Dent, who will be heard weekday afternoons.
“Lisa Dent has long been a significant and well-known presence in Chicago radio,” said WGN Radio Vice President and General Manager Mary Sandberg Boyle. “Her vibrant personality and warmth, understanding of the city and an ability to authentically connect on a personal level with listeners makes her a natural fit for afternoon drive on WGN as we embark on our 100th year of being the voice of Chicagoland.”
A native of Rockford, Lisa Dent began her radio career in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin in 1981. She has worked at stations in Minneapolis, San Diego, Seattle, and Houston. Dent returned to Chicago in 2002 and previously hosted at country music stations WUSN 99.5, US99, and Big 95.5. Lisa Dent was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. Dent has been heard as a fill-in host on WGN Radio since January.
Veteran Chicago journalist and Northwestern alumna Anna Davlantes will assume the role of investigative correspondent with special reporting, covering news stories in-depth. Davlantes will continue to be heard frequently across the station’s dayparts.
“Anna Davlantes’ impeccable resume includes decades of award-winning investigative reporting. Few rival Anna’s commitment to serving the public in anticipating, exposing, and breaking important stories,” said Sandberg Boyle. “We are fortunate to have her expertise at WGN Radio.”
A breakup of Liberty Media and the fate of its three tracking stocks are major issues that the company will likely address at its annual investor day on Thursday in New York, reports Barron's.
Liberty Media, controlled by media and cable TV magnate John Malone, is the only major company whose assets are attributed to three tracking stocks.
They are Liberty SiriusXM Group which holds an 80% stake in Sirius XM Holdings (SIRI) and a 32% interest in Live Nation Entertainment (LYV); Liberty Formula One Group, which holds the Formula One racing business, and Liberty Braves Group, the holder of the Atlanta Braves baseball team.
A recent transaction involving Liberty and Berkshire Hathaway may give Liberty more financial and structural flexibility. That could be bullish for Liberty SiriusXM Group, which trades at an estimated 25% discount to the value of its assets, and the two other trackers.
Investors aren’t crazy about tracking stocks since they don’t offer direct ownership of the underlying assets. For years, however, Liberty has been paralyzed to change that, because its only actively traded business, or ATB, has been the Braves. This has prevented spinoffs since both the surviving company and the spinoff need to be ATBs.
That is changing. Formula One will become an ATB in early 2022 on the fifth anniversary of its purchase by Liberty. The Berkshire deal, in which Liberty swapped its Liberty SiriusXM tracking stock for shares in Sirius XM, put Liberty’s ownership of Sirius above the 80% threshold.
That is important because Liberty can now consolidate Sirius’s financial results and receive dividends tax-free from Sirius. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said on the company’s recent conference call that Liberty believes that the Sirius stake now constitutes an ATB given the way the Berkshire deal was structured.
Investors likely will get a better idea about all these issues Thursday.
President Joe Biden's pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, Jessica Rosenworcel, told senators on Wednesday she backed landmark net neutrality rules, but offered few details on how she might move to reverse their 2017 rollback, reports Reuters.
Late last month, Biden nominated Rosenworcel for a new term on the five-member commission and designated her chair. Biden also nominated Gigi Sohn, a former senior aide to Tom Wheeler who served as an FCC chairman under President Barack Obama, to an open seat.
Biden waited more than nine months to make nominations for the FCC, which has not been able to address some key issues because it currently has one vacancy and is split 2-2 between Democrats and Republicans.
The FCC under Obama, Donald Trump's predecessor, adopted net neutrality rules in 2015 barring internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic, or offering paid fast lanes.
"I continue to support it," Rosenworcel told the Senate Commerce Committee at her confirmation hearing. "The impact of the rollback in 2017 is broader than just net neutrality because it took the FCC away from oversight of broadband. ... We need some oversight because it's become such an essential service for day-to-day life."
Rosenworcel declined to endorse Republican Senator John Thune's suggestion that the FCC go to Congress before pursuing reinstatement of the 2015 rules. "I believe (the FCC) inherently has the authority," she told him.
She said the FCC would have to open a traditional rulemaking process and hear public comment before voting to reinstate them.
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell told reporters she would likely hold a hearing on Sohn's nomination and a committee vote on Rosenworcel's nominationon Dec. 1.
"Now more than ever, Americans actually need net neutrality," Democratic Senator Ed Markey said.
Without being confirmed to a new term, Rosenworcel would need to leave the FCC next month.
US retail media ad spend will hit $31.49 billion in 2021, up 53.4% over 2020. By 2023, this figure will pass $50 billion, with the vast majority of retail media ad spend coming from ecommerce channels, according to eMarketer.
Dive deeper: Ecommerce channel ad spend will account for 89.7% of total retail media spend in 2021. That figure will shrink to 86.3% in 2023 as retail media networks become a high-growth opportunity.
Ecommerce retailers are looking to shift to monetizing off-site advertising, both on other parts of the internet and on connected TV devices.
Amazon is a leading indicator of this trend, while other retailers like Walmart, Etsy, and eBay are newly venturing toward off-site advertising. Given that this form of revenue is new for these companies, it'll take time for them to build up these businesses to complement their on-site advertising.
Looking ahead: Retail media advertising will continue to be one of the fastest-growing segments of US digital advertising through 2023, with growth continuing in the double digits. Retail media will also increase as a share of total US digital ad spend, hitting 19.3% in 2023.
iHeartMedia has pledged to only play Taylor Swift's new version of her songs, labeled "Taylor's Version," as she continues to re-record her first six albums.
FoxBusiness reports iHeartMedia confirmed radio stations across the country will replace all of "Taylor's previous albums with the 'Taylor's Version' of each of them as Taylor releases each project, and will play only 'Taylor's Version' of her songs on the air."
"Whenever Taylor re-records a new track, we immediately replace the old versions. Our stations will always deliver songs that artists are eager to share and fans want to hear," said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia.
"Listeners have made it known that they cannot wait to hear ‘Taylor’s Version’ of each track. We are thrilled to provide a platform to share those with them, as well as the stories behind the songs from Taylor herself."
On Friday, Swift debuted her expanded and re-recorded album "Red (Taylor's Version)," which includes a 10-minute extended version of "All Too Well."
"Red" is a classic Swift album, with the original 2012 release featuring hits like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "22."
Swift has been re-recording her first six albums because her original masters were sold by her prior label and she wanted to create new masters that she could own herself.
"Red (Taylor’s Version)" was released with an expanded 30 total songs, including duets with Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton, and Phoebe Bridgers.
"I’m getting to look back on this music and just see music and see art and see experiences I’ve had in concerts," Swift told the AP of re-recording her music. "It was mine and now it’s really shared between me and the fans and that’s what I have really taken away from this experience." She previously rereleased "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" in April 2021.
In fall 2019, Swift revealed that Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings owned her master recordings. It was announced in June that he acquired Big Machine Label Group, the label led by Scott Borchetta and home to Swift's first six albums. Braun reportedly paid $300 million for the label.
Braun, who manages Grammy winners including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and Tori Kelly, wrote a lengthy post on social media that he's made calls to have an open discussion with Swift and squash their differences, but said he's been rejected. However, the singer said she hasn't heard a word from him.
Futuri, an industry provider of AI-driven audience engagement and sales intelligence solutions for broadcasters and publishers, has announced the launch of TopicPulse SportsEdge, a version of its real-time, AI-powered story discovery and social content system customized for eSports, betting, VR, and fantasy content.
TopicPulse SportsEdge is designed to assist brands and content creators by providing 24/7 access to insights on stories and topics from the eSports, betting, VR and fantasy sports worlds. The data will help broadcasters understand what audiences are interested in, and which content is gaining or losing traction. It’s an evolution of Futuri’s TopicPulse system which is currently used by thousands of radio and TV content creators nationwide.
TopicPulse SportsEdge offers a content compass for articles, video script content, social posts, and even marketing decisions. Its IdeaStarters™ content provides pre-written copy points on the day’s top stories for use in blogs, social posts, and on-air copy. Its companion Instant Video product delivers dozens of fully licensed short videos daily that can be easily branded, customized, and used on websites, apps, and social platforms.
Futuri’s recent study The Future of Audience and Revenue 2021, done in partnership with research firm SmithGeiger, shared a number of interesting insights on growth opportunities in sports, eSports, and sports betting content. More than 2,000 U.S. consumers were surveyed as part of the study:
“The eSports market is predicted to grow to $3 billion by 2023, and sports betting advertising is one of the fastest-growing revenue streams for broadcasters,” said Futuri CEO Daniel Anstandig. “Given the explosive growth of this space, TopicPulse SportsEdge is right in line with Futuri’s mission to help media companies grow their content, grow their audience, and grow their revenue.”
President Biden will be meeting at the White House today with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a return of the North America Leaders Summit. It will be the first trilateral meeting of the three North American leaders since 2016, returning to a tradition that began in 2005, after the summits didn't take place under former President Donald Trump. The three will discuss issues including trade, immigration and climate change, including disputes among them on those and other matters.
US President Joe Biden to host leaders of Canada and Mexico at White House for first North American Leaders' Summit since 2016https://t.co/RmLSaHfNLR
➤RITTENHOUSE JURORS DELIBERATE FOR ANOTHER DAY, DEFENSE MAKES NEW MISTRIAL REQUEST: Jurors in Kyle Rittenhouse's Wisconsin murder trial deliberated for a second day on Wednesday, and made a request to re-watch video from the trial that led the defense to make a new request for a mistrial. The issue was drone video shown by prosecutors during closing arguments in an effort to challenge Rittenhouse's claim of self-defense and portray him as the instigator of the violence that led him to shoot three people, two of them fatally, in Kenosha in August 2020 during protests after a police shooting of a Black man named Jacob Blake. In asking for a mistrial, the defense contended they got a smaller compressed version of the video and didn't get the higher-quality version used by the prosecution until the evidence part of the trial was over, and that they would have approached things differently if they had it earlier. The judge didn't immediately rule on the mistrial request. Jurors will be back for more deliberations today.
➤McMICHAEL, WHO FATALLY SHOT ARBERY, TESTIFIES IN HIS MURDER TRIAL: Travis McMichael, who fatally shot Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020 after chasing him as the 25-year-old Black man ran through McMichael's Georgia neighborhood, testified in his murder trial yesterday, saying he made a, quote, "life or death" decision to fire because Arbery attacked him and grabbed his shotgun. McMichael, who like the two other defendants is white, claims he fired in self-defense.
Also on trial with the 35-year-old McMichael is his father, Greg McMichael, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan. McMichael said there'd been break-ins in their Santilla Shores neighborhood, and that security cameras had shown Arbery inside a house a man was building five doors down four nights and on the day he was killed. He said that on that day, his father said he'd seen him run past the house, so they got weapons and chased him in their pickup truck. Bryan eventually joined the chase in his pickup, and he recorded the shooting on his cellphone. McMichael had stopped and gotten out of the truck and he testified he pointed his gun at Arbery to get him to back off, and Arbery ran around the passenger side and attacked him. McMichael fired three times, and Arbery was hit twice.
➤JANUARY 6TH CAPITOL RIOTER WITH HORNS, SPEAR SENTENCED TO 41 MONTHS IN PRISON: The January 6th rioter who was seen wearing a horned hat and face paint and carrying a spear, making him one of the more recognizable people from the attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced to 41 months in prison yesterday. Jacob Chansley had pled guilty to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding, and before sentencing yesterday, he told the judge his actions were wrong and he accepts responsibility for them, saying, "I have no excuse. . . . My behavior is indefensible." Chansley has already been in jail for 10 months. His attorney said he has longstanding mental health problems and needs mental health treatment.
➤HOUSE CENSURES REP. GOSAR OVER VIOLENT VIDEO TARGETING AOC: The House voted yesterday to censure Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona over an anime-style video he tweeted that depicted him killing Democatic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword, the first member of Congress censured since 2010. The 223-207 vote was almost entirely along party lines, with Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger the only Republicans to vote for censure. The vote also removed Gosar from his House committee assignments. Democrats said the video was a threat to a fellow member of Congress' life that wouldn't be tolerated in any other workplace, but Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the censure an "abuse of power" by the Democrats. Gosar denied the video was dangerous or threatening, saying, "I do not espouse violence toward anyone." He'd deleted the tweeted video days ago, but retweeted it soon after yesterday's vote. Ocasio-Cortez spoke during the proceeding, not only condemning the tweet from Gosar, who she said hadn't apologized, but also McCarthy for not condemning Gosar. She said, "What is so hard about saying this is wrong? This is not about me. This is not about Representative Gosar. But this is about what we are willing to accept."
JUST IN: House votes to censure Rep. Gosar after he posted an animated video that depicted him killing Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and attacking President Biden. https://t.co/XMVUZB1p5tpic.twitter.com/fhDGs7nIkb
➤100,000 AMERICANS DIED OF OVERDOSES IN ONE YEAR FOR FIRST TIME: An estimated just over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year for the first time, from May 2020 to April 2021, according to new data out yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdose deaths, which have been rising for more than 20 years, sped up in the past two years, including a spike of nearly 30 percent in the latest year. Health officials blame the pandemic leaving many drug users socially isolated and unable to get treatment or other support, and a more dangerous drug supply due to fentanyl, which dealers mix with other drugs. The number of U.S. deaths from drug overdoses is now close to that for diabetes, the nation's Number 7 cause of death.
➤APPLE TO LET CUSTOMERS FIX THEIR PHONES: Apple will finally let customers fix their phones and other devices, announcing yesterday that it will provide instructions on home repairs, and start selling more than 200 parts and the necessary tools. The program, which Apple is calling "Self Service Repair," will begin early next year in the U.S. with the iPhone 12 and 13. Owners will be able to replace the phone's display, battery and camera. Customers have until now had to take their devices to an Apple store or third-party store, and Apple in fact is saying most people should still do so, with this program intended for, quote, "individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices."
➤BIG RETAILERS SAYS THEY'RE STOCKED FOR CHRISTMAS: You might not have to worry so much after all about the warnings to get your Christmas shopping done early because of product shortages due to the supply chain backlog. Big retailers are saying that they planned ahead and did what they needed to be ready and have enough stock for the holidays, the most important time of the year for them. Among them: Target reported yesterday (November 17th) that its inventory at the end of the third quarter was strong, at 17.6 percent higher than last year; Walmart's inventory was up 11.5 percent in the third quarter over last year; and the CEO of TJX, which owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, said it's in, quote, "an excellent inventory position, with most of the product needed for the holiday season either on hand or scheduled to arrive at our stores and online in time for the holidays."
➤NEW ‘POCKETING’ DATING TREND: PEOPLE REFUSE TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR PARTNER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: There’s a new dating term to learn– “Pocketing.” It’s when a new partner is actively avoiding acknowledging your existence online and is going out of their way to avoid introducing you to any of their friends and family. Relationship expert at eHarmony Rachel Lloyd says the behavior doesn’t necessarily mean the person is cheating, but says those who do it often want to reap the benefits of a relationship while also living a “single life online.” Signs you’re being “pocketed” could include your partner never replying to your social media comments, removing your tagged pictures from their profile and never adding your tagged stories to their account. Elaine Parker, dating expert and CEO of Safer Date says this behavior can also be a sign of a controlling partner who is “insecure or jealous” about their other half. The experts say if you think you’re being “pocketed” you should have an open and honest conversation with your partner about how you’re feeling, and if they do not open up, or get defensive, it might be time to re-evaluate the relationship.
➤BIDEN LEANING TOWARD BOYCOTT OF BEIJIN OLYMPICS: President Biden is leaning toward a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics next February over China's human rights abuses, particularly towards its Uyghur Muslim minority, with CNN reporting yesterday (November 17th) that all discussions have been leaning that way, citing a senior administration official, after The Washington Post first reported the development. Lawmakers from both parties have been calling for a diplomatic boycott, meaning no U.S. government delegation, including Biden, would attend. Some Republicans have even called for a full boycott, meaning no U.S. athletes would participate in the Beijing Games, but CNN cited the official as saying that's unlikely. The Beijing Olympics will begin on February 4th and run through February 20th.
🏀SUNS WIN 10TH STRAIGHT, 105-98 OVER MAVERICKS: The Phoenix Suns notched their 10th win in a row last night with a 105-98 win at home over the Dallas Mavericks. Devin Booker led the Suns with 24 points and Deandre Ayton had 19. Dallas was playing its first game this season with star Luka Doncic, who sprained his knee and ankle against the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
⚾TORONTO'S RAY, BREWERS' BURNES WIN CY YOUNG: Pitchers Robbie Ray of the Toronto Blue Jays and Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers won the Cy Young Award yesterday in voting by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Ray in the American League and Burners in the National League. Burnes led the majors with a 2.43 ERA and Ray was the best in the AL with a 2.84 ERA.
⚾VERLANDER STAYING WITH HOUSTON WITH ONE-YEAR, $25 MILLION DEAL: Pitcher Justin Verlander has reached a $25 million one-year deal to stay with the Houston Astros, according to media reports yesterday. The 38-year-old will be coming back from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of the 2021 season. The two-time Cy Young winner and 2011 American League MVP also only made one start in the Covid-shortened 2020 season because of his arm troubles before having the surgery.
➤RUGGS ORDERED FOR COURT APPEARANCE AFTER MISSING ALCOHOL TEST: Former Las Vegas Raiders receiver Henry Ruggs III was ordered by a judge yesterday to appear before her on Monday after he missed a required alcohol test. Ruggs is on house arrest after a fatal November 2nd crash in Las Vegas that killed one person in which he was allegedly driving up to 156 miles per hour while drunk, with a blood alcohol level twice the Nevada limit. The Raiders dropped Ruggs hours after the crash. The 22-year-old's attorneys told the judge he "self-tested" negative soon after missing one of the calls for a breath test last week, and blamed the delay on trouble with testing equipment. Ruggs must undergo alcohol checks four times a day.
🦃THANKSGIVING WEATHER COULD BE IMPACTED BY ‘SIGNIFICANT’ STORM, FORECASTERS WARN: Thanksgiving (November 25th) is looking like it will be stormy in the Northeast and Midwest. Forecasters from the National Weather Service (NWS) predict a “large-scale” weather pattern will extend into midweek. The NWS says a cold front will sweep across the Midwest into the Northeast on Sunday to Monday (November 21st & 22nd), with rain expected across much of the eastern US. Forecasters say some snow is expected as colder air arrives behind the storm, and gusty winds will develop in the wake of the storm exiting New England, but they should not have a dramatic impact on air travel. The West and parts of the High Plains will see “variable but generally above normal temperatures through Tuesday (November 23rd)." But even minor weather issues could mean more traffic, as the AAA predicts more than 53 million people will travel for Thanksgiving this year, up 13 percent since 2020.
Murdoch says Trump should stop focusing ‘on the past’ in rare rebuke
Rupert Murdoch renewed his attacks on Google and Facebook during News Corp’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, accusing the tech giants of trying to silence conservative voices and calling for "significant reform," reports Reuters.
The Silicon Valley companies are favorite targets for Murdoch, 90, who for years has criticized Google for taking the publisher's news articles without compensation and Facebook with failing to adequately reward publishers. The public flogging continued, despite News Corp winning concessions from both companies, which earlier this year agreed to pay for the publisher’s content in Australia. read more
"For many years our company has been leading the global debate about Big Digital," said Murdoch.
"What we have seen in the past few weeks about the practices at Facebook and Google surely reinforces the need for significant reform."
Rupert Murdoch
Murdoch accused Facebook’s employees of trying to silence conservative voices, and noted "a similar pattern of selectivity" in Google’s search results. But according to data from Facebook-owned analytics firm CrowdTangle, posts from conservative personalities such as Dan Bongino and Ben Shapiro routinely rank among the most popular on the platform.
Further, the media mogul cited a lawsuit, filed last year by 10 state attorneys general, accusing Google of monopolizing the digital ad market and allegedly working with Facebook to manipulate online auctions where advertisers buy and sell ad space. read more
"Let us be very clear about the consequences of that digital ad market manipulation," said Murdoch. "Obviously, publishers have been materially damaged, but companies have also been overcharged for their advertising, and consumers have thus paid too much for products."
Murdoch called for algorithmic transparency -- echoing debate in Congress in the wake of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s disclosures about the social network’s business practices.
"The idea falsely promoted by the platforms that algorithms are somehow objective and solely scientific is complete nonsense," Murdoch asserted. "Algorithms are subjective and they can be manipulated by people to kill competition, damage other people, publishers and businesses."
Murdoch also called on former U.S. President Trump, who published an Oct. 27 letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal repeating the false claim that the 2021 presidential election was rigged, to move beyond the past in the service of American conservatives.
"The past is the past and the country is now in a contest to define the future," Murdoch said.
Murdoch has made few public comments about Trump, whose presidency was championed by most of Fox’s biggest commentators. Since his defeat Trump has continued to push unfounded conspiracy theories that the election was “stolen” by Joe Biden, who beat Trump by a margin of more than 7m votes.
Until now the 90-year-old media mogul has publicly stayed out of the fray and not commented on the election.
Trump has had a testy relationship with Fox claiming, without evidence, that its ratings had “completely collapsed” after the news channel made an early call for Biden’s victory in the last election. He has forged closer ties with Fox’s much smaller rivals OAN and Newsmax but has lost much of his online media presence after being banned by Twitter and Facebook.
iHeartMedia's Rock WMMS 100.7 FM Cleveland has signed a contract extension for "Rover's Morning Glory."
The multi-year deal for Shane "Rover" French includes the continuation of his syndicated morning show and development of additional audio and video content for iHeartMedia and Rover's own company, via RMG TV. "Rover's Morning Glory" will continue to air weekday mornings on WMMS.
"Rover is a once-in-a-generation talent who, fourteen years ago, saved the legendary Buzzard from extinction and began what will be the most successful run in the mornings at 100.7 WMMS, which is saying a lot," said iHeartMedia Cleveland President Keith Hotchkiss. "His influence reaches far beyond Cleveland, with a giant audience on radio, streaming services, podcasts and video. Now he'll expand upon his incredible run with iHeart for many years to come."
"I'm thrilled to continue and expand my partnership with iHeartMedia, the undisputed leader in audio entertainment," added Rover. "Thanks to this deal, ‘Rover's Morning Glory' will reach the incredible milestone of 25 years on the air in Cleveland, which is even more remarkable since I'm just 29 years old."
Rover began his radio career in his hometown of Las Vegas in 1996. He has been an air personality in several cities including Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Denver and Knoxville.
MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid has sparked fury by twisting the case of Kyle Rittenhouse into a race-hate crime - mocking him for his 'white tears' and likening him to Brett Kavanaugh for crying when faced with devastating accusations.
Reid was commenting on Wednesday on the Rittenhouse trial, as the jury concluded deliberations after a second day, reports The Daily Mail.
Rittenhouse, 18, who is white, shot and killed two white protesters and injured a third amid chaotic scenes in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020.
The unrest in the city was sparked by a white police officer shooting a black motorist, Jacob Blake, seven times in the back and leaving him paralyzed. On November 10 the teenager sobbed on the stand while he recounted the shooting. 'So, it's the Kyle Rittenhouse trial,' said Reid in a TikTok, accompanied by a soundtrack.
Conservative commentator Leo Terrell, who is black, accused Reid - who is also black - of racism. 'Joy Reid - something is wrong with her,' he said, speaking on Sean Hannity's Fox News show on Wednesday night.
'She is the queen of racism. She has a problem with white men. 'And her reference to two situations, where she said things from the 50s. What do you mean the 50s? This man, Kyle Rittenhouse, did not kill any black people so I don't know her reference to the 50s.
Former New York Times CEO Mark Thompson has said US TV news is in “dead trouble” as it loses audiences under the age of 60.
Deadline reports Thompson, who used to be BBC Director General and ran the NYT between 2012 and 2020, described US news channels as being “completely unchanged” since the 1980s, stating that the UK has done more to innovate during that time.
“News feels like a particularly old-fashioned style of broadcasting aimed entirely at older audiences,” he said at today’s Freeview Outside the Box event. “I live in the US and [TV news] seems completely unchanged since the 1980s. I think it is in dead trouble.”
Mark Thompson
News broadcasters’ greatest challenge is to reinvent the experience of serious journalism for a smartphone generation, argued Thompson, who pointed to the NYT’s growth in podcasting during his tenure. Shows such as The Daily were launched and attracted huge listening figures from young people who observers had been saying “didn’t like speech radio” for years.
“In the UK, the biggest threat to Public Service Broadcasters comes from the behavior of younger people everywhere and whether or not you’re moving fast enough to move or reimagine your great content for them,” he said.
The UK government should see the likes of the BBC and Channel 4 as “partners and champions” in its soft power battles, added Thompson, a sentiment also delivered by Jane Bonham Carter in the previous session.
He urged these broadcasters to make authentic British drama to avoid a global version of the UK that is “very particular to our tradition, public schools and aristocracy but doesn’t really tell you very much about the actual UK in 2021.”
Thompson, who has also been CEO of Channel 4, rubbished the government’s plan to privatize Channel 4.
“If privatizing Channel 4 is the answer then what is the question?,” he considered. “It seems like something the UK government is just trying to do [with no motive].”
Former WVSP-FM ESPN Radio 94.1 Norfolk afternoon host Nick Cattles has joined Bonneville Sports KHTK 1140 AM as PD/afternoon host, starting December 13.
Nick Cattles
He's hosted the "The Nick Cattles show" on WVSP for the past three years. His last day on-air there will be Wednesday, November 24. He replaces Jason Ross, who remains with the Sports outlet as Operations Manager.
Cattles said, "I couldn't be happier or more excited to join a brand with such a rich tradition. I look forward to this challenge and doing whatever I can to make sure KHTK remains the king of sports talk in Sacramento."
Bonneville/Sacramento Senior VP/Market Manager Steve Cottingim added, "Now that we have extended our relationship with the Sacramento Kings we couldn't be more excited to add someone to the KHTK team who has the passion and experience that NICK does."
Bonneville/Sacramento Group Director of Programming Chad Rufer added, "The Sports Programming team at Bonneville International has had our eye on Nick for a while and we couldn't be more excited that he will be joining our team in Sacramento to lead KHTK."
Back at WVSP, Tim Donnelly, host of "The Tim Donnelly Show," airing Noon to 2pm on ESPN Radio 94.1 and longtime producer of "The Nick Cattles Show" will be filling in the 4-7pm time slot during the interim.
"The news of Nick pursuing an opportunity in a larger market was inevitable given his talent for sports broadcasting. He has been an integral part of the ESPN 94.1 brand here in Hampton Roads. I truly wish him the best at his next station," said Max Media Hampton Roads President and Market Manager Keith Barton.
A former Kelowna, BC on-air radio host who previously worked for CKLZ FM, Jim Pattison Broadcast Group and Pattison Media organization, is suing the owners and multiple employees for allegedly fostering a toxic and misogynistic workplace environment.
Sue Tyler
Suzanne Milne, who portrayed an on-air persona named Sue Tyler, began working at CKLZ FM – also known as The Lizard 104.7 – in April 2014, when it operated as Power 104.7 at the time.
The Pentictin Western News reports a civil suit filed in BC Supreme Court in Kelowna on Nov. 15, Milne details how she was hired to perform her Sue Tyler character at the station, which she crafted over a 30-year span in radio.
She noted that the character was designed specifically “to appeal to a male demographic between the ages of 18 and 40,” and “to push the envelope on women’s sexuality.”
“The Sue Tyler character would dress provocatively for public appearances and use a sexualized tone and innuendo in her radio shows to specifically, and successfully, appeal to this target demographic and exemplify sexual empowerment to women,” the civil suit stated.
According to court documents, male staff at CKLZ FM “did not differentiate between Milne and the Sue Tyler character,” and deemed it appropriate to speak and treat her in a belittling and sexist manner because of her character’s sexual and confident nature.
The toxic and misogynistic workplace environment at CKLZ FM, said Milne, was a culture fostered and promoted by the station’s owners, Jim Pattison Broadcast Group (JPBG) and Pattison Media, as well as general manager Karl Johnston.
Milne alleges that at-work alcohol consumption and intoxication were “common, acceptable and promoted.” Court documents claim that sexualized comments and innuendos from male employees towards female employees were acceptable and encouraged both on-air and off-air.
When she allegedly brought forward formal complaints regarding a toxic work environment to Johnston, she said her concerns fell on deaf ears as Johnston “supported, fostered and participated in the inappropriate workplace culture.”
In August 2019, Milne was suffering from shingles and alleges that Johnston made jokes and publicly suggested that her condition was actually gonorrhea.
In November 2020, Milne emailed her concerns to JPBG and Pattison Media owner Rod Schween, which led to Schween organizing a mandatory sensitivity training course for all CKLZ employees and management.
Despite the training, Milne claims that male employees joked about “how ridiculous the training was,” ultimately escalating the behavior. It was around this time where she said Johnston instructed her to “tone down” the Sue Tyler character and “be a nice mom” instead, with no more sexualized content on air.
Following two weeks of COVID-19 isolation requirements, Milne said that she returned to work for only one day “before needing to start a medical leave of absence that was triggered by returning to the toxic workplace.”
She currently remains on long-term medical leave and has not returned to broadcasting.
Winners for the 30th anniversary Radio Mercury Awards were announced virtually this evening at the 2021 event.
This year’s winners captured the creativity taking place during the last year and a half and reflect these unprecedented times. During tonight’s awards, Alejandro Ortiz, executive creative director, Campbell Ewald Detroit/NY, was announced as the chief judge for the 2022 Radio Mercury Awards.
Additionally, it was announced that the Creative Use of Nonbroadcast Audio category ended in a tie, resulting in two winners.
"This year, it took us two days to fully deliberate, as this year's winners really impressed the jury with their overall approach to messaging and storytelling," said Robin Fitzgerald, chief judge and chief creative officer, BBDO Atlanta. "The winning work shone through, made us laugh, feel inspired and even made us a little hungry for soup dumplings."
"The 30th anniversary awards presentation once again reflected the power of radio creative and its ability to grow brands and deliver for advertisers," noted Erica Farber, president and chief executive officer, Radio Advertising Bureau, and chair of the Radio Creative Fund. "The Radio Mercury Awards continue to advance the medium forward by showcasing innovative, creative and effective radio and audio commercial work.”
The virtual presentation, produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau and hosted by Fitzgerald and Chris Smith, principal and chief creative officer, Plot Twist Creativity, featured this year’s final round jury, who served as presenters for the awards alongside previous Radio Mercury Awards best-of-show winners. The full list of presenters included: John Berman, executive creative director, R/GA; Mitch Bennett, executive creative director, Baldwin&; Nathalie Brown, executive creative director, VMLY&R; Bianca Guimaraes, partner and executive creative director, Mischief NY; Mark Gross, co-founder and chief creative officer, Highdive; Paul Johnson, freelance copywriter and creative director, New York; Derrick Ogilvie, vice president/creative director, BBDO Atlanta; Alejandro Ortiz, executive creative director, Campbell Ewald Detroit/NY and Sherman Winfield, executive creative director, VMLY&R Atlanta.
Finalists and attendees from across the country celebrated this year's winners virtually.
Event sponsors for this year’s awards event include: Audacy, iHeartMedia, Nielsen, Pomann Sound, Sound and Fury and World Wide Wadio. Dedicated sponsors are Cherry Creek Media, Oink Ink Radio, Triton Digital and Xperi, along with general sponsors CBS News Radio, Forcht Broadcasting, Miller Kaplan and Neuhoff Communications.
Below is the list of winning spots. To listen to all the work awarded at tonight’s event, click here. For an on-demand viewing of the event, click here.
