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New Jersey 101.5 Hosting Town Hall on Victim-Proofing

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New Jersey 101.5 Hosting Town Hall on Victim-Proofing

Townsquare Media’s New Jersey 101.5 is planning a town hall event called Victim-Proofing Your Life.

The discussion aims to protect Garden State residents from what the station is calling a “tidal wave of scams, auto and home thefts, mass shootings, and identity theft that has reached epidemic levels”.

“From home break-ins, catalytic converter thefts and internet scams, there is no shortage of ways that bad actors try and take advantage of you,” New Jersey 101.5‘s Eric Scott, who will moderate the event, says. “This program will help New Jersey residents protect themselves from bad actors who are operating throughout New Jersey.”

Scott will be joined by New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Daniel Engelhardt and Toms River Police Chief Mitchell Little, among others for the town hall discussion. Listeners will also be able to phone into the program to ask the assembled panel questions on their field of expertise.

The event will take place on Thursday, June 15th at 7:00 PM ET.

NCAA President Hints At Individual TV Deals For Multiple Championships

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Charlie Baker took over as president of the NCAA following the retirement of Mark Emmert last year. His goals are clearly bigger than just maintaining the status quo for the organization. He made that clear again over the weekend in Washington, DC.

Baker was on stage at an event called The Future of College Sports, which was hosted by the University of Arizona.

At the event, Baker discussed the NCAA’s financial performance. He said that in years past, the organization’s media strategy has left money on the table. He is hoping to change that soon.

“Those items are going to get a lot of attention from us over the course of what I would describe as the next four to six months,” he said.

In April, Baker told NBC’s Meet the Press that the NCAA is “going to work really hard” on an individual TV rights deal for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. Right now, it is included in a larger NCAA Championships television package that ESPN has through the end of the next school year.

Now it appears women’s basketball is only the tip of the iceberg. Forbes reports that “consensus is building” to take other tournaments currently covered in the NCAA Championships television package to market on their own. They include softball, baseball, and women’s volleyball.

Higher education in America is in a bit of a financial crisis after the years of decreased fertility around the 2008 financial collapse. The children of that generation are coming of age now where they begin to look at colleges. With far fewer applicants expected in the coming years, the NCAA’s financial performance has never been more important to the industry.

Baker is not stopping at new media rights deals. He also raised some eyebrows by discussing ways conferences and the NCAA as a whole could monetize relationships with sportsbooks.

77 WABC Debuts The Roger Stone Show

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77 WABC Debuts The Roger Stone Show

77 WABC has debuted The Roger Stone Show, with the first episode airing on Sunday.

Stone is a controversial conservative figure. A longtime political consultant, Stone has worked on the campaigns of several Republican Presidents, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump.

The 70-year-old was sentenced to seven to nine years in prison after being convicted on seven charges in relation to the Mueller investigation.

On the debut episode, Stone interviewed former President Trump — who gave Stone a pardon in 2020 — to discuss his latest indictment.

“It is my honor to be doing your first show. Your show is going to be very successful,” Trump told Stone. “I know you. You have a lot to say, and a lot of smart things to say. It is my honor to be on your first show and I guess your first guest.”

In the interview, Trump raged against the development and also slammed former Attorney General Bill Barr for his social media encapsulation that Trump’s indictment is self-inflicted and that it is clear, in his eyes, that the former president broke the law and is easily proven.

The Roger Stone Show is scheduled to air at 3:00 PM on 77 WABC. It is the latest in a long line of weekend programs created by the New York radio station to include live and local talent.

The Athletic Cuts 4% of Newsroom

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The Athletic Cuts 4% of Newsroom

Sports digital news outlet The Athletic is laying off approximately four percent of its journalistic staff today in a larger reorganization of the company. Additionally, The Athletic is reassigning over 20 reporters to new beats, including those placed on regional coverage or general assignment reporting. The New York Times Company purchased The Athletic for $550 million with the goal of expanding its subscription base to 10 million people by 2025. The company has endured several rounds of layoffs over the last five years and speaks to the transitioning state of sports journalism.

Publisher David Perpich and executive editor Steven Ginsberg announced the reorganization, which will focus on quality storytelling over the quantity of teams and entities the outlet is aiming to cover. The initial mission of The Athletic was to cover every professional sports team, but the endeavor has proved to be costly and somewhat ineffective.

“The Athletic has generally viewed every league in a similar manner, with similar beats and offerings, but our growing body of research and our own understanding of the sports we cover compel a more nuanced approach,” the company said in a statement. “There is no perfect formula for determining which teams to cover, but we are committing dedicated beat reporters to the ones that most consistently produce stories that appeal to both large and news-hungry fan bases, as well as league-wide audiences.”

From the outside, the reorganization might seem concerning to those in journalism; however, it is apparently part of a larger effort to streamline the company’s processes and engender effective reporting. Some of the journalists laid off today include Rich Hofmann, Bob Kravitz and Marc Antoine Godin, and more names could slowly be divulged as the day goes on. Additionally, the company has reportedly eliminated its sports business beat, laying off writers Daniel Kaplan and Bill Shea on Monday. The move comes just two months after senior vice president and general manager Evan Parker left the company he helped build into the groundbreaking entity it is today.

“Even with the changes being announced today, the size of our newsroom will grow this year compared to last, as will our overall investments in our editorial group in the years ahead,” the company said in a statement. “At the end of this process, we will have more than 100 beat reporters on teams.”

Since the purchase of The Athletic by The New York Times Company, the outlet has lost $36 million despite increasing revenue. Last year, the publication added more than 1 million new subscribers, aggrandizing its subscription base to nearly 9.6 million, but maintained flat revenue patterns from advertising. Total operating costs increased by about 10% to $548.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, and the company lost $6.9 million during that time. 

SiriusXM Set For U.S. Open Championship

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SiriusXM Set For U.S. Open Championship

SiriusXM has announced coverage plans for the 123rd U.S. Open Championship set to be played on Thursday, June 15 to Sunday, June 18 from the Los Angeles Country Club. The broadcast entity will keep listeners informed of each shot during the four rounds of play with a broadcast team consisting of lead host Taylor Zarzour and analysts Colt Knost, Brian Katrek, Dennis Paulson and John Maginnes among others.

SiriusXM will begin its coverage at the first tee time of the day on Thursday and Friday. On-course coverage will commence at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST on the weekends until completion. In the event a playoff occurs, SiriusXM will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of all the action until a champion is declared.

“The Los Angeles Country Club is an extraordinary and iconic venue, and golf fans are eager for so many of the world’s best players to take the stage there as it hosts its first major championship event this week,” Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM president and chief content officer, said in a statement. “SiriusXM will be there to deliver more than 40 hours of live shot-by-shot coverage across all four rounds, and we’ll provide our listeners with an unparalleled lineup of original programming as well.”

The national broadcast of the U.S. Open will include momentary analysis, leaderboard updates and live interviews with players before and after rounds. Early coverage of the tournament will feature Andres Gonzalez, Chantel McCabe, Jason Sobel and Drew Stoltz, and a daily, three-hour wrap-up show is set to be hosted by Gary Williams.

Additionally, exclusive programming will be hosted by some of the tournament’s greatest players, including Fred Couples, Rocco Mediate, Smylie Kaufman and Annika Sorenstam. Former U.S. Open and major championship winners such as Juli Inkster, Hale Irwin and Dave Stockton will also appear on various SiriusXM programs throughout the week.

U.S. Open Week on SiriusXM is available for subscribers to consume on SXM Channel 92, along with on the SiriusXM app. The tournament is the first major championship to be played since the announcement of the controversial merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf.

While SiriusXM is in a contract with the United States Golf Association (USGA) and NBCUniversal for the national audio broadcast rights to the tournament, it is unknown how the monumental transaction will play out in terms of media rights in the future. Some critics viewed the move as a way to settle ongoing litigation between the entities, while others think it is a win for LIV Golf and a loss for the Tour itself.

Golfers expected to compete for the U.S. Open golf championship include headliners Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, along with other hopefuls aiming to capture one of the sport’s elusive prizes. There will be golfers associated with various entities on the green, and the merger will likely be a dominant point of discussion throughout the week.

Lawyer for Tucker Carlson: He ‘Will Not Be Silenced’ By Fox News

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Lawyer for Tucker Carlson: He ‘Will Not Be Silenced’ By Fox News

Fox News has reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to Tucker Carlson in an attempt to end his Tucker on Twitter video series. However, a lawyer for the former cable news host says he will not back down.

Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer for Carlson, took to Twitter to defend his video series.

“My friend and client Tucker Carlson will not be silenced — by the far left or by Fox News,” Dillon wrote.

Later, she contended that Republican lawmakers should end their appearances on the cable network.

“Do you really want to air your views on a network that spits on its viewers, leaks oppo on its own talent, and even threatens former talent for speaking, for free, on Twitter?! You have free will!”

The development that Fox News has sent Carlson a cease and desist letter is the latest in a contentious back and forth since his April ouster. The network has continued to pay Carlson and has continually claimed it intends to pay him for the remainder of his contract, which reportedly expires at the end of 2024.

Carlson debuted Tucker on Twitter last week, garnering more than 169 million views on the two videos he released. His producer, Justin Wells, tweeted that the third installment in the series will still be released on Tuesday in spite of the letter received from Fox News.

Fox News Hits Tucker Carlson With Cease and Desist Letter

BNM Staff
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Fox News has reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to Tucker Carlson to end the show he launched on Twitter last week.

Tucker on Twitter debuted to much fanfare last week. Public analytics show that the first two episodes garnered 169 million views.

A report from Axios claims Carlson received the cease and desist from Fox News claiming that the network maintains that because it continues to employ Carlson despite canceling his show. Fox has continually claimed it intends to pay Carlson for the duration of his contract, which reportedly expires at the end of 2024.

Carlson contends that his work on Twitter is protected under the First Amendment.

The show’s producer, Justin Wells, has claimed that Carlson still intends to release the latest episode of the series on Tuesday.

The report of a cease and desist letter comes after Fox News alerted Carlson that any video projects he produced and distributed on a competitive platform would violate his contract.

ESPN Director Kyle Brown Remembered by Sports Media

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ESPN Director Kyle Brown Remembered by Sports Media

On Saturday, ESPN director Kyle Brown endured a medical emergency and passed away at the NCAA Baseball Super Regional in Winston-Salem, N.C. Brown, 42, had been employed by the network for 16 years and a two-time Sports Emmy Award-winner. Over his sports media career, Brown worked on baseball broadcasts, along with college football, basketball and Monday Night Football, and he was regarded by many as a rising star in the industry. The medical emergency on Saturday engendered a two-hour delay in the first pitch of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and it was not disclosed at the moment of the incident.

Brown was a pitcher and one of four team captains for the Ohio State Buckeyes after he received all-state, all-district and all-league distinctions as a senior high school baseball player. At that time, he was pursuing a career in orthopedic surgery, but had a change in heart when afforded the opportunity of a lifetime.

Brown’s neighbor worked as a director at ESPN, and he was invited to accompany him to a production truck so he could watch what goes into the production of a live sports broadcast. From the onset, he became enamored with the craft and decided to pursue a career in communications. Brown began working at the network as an undergraduate student, and was with the network for the entirety of his professional working career.

“The Division I Baseball Committee and NCAA staff send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Kyle Brown and ESPN,” NCAA Baseball said in a statement. “We will be supportive of any adjustments that our broadcast partner ESPN must make during this difficult time.”

Karl Ravech, play-by-play announcer on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, took time during the broadcast to remember Brown, who is survived by his wife, Megan, and their four children – Makayla, 14; Carson, 11; Camden, 9; and Madyn, 6, along with the family dog, Rookie. Additionally, NCAA baseball broadcasts on Sunday began with an on-air tribute to Brown from studio host Kris Budden, and condolences have poured in from those in sports media.

Disney, Amazon Reportedly Exploring WWE Media Rights

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World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has reached the conclusion of an exclusive negotiating window with FOX Corporation and Comcast, and the entity was unable to come to terms on a new broadcast deal. The revelation, reported by Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, brings the deal to the open marketplace and creates a litany of possibilities about the future of the property. The company recently merged with Endeavor, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and will soon create a new publicly traded company. WWE shareholders will have a 49% minority stake in the firm, while Endeavor and UFC will possess the 51% majority.

The Walt Disney Company reportedly has interest in acquiring WWE broadcast rights for FX, a channel it acquired in its purchase of 21st Century Fox in March 2019. Its addition to the Disney portfolio was part of the same deal that required the company to divest the FOX-branded regional sports networks, which are now in a state of turmoil after Diamond Sports Group declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year. Now, the WWE will continue its quest for a new broadcast home, and has postulated deals with various over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms as a potential move.

At the moment, Friday Night Smackdown is televised by FOX for about $205 million annually, while Monday Night RAW is presented on USA Network, owned by Comcast, for $265 million per year. Both deals expire in October 2024, and while the expectation is that both are ultimately renewed, perhaps at different price points, there is a chance of some variation in the landing spots. The combined value of those contracts over the life of the deal is $2.35 billion, and the company has seen steady viewership gains perseverating in the present-day.

NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service inked a five-year, $1 billion streaming contract with WWE until March 2026, which is just before Wrestlemania 42. No conversations regarding the future of those rights are currently up for discussion; however, it will be something to keep an eye on as the impending negotiations play out. The company also recently revealed a new, multi-year partnership with Twitch that includes the relaunch of the WWE channel. It is the home of an alternate presentation of Monday Night RAW featuring WWE superstars and a rotating panel of hosts. Personalities also have been granted the ability to stream so long as they do so under the company’s rules and regulations, including revenue sharing.

Amazon Prime Video could be a potential candidate to land the WWE, similar to what it did for Thursday Night Football. The entity tried to gain media rights for Big Ten Football on Saturday nights, but Comcast-owned NBCUniversal secured those rights, leaving the streaming outlet empty-handed. WWE chief executive officer Nick Khan previously stated that the streaming service would be open to broadcast Smackdown on a different night if necessary. Moreover, Khan expects a 150% price increase in the forthcoming television rights negotiations, and has mentioned pairing with Netflix as an ideal way to immerse the streamer into live sports.

There is a chance Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery strive for the rights, although both are intriguing candidates for National Basketball Association (NBA) media rights. The deal expires after the 2024-25 season, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver hinted that it could represent the impetus for the exploration of the Association’s expansion. According to Marchand, Warner Bros. Discovery does not have an exclusivity clause in its contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a property that recently announced expanded programming at the company Upfront event.

Launching CNN Show Feels Like ‘Jumping on the Titanic’ For Charles Barkley

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With CNN in turmoil after the high-profile exit of CEO Chris Licht last week, questions abounded about the future of the proposed program featuring Charles Barkley and Gayle King. Recent comments from Barkley reveal that the show appears to still be a go.

Before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, Barkley joined the TNT studio crew, where Wayne Gretzky jokingly said that Barkley should avoid launching the CNN show and join TNT as a full-time hockey analyst.

“Let me tell you something. Apparently, with this new talk show I’m jumping on the Titanic,” Barkley said with a smile. “Everybody keeps saying ‘abort, abort, abort’.”

The 60-year-old then admitted that he’s still interested in doing the show despite Licht’s departure.

“I’m looking forward to it. Gayle is awesome,” admitted Barkley.

In previous statements, King shared that she is looking forward to working with Barkley for King Charles, which was proposed by Licht to help boost the network’s struggling primetime ratings.

“What I think is so great for the both of us is that its live TV,” said King in late April while announcing the show on Inside the NBA. “To me, live TV is like working without a net. So, whatever happens, happens. I like to have a little bit of a script. When Charlie and I are on TV, I think we are both very curious. I wasn’t looking for another job.” 

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