Pioneering rocker Sly Stone has passed away at the age of 82. He was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1943. Stone was known as the frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, a fusion of rock, soul, funk, and gospel.
The band’s hits included “Family Affair,” “Hot Fun In The Summertime,” “Everybody’s A Star’ and “Dance To The Music.”
Fred Jacobs, President of Jacobs Media and creator of the Classic Rock format, said of Stone, “He could’ve had it all. An amazing influence on the music and the times. Kudos to Questlove for reminding us of his greatness.”
KLOS Master of Mayhem and Barrett Media Rock/Alternative Columnist, Keith Cunningham added, “Through his unforgettable grooves and positive lyrics encouraging peace, love, diversity and inclusion, Sly Stone was not only an undeniable force in helping to improve American culture at a time when it was desperately needed, but he helped define and fuse together funk, soul, R&B and rock.”
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The FCC has levied a $2.39 million fine against Fabrice Polynice, citing the illegal operation of his pirate station “Radio Touche Douce” on 90.1 MHz in North Miami.
The commission alleges that the station operated from February 5 to March 5, 2023.
“Operating an unauthorized, or pirate, radio station is illegal under the Communications Act and undermines our mission to manage the radio spectrum,” the FCC stated. “Such illegal operations pose a danger to the public because they interfere with licensed stations that deliver critical information, including Emergency Alert System messages.”
Polynice is a repeat offender, having previously been fined in 2013 and 2018. Those fines remain unpaid.
The Commission has determined that Polynice intentionally participated in illegal pirate radio activities. Even in light of a ten-year history of previous violations and enforcement measures. Enforcement included a seizure of his equipment by U.S. Marshals.
The Commission observed that Polynice acknowledged the facts of the case but sought a lesser penalty. He cited financial difficulties as his reason for an appeal. Polynice is required to pay the forfeiture within 30 days of the order’s release, or risk facing additional enforcement measures from the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Michael Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will be taking part in the NBA on NBC broadcast property as a special contributor. NBC Sports made the announcement at its Upfront event last month, and since that time, there has been speculation and intrigue surrounding what exactly his role will entail and how he will go about communicating his insights and expertise to viewers. Stephen A. Smith, featured commentator on ESPN First Take and incoming SiriusXM Mad Dog Sports Radio host, shed his perspective on the situation having spoken to Jordan on numerous occasions.
In conversation with Patrick Bet-David on thePBD Podcast, Smith rendered it clear that Jordan would be sincere on the airwaves. On top of that, he explained that Jordan has had a “longstanding relationship” with NBC, citing an executive who convinced him to return to the airwaves in the new role. While the parameters surrounding what aspects of the broadcast in which Jordan will participate are unknown, it has created additional buzz and nostalgia behind the return of live game broadcasts to the network.
“He’s going to be brutally honest,” Smith said. “Oh, I can assure you that. He’s not going to be somebody that’s going to be passive about – not the Michael Jordan I know. The Michael Jordan I know, when talking basketball, he is as candid as it gets. He ain’t trying to hurt nobody’s feelings, he ain’t trying to be insulting, but he’s going to tell you what’s going on.’”
Smith conveyed that he is proud of Jordan for taking on the new role despite recognizing how he never wishes to be interviewed and other things. Having an estimated net worth of more than $3 billion, he acknowledged that Jordan can think that he is wasting his time. Yet Smith told him to stop acting as if he had nothing to say about the game just because he was retired, affirming that he discusses it all of the time.
“I’m literally talking about getting a call, ‘What the hell did I just hear you say? Call me, call me now,’” Smith said of Jordan. “[He is] like, ‘What the hell you say that for? That don’t make no damn sense.’”
Smith outlined the difference in how the late-Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant used to communicate with him in a more aggressive manner. In fact, he explained how Bryant would tell him not to do another one of his 12 jobs and to instead pick up the phone and call him immediately. While Jordan does not act in the same manner, Smith knows that he is candid and does not believe he will be reserved towards disclosing his thoughts on the sport.
“A matter of fact, if he is, he’s going to have to deal with me because I’m going to be in his ear telling him, ‘Oh, we getting shy now?,’” Smith explained. “‘That’s what we doing, that’s what we doing? That ain’t the MJ I know. What you doing? Let’s go.’”
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Edge 88.1 Des Moines has signed off. The station owned by the Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) has been a training ground for aspiring broadcasters for the past 70 years.
DMPS is looking to sell the station. In a release announcing the move, the school system said, “[M]aintaining a radio station comes with significant technical and regulatory requirements, responsibilities that have largely been carried out by dedicated teaching staff, including a teacher who is retiring, in addition to their core duties.”
For the past 33 years, the station was maintained by Kirk Johnson, who managed station affairs and FCC compliance. Johnson is retiring.
“KDPS has served as a unique part of DMPS for more than 60 years. Offering students hands-on experience in radio broadcasting and contributing to the cultural and educational fabric of the community,” the school district added in the release.
“We are grateful to the educators and staff who have kept KDPS running throughout the decades,” said Dr. Ian Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. “As we look to the future, we are hopeful in finding a partner to take over KDPS who will continue and enhance the station’s role in the community.”
“In a time when educational resources must be aligned with student needs and future-ready skills,” added Roberts. “This decision allows us to refocus staff time and district resources on emerging priorities. While ensuring KDPS can continue to serve the Des Moines community under new stewardship.”
DMPS has partnered with Media Brokers. The station has been formally appraised, listed for sale, and is now being actively marketed to potential buyers.
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Dick Vitale has signed a multiyear contract extension with ESPN that will keep him on the airwaves through the 2027-28 season. The new deal will result in his broadcasting tenure with the company reaching nearly 50 years, and it also coincides with the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational. This college basketball event, created through a partnership between ESPN Events and the Charlotte Sports Foundation, will honor the Hall of Fame broadcaster and begin with a marquee matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Duke Blue Devils.
Vitale first joined ESPN in 1979 and has called more than 1,000 games for the network. Over the years, he has become synonymous with its college basketball coverage and receiving countless accolades from various institutions around the country.
“ESPN has been such a vital part of my life since December 5, 1979, and I was so thrilled to learn that ESPN Events will have an annual Dick Vitale Invitational,” Vitale said in a statement. “Jimmy Pitaro and all my colleagues and friends at ESPN have been so good to me and I am so thankful for all of the prayers and love I have received from them during my cancer battles. ESPN has been family to me and has given me a life that has been even better than my dreams. To the Vitale family, ESPN is ‘Awesome, baby’ with a capital A!”
Jimmy Pitaro, the chairman of ESPN, made the announcement of the invitational event at Vitale’s annual gala from Sarasota, Fla. Over the 20 years it has taken place, the gala has raised more than $105 million for the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund through the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Vitale divulged this past December that he was cancer-free after facing the disease for a fourth time, and he returned to the sidelines for the first time earlier this year after a two-year absence.
“Dick is the heart of college basketball, and his kindness, generosity and courage are a constant inspiration to us all,” Pitaro said in a statement. “Through the creation of the Dick Vitale Invitational, we will celebrate him and his profound impact on the sport. We are also thrilled that Dick will remain a signature voice on ESPN through the 2027-28 season.”
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Virginia Beach Top 40 Z104 morning host Brandon “Shaggy” Stokes was arrested last week and charged with driving through an active crime scene while under the influence. The arrest happened on Wednesday at 9:35 am.
13 News Now reports that Stokes drove through an area where police were investigating a shooting that involved a Virginia Beach police officer.
Stokes allegedly told police he was allowed to drive through because he owned property in the area.
Stokes owns the Haygood Center Skating Center. 13 News Now reporting also states that the officer involved with the arrest wrote a report indicating Stokes’ speech was “slurred, incoherent and shouting.” Further, Stokes was described as being belligerent and cursing.
Breathe tests taken at the incident showed an alcohol blood level of .18. Virginia’s legal limit is .08. The charges are driving under the influence and obstruction of justice.
Audacy had “no comment” when Barrett Media reached out.
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CBS News is still in the midst of potentially settling the lawsuit with Donald Trump over 60 Minutes. Scott Pelley posits that it will be damaging to the network.
While appearing on CNN ahead of the network’s live production of Good Night, And Good Luck on Saturday evening, Pelley was asked about the possibility that CBS News could settle and apologize to Trump over the lawsuit.
Pelley said that he didn’t believe it would be a good look for the network to do such a thing.
“It will be very damaging to CBS, to Paramount, to the reputation of those companies,” Pelley said. “I think many of the law firms that made deals with the White House are at this very moment regretting it. That doesn’t look like their finest hour.”
After Anderson Cooper, who also works at 60 Minutes, called the situation “strange,” Pelley continued by noting that it wouldn’t be only damaging to CBS News, but to journalism as a whole.
“You really wish the company was behind you 100%, right?” Pelley said. “You really wish the top echelons of the company would come out publicly and say, ‘60 Minutes, for example, is a crown jewel of American journalism, and we stand by it 100%.’ I haven’t heard that.”
“On the other hand, my work is getting on the air, and I have not had anyone outside 60 Minutes put their thumb on the scale and say, ‘You can’t say that. You should say this. You have to edit the story this way. You should interview this person.’ None of that has happened,” Pelley continued. “So I while I would like to have that public backing, maybe the more important thing is the work is still getting on the air.”
Donald Trump launched a lawsuit seeking $20 billion in damages after he claimed CBS News selectively edited an interview with his opponent in the 2024 presidential election — Kamala Harris — in an effort to help her win the office of the presidency.
Despite being labeled as “baseless” and “frivolous” by observers, the company has considered settling the lawsuit with President Trump as it seeks to complete a merger with Skydance, which would require government approval.
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The NBA Finals are currently tied at a game apiece between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. Social media has been ablaze with discussions about widespread criticism directed at the NBA over the presentation of the Finals, particularly due to the absence of traditional logos during the telecast. This omission has given the broadcasts a feel that lacks the unique flair the Finals typically bring. While the focus for many viewers remains on how ESPN and ABC have presented the game broadcasts themselves, Bomani Jones recently offered a different perspective on his The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast.
He argued that the way ESPN portrays the NBA as if it were the NFL is ultimately detrimental to building excitement around the Finals.
“Everybody in basketball needs to understand it’s not football; therefore, you cannot sell it like it’s football. You can’t do it. One of my chief criticisms of ESPN’s coverage of the NBA is that they treat the NBA like the NFL. You can’t cover it the same way,” said Jones. “The part that you can treat like football is making the games feel like big deals. That’s the part that they don’t do. That’s the part that the league does not do.”
Furthermore, Jones emphasized that ESPN’s approach tends to be overly technical, with a strong focus on breaking down games through specific plays and an overreliance on X’s and O’s. In contrast, he believes the NBA is more “loosey goosey,” which aligns better with how fans prefer to engage in conversations about the league. According to Jones, this disconnect contributes to a lack of hype and contributes to what he sees as a broader failure in how the networks and the league are presenting the Finals. This includes, in his view, the lack of traditional logos and an overall Finals-esque look.
“When you come out here and you don’t have any signage on the court to indicate that it’s the NBA Finals; it already looks like the g** d**n AAU tournament with the coaches wearing quarter zips and anybody wearing any old jersey that was clean. You can’t tell who the home team was just by looking on the floor. You got to make this feel like something.”
In addition, Jones argued that sports are inherently more entertaining rather than being entertainment in the conventional sense. He explained that if sports are merely treated as entertainment, they become just another way to pass the time, rather than something that genuinely resonates with and moves the audience. For that reason, he encouraged the league and its broadcast partners to fully embrace the spectacle and emotional pull of what the NBA Finals should represent.
“Play up the pageantry, play up the stuff around it. The audience needs it,” explained Jones.
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Over the last several years, ESPN has licensed select sports talk programming airing on its platforms, one of which is The Pat McAfee Show airing on weekday afternoons. McAfee owns the program and has control over the content, and ESPN is reportedly going to enact a similar approach towards Inside the NBA. This aligns with what Rich Eisen was told as his show prepares to air on Disney+ and ESPN+ beginning this fall, which will continue to stream on weekdays beginning at 12 p.m. EST.
“I really haven’t spoken about this on my show because I am in love with The Roku Channel people, and I’m trying to be as respectful as possible not talking about this on this program, but this show is moving to Disney in September as well, and we’ve been given the same assurances as I’m sure Pat has, and I would be stunned if in any way, shape or form if they try to change you or your show,” Eisen said during an interview with Shaquille O’Neal. “There’s a reason why you guys are who you are, and I would be surprised.”
Earlier in the month, Inside the NBA aired on TNT for the final time under the existing media rights deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and the National Basketball Association. Although TNT Sports has completed its four-decade stretch presenting NBA live game broadcasts in the United States, the award-winning studio program is going to continue under a sublicensing agreement with ESPN.
As a result, host Ernie Johnson will continue taking the airwaves surrounding marquee NBA events alongside O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith. O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion and reportedly reached a long-term contract with TNT Sports worth more than $15 million per year.
Whereas the remainder of the cast on Inside the NBA all joined the show by 2000, O’Neal is the newest member of the program. Even so, he has been on the airwaves for 14 years as the panel has informed and entertained audiences around the world. During a recent interview on The Rich Eisen Show, O’Neal was asked about potential concerns about the show airing on ESPN and potential limitations it could cause.
“I don’t have concerns because I know one guy that you’re never going to change, and I know another guy that’s really close to him,” O’Neal said. “So the other two guys – listen, Ernie is a consummate professional. He can adapt to any situation. Ernie is the guy that really keeps us out of trouble, and Kenny is a professional, but Chuck is right there on the line and I’m right below Chuck. So Chuck’s not changing, I’m not changing.”
Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reported that the goal of ESPN is to permit the postgame portion of the show to run for the same length. On top of that, TNT Sports is developing a sports show containing the cast of Inside the NBA and taped a pilot last month. No matter the arrangement though, fans will continue to be afforded a chance to hear from the heralded quartet throughout the season, with O’Neal declaring that “the four horsemen live on.”
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WWJ 950 has announced that reporter/anchor Mike Campbell has died at the age of 65.
The station shared that Campbell had been with the station for almost 30 years in a variety of capacities before dying on Sunday, days after celebrating his 65th birthday.
“Mike covered the streets of Metro Detroit for nearly three decades, and also anchored the Saturday morning news on WWJ,” the station said in a statement announcing his death. “He was a fearless reporter, with unique style — a way of talking to and connecting with the people who were a part of the stories he told.”
Perhaps most famously, Mike Campbell found a missing 89-year-old woman during a snowstorm in 2019 while rescuers searched for her. He helped keep the woman warm in his news vehicle until authorities arrived on the scene. That took place just a week after he had helped police in the city arrest a man suspected of looting a shopping center in nearby Warren.
Funeral arrangements for Campbell are pending. Mike Campbell is survived by his wife, Terri, and the couple’s children.
Various colleagues and co-workers took to social media to remember Campbell after his death was announced by the Audacy Detroit all-news station.
Always using his love of sailing as a metaphor. Sail on, my friend. 💔 https://t.co/FwZG0b3Lxe
We are saddened by the passing of a true professional and gentleman, @WWJ950 Mike Campbell. He has been incredibly gracious over the years. He will be missed by all who knew him personally and professionally. pic.twitter.com/8EwwDOrE8m
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Mike Campbell at @WWJ950. Mike was truly one of a kind. We always appreciated his visits and the honest, thoughtful way he covered the RCOC. He was a solid journalist who reported the facts with integrity. pic.twitter.com/2XBqGUOBPb
— Oakland County Roads, Michigan (@oaklandroads) June 9, 2025
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