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“America’s most-watched network” CBS slashes news staff…again

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With the coronavirus pandemic pressuring all media companies to tighten belts over lost advertising revenue, CBS News has applied another layer of job cuts. There have been multiple cuts at CBS for months, much of it tied to the network’s merger with Viacom. The pandemic adds another layer of withered finances.

The best guess is that about 10% of the news department was snipped. Other departments including sports, entertainment, and production are also affected. Between 300 and 400 jobs are being slashed.

CBS new staff meeting prior to the coronavirus pandemic social distancing protocols

CBS News president Susan Zirinsky released hazy details during an electronic meeting with employees.

Susan Zirinsky, CBS News president

Although CBS claims to be America’s #1 rated network, it’s a reference to prime time programs. The flagship CBS Evening News and breakfast show CBS This Morning are both perennial third place shows behind NBC and ABC shows in the same time slots.

Zirinsky moved Norah O’Donnell from CBS This Morning to anchor the CBS Evening News but the show has slipped to an even more distant last place position.

Zirinsky is a rough-and-tumble leader who does not mince words in staff meetings or when speaking on the record with other media outlets.

Here’s a sample via The Hollywood Reporter:

via The Hollywood Reporter

In other CBS News, former WHAS news director William J. Small has passed at age 93. Small was pulled up to the big leagues by CBS from affiliate station WHAS where he transformed the look of the network. Small hired women reporters like Louisville’s Diane Sawyer, Leslie Stahl, Connie Chung, and made huge strides in adding African American reporters.

Funding American during COVID-19, both Mitch McConnell and John Yarmuth weigh in

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Also, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear firmly responded to a group of protesters who hanged the governor in effigy outside the Beshear residence.

iHeart Radio snatches alt radio crown in Los Angeles, iHeart’s Breakfast Club butts heads with Joe Biden

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Variety.com

iHeart Radio grabbed two pieces of interesting media attention recently. It appears that the radio company’s strategy to pounce on the failings of legendary Los Angeles alternative rocker KROQ are paying off. iHeart rebranded its ALT 98.7 frequency and played the exact music as Entercom’s KROQ, which has been firing long-loved air personalities. Now the iHeart station has nearly doubled the ratings over the once-dominant KROQ using a former KROQ programmer. The slipping KROQ is now lead by a programmer that was by iHeart.

Variety tells the switcheroo story in a long read but radio fans will love reading about the inside maneuvering.

KROQ’s now deposed morning crew of Kevin, Allie, and Jensen

There’s lots of accurate reporting on radio management decisions based on demographics vs. sales, and the issue of whether to let programming age with one generation or to keep spinning back toward younger listeners (now in less abundance). Great radio insights.

And now to a little political drama. iHeart Radio’s popular “The Breakfast Club” co-host Charlamagne Tha God pressed presidential hopeful Joe Biden on issues pertaining to helping African Americans. Biden threw some snark claiming that if an African American didn’t know for sure whether they were voting for Biden, “then you ain’t black.”

Of course that didn’t sit well. A Biden staffer tried to give the former VP the wrap-up cue but Charlamagne
wasn’t having it. Details here from trade sheet ALL ACCESS:

from ALL ACCESS

A tsunami of complaints followed Biden’s dismissive comments.

Now Charlamagne’s opinions are sought in many media sectors. He is demanding that Biden choose an African American woman as his running mate. Charlamagne contends that a white female running mate would create “voter depression.”

The Biden “you’re not black” gaffe spotlights a longtime criticism of white Liberals: they automatically expect to get African American votes by default so there’s no need to woo them.

Here’s the complete Biden interview with Charlamagne, which, in Biden’s defense, was an incredibly generous 17 minutes in length. If an interviewer can’t get to his/her pressing questions within that timeframe, their strategies need tweaking.

Stomping out The Rona as slowly as possible, Candy Andy hands out treats to the ones he loves

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HEY Y’ALL. IT’S CANDY ANDY, HANDING OUT TREATS TO THE ONES I LOVE. MY KENTUCKY POWER IS HUUUUUGE CUZ I’M STOMPIN OUT THE RONA! IF I LIKE YOU, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO TO MAKE MONEY. IF I’M NOT A FAN, WELL, WE AIN’T GONNA LET YOU BE DOIN’ THAT. CANDY ANDY DECIDES THE WINNERS AND LOSERS. IF YOU DON’T WANT YOUR BIDNIZ TO DIE, YOU BETTER LET US KNOW YOU SUPPORT OUR DEMOCRAT TEAM! AND BY SUPPORT, SURELY YOU KNOW TO HIT THAT DONATE BUTTON ON OUR WEBSITE! DOUGH-NATE! REPEAT AFTER ME: WE GONNA GIT THROUGH THIS. WE GONNA GIT THROUGH THIS TOGETHER. Y’ALL NEED TO WEAR A MASK, STAY HOME, NOT LOOK OUT THE WINDOW, AND DON’T ANSWER THE DOOR UNLESS IT’S THE CENSUS TAKER. IF IT IS THE CENSUS PERSON, TELL ‘EM THE NAMES OF EVERBODY IN THE HOUSE AND INCLUDE THE PETS AS PEOPLE. AND GIVE THE CENSUS TAKER THE NAMES OF EVER ONE OF THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD. THEY ALL COUNT AS KENTUCKIANS, AND THE MORE KENTUCKIANS WE CLAIM, THE MORE MONEY MITCH MCCONNELL AND TRUMP HAVE TO SEND FOR ME TO SPEND HOW I SEE FIT. BUT THIS AIN’T ABOUT POLITICS. THIS IS ABOUT BEING GENTLE WHILE PEOPLE ARE GOING INTO FI-NANCIAL RUIN.

JUST SO YOU DON’T GIT MADDER ABOUT BEIN TOLD WHAT TO DO, LEMME READ ANOTHER LETTER. 14-YEAR-OLD SHELLY SAYS: “GOVERNOR…I LOVE YOU. YOU ARE DOIN A GREAT JOB NOT SENDIN US BACK WHERE SCHOOL IS AT. I HOPE WE AINT NEVER GOIN AND STUFF. ME AND MY FRIENDS IS SOCIALIZIN DISTANCE AND GIVIN EACH OTHER TATTOOS THAT SAY ‘ANDY IS MY BOO.’” WELL SHELLY, I DON’T KNOW WHAT A BOO IS BUT I HOPE IT WEARS A MASK.

HERE’S ANOTHER LETTER FROM LITTLE JIMMY, AND HE SAYS: “CANDY ANDY! WHEN IS MY MAMA GOIN BACK TO WORK? WE USUALLY STAY WITH GRAMMAW BUT NOW WE CAN ONLY KISS HER THROUGH THE WINDOW. MAMA MAKES US CLEAN OUR ROOMS AND PICK UP OUR DISHES OFF THE FLOOR. GRAMMAW USED TO SET ON THE TARLIT ALL DAY AND YELL AT US TO MIKE-UR-WAVE OUR OWN PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST. THEN WE PLAY GRAND THEFT AUTO ALL DAY. CAN YOU MAKE MAMA GO TO WORK AGAIN?” WELL JIMMY, ODDS IS THAT YOUR MAMA IS GITTIN MORE MONEY STAYING HOME WITH YOU THAN GOIN TO SOME JOB SOMEWHERE. SO SHE’S PROLLY GONNA STAY HEALTHY AT HOME. WHY DON’T YOU STICK SOME BREAKFAST PIZZA IN HER MOUTH WHILE SHE’S ASLEEP AND THEN SHE’LL LEARN HOW GOOD IT IS! WELL…I’D LIKE TO STAY ON YOUR RADIO AND T.V. FOR TWO MORE HOURS TELLIN YA THAT SICK PEOPLE DIE AND IT’S SAD AND THAT I DEE-CIDE WHAT YOU GIT TO DO NEXT BUT IT’S TIME FOR ME TO GO WRITE DOWN LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS OF ALL THEM HARRIBLE CONSERVATIVES BUYIN TRUMP SAMWICHES AT CHICK-FIL-A. PUT ON YOUR MASK. AND IF YOU AIN’T A DEMOCRAT, WEAR IT IN THE SHOWER TO WATERBOARD YOURSELF TIL YOU LEARN HOW TO BE A ANDY FANDY! DOWN WITH RONA! DOWN WITH RONA! BUH-BYE!

You think 2020 is tough? Just wait until next year when the cicadas return!

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Terry Meiners shares water with his long lost friend the cicada of 1987

Australian fires started 2020. Then came the threat of nuclear war with Iran. Chinese military jets have been buzzing American warships. Oh, and then there’s that little COVID-19 pandemic with an as yet uncertain outcome.

Next year could be even stranger when the 17 year cycle for cicadas delivers billions of the buzzing bug-eyed pests in a Biblical plague of dead baby beastly bodies.

I made the most of it two cycles ago when Sammy the Cicada and I spent a fabulous few hours together.

2020 is all about isolation. 2021 will be a noisy, crowded infestation.

Pick your poison. It’s going to be a bumpy decade.

John Schnatter is the burn mark that will never go away until he drops the Papa

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American pizza sales during the global pandemic have remained stronger than most other restaurant ventures. As the economy tanks, small business owners including pizza chain franchisees are hanging on for survival.

Papa John’s franchisees have been through a living hell the past several years after the company’s founder repeatedly humiliated the brand with racist, caustic, thoughtless comments. “Papa John” Schnatter was prominently featured in the pizza company’s commercials so his downfall affected sales.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Papa John’s pizza has clawed back to respectability by focusing on human diversity, kindness, humility, and a sharper TV commercial focus on the actual pizza instead of the now dethroned Papa.

The problem for tens of thousands of Papa John’s franchisees, managers, and employees is that John Schnatter, the man who purchased his celebrity through TV commercials, won’t go away. The manufactured (and illogical for a then twentysomething pitchman) title “Papa” was created by a college buddy.

John Schnatter on Tik Tok, May 2020

When a TV mascot like Schnatter screws up, a company quickly gets rid of him the way Subway did with pedophile Jared Fogle. Yet Schnatter continues to refer to himself as Papa to glom onto the pizza company that wishes he’d disappear from the public spotlight.

Jared Fogle launches “Fight The Fat” campaign for Subway. Fogle was later convicted for activities related to pedophilia.

The last thing any company needs is bad publicity. But that’s exactly what ousted Papa John’s founder John Schnatter cooked up for his former company’s franchisees.

John Schnatter uses social media to show off his Poppa Choppa while the rest of the world scrambles to fight the COVID19 pandemic. (May 2020)

The world is in a state of unprecedented pandemic misery and John Schnatter figures it’s a great time to brag about how rich he is. Total dick move.

Using social media to gloat about his mansion, car collection, and helicopter in the midst of a crushing pandemic, Schnatter’s heartless grandiosity sullies the Papa John’s brand by association. He still calls himself “Papa” as if he is associated with the pizza chain that wants no part of him.

And Schnatter doesn’t mind mocking 2.3 billion Christians by parodying the Sacred Heart of Jesus image to elevate himself as a pizza deity. God complex much? It’s a safe bet that he wouldn’t parody Allah or Buddha or any other religion.

John Schnatter sells a t-shirt that shows his own image as a Jesus-like image

Make no mistake, John Schnatter has been generous through philanthropy and service to community over the years. I have publicly supported him in various publications, on radio, and television over the years because of his generosity when others were lambasting him.

The Courier Journal, January 13, 2013

John Schnatter has also been a pain in the ass for multitudes of former pizza company employees that he fired or treated roughly until they left. Many of them signed NDAs upon their departure and are averse to talking about their turbulent times working for Schnatter. Forbes spoke with 37 former associates who described Schnatter’s “bro culture” at the pizza company headquarters.

From Forbes:

Forbes.com (July 2018)

Outside of Schnatter’s former “bro culture” business life, he has also irked his neighbors by flying in and out of his neighborhood on a helicopter that is mostly pointless in a medium size city like Louisville. Instead of driving 15 minutes to the Clark County airport where Schnatter’s jet is based, he prefers to spend considerably more money for a 7 minute helicopter ferry.

A helicopter above traffic in New York, Los Angeles, or even Atlanta makes sense. Louisville? Please.

After Schnatter’s N-word utterance began collapsing his career, he called me and asked to be interviewed on my radio show to clear the air. I have known Schnatter personally for many years which gave me unique insight into business acumen, his incredible drive, his feelings about those he considered enemies, and his randy behavior with some women, resulting in legal wrangling.

Schnatter knew that I would be challenging but fair as an interviewer and that he would have an unedited platform to give his side of the story.

Schnatter has not spoken to me since. He did respond to texts for awhile but last year sent a reply that said THIS IS NO LONGER JOHN’S PHONE NUMBER. Of course that is not true because the phone number spells out his name so there is zero chance that he would ever surrender it.

As the months click by and Schnatter awakens as a very wealthy outcast, he clamors to be relevant.

Instagram account “thepapajohnschnatter”

So he posts about himself and his material possessions on TikTok like a little rich girl. Or there’s Instagram like a 20 year old Ivy League sorority girl. Cool!

But his career is over. Schnatter’s N-word idiocy followed other verbal implosions where he scolded African American NFL players kneeling to protest police brutality, and he bemoaned the costs of paying for employee healthcare.

Around Louisville, his ex-wife Annette is seen as the generous philanthropist while John Schnatter is mostly seen as the ill-at-ease rich rube squealing his tires inside the football stadium. It’s the very same stadium where the University of Louisville quickly removed his sponsored name after African American players hinted that they would no longer play football if that name remained in place.

Years ago, John Schnatter tried to prove that he could catch lightning in a bottle a second time by purchasing a burgeoning Florida fancy sandwich concept called Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches. The idea was to franchise the Calistoga brand as a fancier version of Panera restaurants. Schnatter opened a flagship Calistoga on Dutchman’s Lane in Louisville.

Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches

Annette Schnatter did all of the hard work to shape the project but the price point was too challenging in a world saturated with more reasonably priced Subway, Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s, Blimpie’s, and others.

Since then, John Schnatter pitches himself as a motivational speaker, a trainer of entrepreneurship and vision. Sadly, he is unable to visualize that the best role for him now is to drop the “Papa” ball-and-chain and discover who John is again.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic continues ravaging humanity. Even a helicopter can’t fly above the carnage. But who cares? Want to see my golden toilet?

COVID-19 chart as of May 16, 2020

New White House spox Kayleigh McEnany throws the heater early 🔥

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Five years ago, commentator Kayleigh McEnany was no fan of then candidate Donald Trump.

After Trump gained momentum in the 2016 presidential campaign, McEnany slowly changed her tune about the man would ultimately win the election.

In fact, McEnany staunchly defends Trump policies and revels in poking his perceived political enemies.

President Donald Trump’s administration has sent a fascinating array of talking heads to the podium. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sean Spicer, and Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramuchi were all savaged by comedians, pundits, and media.

Trump slams media. Media slams Trump. Media also torches anyone affiliated with Trump.

Trump’s new spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany showed up for work ready to rock! She’s spitting fire early. In her first appearance earlier this week, she was asked to pledge to the media that she would never tell a lie. She made the pledge.

In her second appearance, she flipped a reporter’s question around on him by torching multiple major news outlets. McEnany read their claims that the impending pandemic was nothing to worry about. Of course, the daily narrative of American media is to accuse Trump of not acting fast enough.

Now comes the shocking news that charges have been dropped against former Trump National Security Advisor Lt. General Michael Flynn after the FBI duped Flynn into thinking he was talking off the record.

Kayleigh came back to the White House lectern to spit more 🔥

Let’s see who prevails in the race for November’s election day. One thing’s for sure, no restaurateur will be able to deny service to McEnany without getting a dinner fork in the eye. This chick ain’t playing.

Quick! Name one of former President Barack Obama’s spokespersons who was mocked on SNL or any late night comedy show.

Crickets.

Comedians don’t mock that which they idolize.

Don on Don and his credulous boomer rubes

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Here’s another #FeelTheBern from Don Lemon on CNN. It follows comments by President Donald Trump blaming his predecessor President Barack Obama for feckless leadership during a smaller pandemic 12 years ago. Lemon, who is black and gay, throws every fireball he can at the sitting president. 🔥

Donald Trump usually reacts to Lemon’s media slams. This one is from January following Don Lemon’s CNN guests mocking Trump fans as “credulous boomer rubes” with thick southern accents who can’t read maps or string together complete sentences.

Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign released a new ad today highlighting the expected post-Covid19 economic boom and ongoing derision from Democrats and media.

Watch this space! 2020 is going to be a fascinating political seesaw. 🔥