Friday, September 20, 2024
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New: Superstars Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars Go All Soft and Cuddly on Lush New Single, “Die with a Smile”

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It’s been a while since either Lady Gaga or Bruno Mars have dropped a new single. So now they’re doing it together.

Gaga said on Twitter today that “Die with a Smile’ was made so fans wouldn’t have to wait for her 7th album. But fans are also waiting for her “Joker 2: Folie a Deux” soundtrack or whatever music she’s created for that film.

Bruno Mars has been mostly dealing with his personal finances since releasing “Silksonic’ with Anderson.Paak.

We are warned this is just a one-off. But it’s an old fashioned big swelling love song, lushly produced. It sounds like something from the 70s, in the best way!

Stock Market Up 554 Points, But Trump Media Drops — Again — to Four Month Low Thanks to Musk Interview

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The stock market is up! The Dow closed up 554 points today. We’re back over 40,000 after a blip last week. Inflation is down, consumer buying is up.

But guess what keeps sinking every day? Trump Media aka Truth Social. Today Trump’s stock closed at its four month low. It’s only $1 a day from its all time low. Today’s close was $23.56.

Before Trump had his debacle interview with Elon Musk on X this week, the stock was already in a daily freefall. But the combination of the interview and Trump returning to posting on X, the stock is taking a nosedive. Why would anyone invest in Trump Media if its owner is going to post elsewhere.

The whole thinking about the Musk interview was weird, too, not making Trump seem like a smart businessman. After all, TruthSocial just launched a video streaming component. Why didn’t he do the interview there? His people must be furious.

RIP Peter Marshall, 98, Longtime Host of “Hollywood Squares, Veteran Entertainer and Good Guy

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Peter Marshall has died at age 98. Very sad. He was the longtime host of “Hollywood Squares,” from 1966 to 1981. It seemed like longer because of syndication. He was beloved by audiences as genuine and genial, sort of anti-Hollywood.

Everyone who did that show loved him, and thought of him as family. I had the good fortune to meet Peter in November 2017. “Dick van Dyke” star Rose Marie couldn’t get to New York to promote a documentary about her life. So Marshall, then 91, came in from LA for a presentation at Sardi’s. Rose Marie had been on Squares dozens of times, and he was returning the favor. After the event I walked him back across Shubert Alley to the Marriott Marquis (his wife was a matinee). We had the nicest time talking about Broadway in his heyday. I’ll never forget it.

Peter’s sister was actress Joanne Dru, who was very famous in the 40s and 50s. A couple of years ago, his son, David, died at 66 from COVID. You can read his official obit here.

Harris Campaign Says “Debate over Debates Is Over,” Trump Agrees to ABC September 10th

Kamala Harris’s campaign says “the debate over debates is over.”

Trump has acquiesced to meeting on ABC September 10th. His whole September 4th idea on Fox News is cooked.

It’s a loss for Trump, who thought Fox would save him somehow from the embarrassment of taking on Harris. She will not let him lie, or call her names, or rewrite history.

But the September 10th ABC debate had already been agreed to with Joe Biden, or the Democratic candidate.

Now this one is first, the VP debate will be on CBS October 1st. Harris seems to opeden one more debate maybe in October, which I guess would be on NBC.

I liked the no-audience rule of the Biden-Trump debate. He wants to stack the audience with his crazy followers. I hope if these debates have audiences, they’ll be vetted.

RIP Rocker Greg Kihn, 75, Singer of Hits “Jeopardy,” “The Break Up Song” from Alzheimer’s Disease

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What a shame to hear about exuberant 80s rocker Greg Kihn. The hit singer of “Jeopardy” and “The Break Up Song” was 75. As recently as April 2021 he was posting to social media. But according to his website he died from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Here’s a link to his website. Rest in peace.

Grammys: Will Musicares Get the Rolling Stones for Persons of the Year? Or Will They Have to Find a Current Star?

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Can the Grammys charity Musicares get the Rolling Stones to be their honoree as their Persons of the Year dinner this year?

Over time they’ve asked and asked, but the Stones have said ‘no.’ This time, the Stones may be waiting until the Grammy nominations are known. Their highly praised 2023 release, “Hackney Diamonds,” could be up for Rock Album, Rock Song, Performance by a Group, etc.

Of course, knowing the Grammys, the Stones could also get blanked. You just never know what to expect.

The Musicares Person of the Year dinner takes place on the Friday night before the Grammy Awards. Last year, Jon Bon Jovi was centerstage. The year before was Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Motown.

Over 30 years, Person of the Year has celebrated every living superstar from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin to Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Fleetwood Mac, and so on. Aside from the Stones, there aren’t many choices left except if they go back to The Eagles. But Don Henley was the honoree in 2007, so that may be it for them.

Musicares may have to lurch into the 21st century this time around. Nile Rodgers would be a great choice. He’s incredibly philanthropic with his We Are Family Foundation. Or maybe get really contemporary with Dr. Dre, Eminem, and so on. Of course Lady Gaga would be an excellent choice with her Born This Way Foundation. By late January Gaga may be up for some Oscar nominations.

We may have to wait a bit for the announcement. Last year it didn’t come until October 19th.

Box Office: Does It End with This? Gossip Plagued Film Tailing Off as Principals Fight, Blake Lively Exposed as Mean

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Does it end with this?

Justin Baldoni’s “It Ends with Us” is up to around $68 million this morning after 7 crazy days.

But the novelty of it all may be ending. Last night “Ends” dropped 24% from Tuesday, a big decresae.

Fans of the Colleen Hoover novel may be getting tired of the sniping between Baldoni’s camp and star Blake Lively’s.

Baldoni has even hired Johnny Depp’s crisis manager to try and battle Lively’s ongoing PR tirade against him.

In various tabloids, we’ve heard that Baldoni was mean to Lively on set, or didn’t respect her, or his abusive character — he’s the villain in the movie — bled into real life.

All we know is that Baldoni, despite this movie’s success, says he won’t be directing the sequel even though he owns the rights to the Hoover novel, “It Starts with Us.”

In all likelihood, Sony — or maybe even Ryan Reynolds — will pay a big price and buy Baldoni out so he’s gone.

Baldoni could really hold out for a lot of money.

Lively has definitely turned the cast and studio against him, which is very unusual. But Lively’s getting her own flack. An interviewer named Kjersti Flaa posted a video clip from 2016 when Lively — who was pregnant with her second child but refused to acknowledge it on camera — mocked Flaa and the made the interview a holy hell. She says she wanted to quit her job.

I don’t blame her. Watch this, as Lively is completely inappropriate and rather snotty. I’m surprised Flaa didn’t just get up and leave!

CBS Veep Debate with Tim Walz, JD Vance Set for October 1 in NYC: Will it Matter?

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CBS has confirmed there will be a vice presidential debate on October 1st.

Democratic candidate Gov Tim Walz agreed to it yesterday. JD Vance seemed to acknowledge it last while on Fox News. Vance said he only wanted a debate with an audience.

CBS says Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan will be the moderators.

Walz — who’s sharp and articulate — should mop the floor with Vance, who’s a buffoon on his best day. But will it matter? Will it change minds? .

Vance agreeing to two female moderators is certainly unusual. Vance has made a fool of himself for a few weeks now, attacking cat ladies and insisting that women have no rights, really.

October 1st will be a busy day as Melania Trump’s book about her “extraordinary life” will be published that morning.

Bad Karma for Beloved NY Newsradio 88: Station Killer Craig Karmazin, Son of Former CBS Radio and TV Chief, Helps End a Legacy

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Mel Karamazin for some reason hated regular radio. Now it’s his son, Craig.

After trying to run Infinity Broadcasting — the former owner of CBS Radio — into the ground, Karmazin joined satellite radio. The idea was to destroy terrestrial radio. He became head of Sirius, merged it with XM, to create Sirius XM radio. Free radio waves? Why not make people pay for it?

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Now Mel’s son, Craig, is one of the people behind the demise of 60 year old WCBS Newsradio 88. The beloved, venerable radio station will become an ESPN radio outpost on August 27th. Everyone will lose their jobs, and a six decade community of radio listeners will get the heave ho.

Craig Karmazin’s company is called Good Karma, but everything here is point to bad karma being visited on him quickly. New York radio already had ESPN up the dial. It also has WFAN, aka the Fan, at 66 on dial where WNBC used to live. Sports is all over the radio. News is not. Audacy, the company that owns Newsradio 88 and WINS, their sister station, is just as much to blame. When Karmazin came calling with this unnecessary idea, Karmazin all too eager to rush in. Legacy broadcasting be damned.

There’s precedent for destruction of New York community radio. WCBS-AM for decades was the corporate cousin of WCBS-FM, the oldies station. In 2005, Infinity abruptly pulled the plug on the FM station, changing to personality free bland Jack FM.

The loss of WCBS-FM was palpable. After two years of no one listening, Infinity brought back the radio station, but in a disemboweled form. For a short time it sounded like the old channel. Still running now, WCBS-FM has been gutted of all its charm. It’s like 80s Muzak interspersed with mostly anonymous announcers.

Almost no one now remembers the nasal tones of John Cameron Swayze, the famed WCBS AM announcer. He doubled a TV spokesman for Timex watches and became famous for the phrase, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Eventually his son, Cameron Swayze, became identified with the station.

Over the last 30 years, I’ve become accustomed to getting my news from Newsradio 88 in the car, and at home. But streaming has destroyed everything. People get their news from social media and alerts on their phones. No one remembers that when the World Trade Center was hit, we turned immediately to AM Radio. Now car makers are cutting the AM band from their radios. Broadcasting and Cable Magazine has gone out of business. The whole idea of tuning in a far away station late at night would seem foreign to a Facebook user.

My favorite WCBS newscasters were people like Harley Carnes, and Pat Farnak. I still expect to hear their names. Over time they were succeeded by Wayne Cabot and Steve Scott, Marla Diamond phoning in from somewhere in Queens. There was always Rich Lamb. I wait now for Deborah Rodriguez. And Levon Putney? I can’t live without Levon Putney! Peter Haskell had to retire last year because of throat issues, but he was the guy whose eloquent reports you waited for. The legendary Irene Cornell vividly covered the courthouses downtown. Charles Osgood faithfully contributed the Osgood Report. I look forward still to the calming voices of Brigitte Quinn, Paul Murnane, the whole gang. What will happen to Tracy Johnke at the Bloomberg business desk? Tom Kaminsky in his traffic helicopter? Craig Allen with weather? Do you think ESPN will tell us about alternate side of the street parking?

NewsRadio88 has also been a great landing place for out of work journalists. In recent years, there have been lots of fill-ins I was always happy to hear Lynda Lopez, JLo’s hard working sister. Or John Metaxas, or Bud Mishkin. I know I’m forgetting many, but it was always fun hear tony Guida or Michael Schoen.

So this whole world will be replaced by nothing, garbage. If there’s a fire in Midtown, an explosion in the Bronx, a gang in Brooklyn all of these people who trudged out there in miserable weather and wall to wall traffic will be silenced. Instead, we’ll get to hear more cheap jabber from sports fans who want to tell the Yankees or Giants who to play tomorrow night. We need that like we need another Sephora.

Dear Audacy: isn’t bad enough your stock is down to 13 cents? You were booted from the pink sheets. You’ve turned what could have been the greatest, cheap area of communication into a Twilight Zone. Congratulations.

CBS Invites VP Candidates to Debates in NYC on Four Dates, Walz Immediately Accepts, Vance Dodges

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CBS has invited Vice Presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance to debate in New York City. They’ve offered four dates.

Walz immediately Tweeted: “See you on October 1, JD.”

No word yet from Vance. Almost no one showed up at his rally today.