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SCOTUS Upholds Tik Tok Ban for Sunday, Judges Unanimously End Chinese Social Media Site

Roger Friedman
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SCOTUS Upholds Tik Tok Ban for Sunday, Judges Unanimously End Chinese Social Media Site

The clock has ticked and tocked for Tik Tok for the last time.

The Supreme Court has unanimously declared the end of the Chinese social media site. The ban goes into effect on Sunday.

This should be a little awkward for Donald Trump. He’s invited the head of Tik Tok to sit in the VIP section of the Inauguration on Monday.

Gone will be the sales pitches for cheap products, soft core porn, hard core porn, and those great garage guys who poll their colleagues about the best cars. No more cat videos, or dogs talking to penguins. More importantly, no criminal activity that went unregulated.

Will we miss it? People who make a living on it, for good or bad reasons, will be despondent. They thought Trump was going to bypass the ban. Biden even said he didn’t care anymore. But a unanimous decision from the Supremes. Where did our love go?

Read “Dune,” “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks” Star Kyle Maclachlan’s Tribute to David Lynch

Roger Friedman
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Read “Dune,” “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks” Star Kyle Maclachlan’s Tribute to David Lynch

David Lynch died today at age 78. He was one of the great auteurs, maybe one of the last. His films were wild at heart, to use one of his titles. Anything could happen in them. By accident, years ago, I wound watching one of his denser projects, “Inland Empire,” at Lincoln Center sitting next to Isabella Rossellini. It was mind blowing.

But everything Lynch did had that quality. In “Twin Peaks Season 3” I disliked most of it. But there’s that one episode, number 8, about the Trinity atomic bomb and creation and everything that followed — it’s called “Gotta Light?” and it’s extraordinary. I wrote at the time it might have been the best best hour of television ever. It’s the “Oppeneheimer” story told from inside out.

Lynch’s final appearance was as an actor in Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans.” He’s a surprise at the end, playing director John Ford. There should have been a special award for him somewhere, he was so precisely good.

Today there are many tributes to him. Kyle Maclachlan wrote a beautiful one. Kyle starred in the original “Dune,” in “Blue Velvet,” and “Twin Peaks.” He said:

“Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognize. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.
 
What I saw in him was an enigmatic and intuitive man with a creative ocean bursting forth inside of him. He was in touch with something the rest of us wish we could get to.
 
Our friendship blossomed on Blue Velvet and then Twin Peaks and I always found him to be the most authentically alive person I’d ever met.”

RIP David Lynch.


 

LA Fire Aid Concert Will Feature Sting, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Billie Eilish, Stevie Nicks, Pink, Joni Mitchell, More

Roger Friedman
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LA Fire Aid Concert Will Feature Sting, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Billie Eilish, Stevie Nicks, Pink, Joni Mitchell, More

Irving Azoff’s LA Fire Aid concert is going to be mega.

Sting, Lady Gaga, and Billie Eilish are among the performers who will play the Intuit Dome on January 30th.

The full list includes Stevie Nicks, Pink, Rod Stewart, Gracie Abrams, Gwen Stefani, Joni Mitchell, Katy Perry, Lil Baby, Pink, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stephen Stills, Tate McRae, Dave Matthews and John Mayer, Green Day, and Jelly Roll.

Wow! I’m surprised John Legend isn’t in there, or Alicia Keys. But more names are coming.

FireAid will be broadcast by select AMC Theatres, Apple Music and the Apple TV app, Max, iHeartRadio, KTLA+, Netflix/Tudum, Paramount+, Prime Video and the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch, SiriusXM, Spotify, SoundCloud, Veeps and YouTube.

FireAid will raise money for rebuilding communities devastated by wildfires and supporting efforts to prevent future fire disasters throughout Southern California.

The show is produced by Irving Azoff and his family (his wife, Shelli, and son Jeffrey are a big part of the biz), with Live Nation and AEG. All these people coming together is phenomenal, and should raise millions. Hopefully it will be filmed and recorded for future sales revenue.

Stay tuned…More names are coming soon…

Preposterous: Trump Names Three Stooges Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone to ‘Fix’ Hollywood

Roger Friedman
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Preposterous: Trump Names Three Stooges Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, Sylvester Stallone to ‘Fix’ Hollywood

Now we’ve heard everything.

Donald Trump thinks Hollywood is “broken.” So he’s named a trio of right wing misfits to be “ambassadors.”

This is a remake of The Three Stooges: Mel Gibson, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone.

Gibson is a proven antisemite. No one will work with him in mainstream Hollywood. He’s a racist, an alcoholic, a conspiracy theorist who just last week claimed that three friends overcame cancer using Ivermectin.

Jon Voight is a loony tune. He has an Oscar, and that has gotten him far. He’s a very good actor. But he’s anti-abortion, and totally out the window. He’s been Trump’s steadfast supporter for years. This is his payback.

Stallone is a full-on Trumper and very right wing. He also made a bad move a couple of years ago when he waged a campaign against “Rocky” producer Irwin Winkler, posting his own antisemitic drawings on Instagram. This bizarre episode explained more about Stallone than any interview he’s ever given.

Of course, the whole “special envoy for Hollywood” thing is meaningless. But it’s Trump trying to rile the Hollywood establishment, appeal to the Christian right, and again, pay back theses shmeggeggies for speaking up for him. I’m surprised he didn’t add Dennis Quaid or James Woods to the list. They must be very disappointed!

Trump Warns GOP Enemies Shouldn’t Pass Along Resumes, Including Nikki Haley, Who Spoke at Convention

Roger Friedman
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Trump Warns GOP Enemies Shouldn’t Pass Along Resumes, Including Nikki Haley, Who Spoke at Convention

Maybe Nikki Haley gets it now.

She actually endorsed Donald Trump from the stage of the Republican Convention.

But he hates her as much as he loathes all his GOP enemies. He’s warned them tonight not to send along resumes of people they think he should hire.

He writes: “it would be helpful if you would not send, or recommend to us, people who worked with, or are endorsed by, Americans for No Prosperity (headed by Charles Koch), “Dumb as a Rock” John Bolton, “Birdbrain” Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, disloyal Warmongers Dick Cheney, and his Psycho daughter, Liz, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, General(?) Mark Milley, James Mattis, Mark Yesper, or any of the other people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, more commonly known as TDS.”

So these aren’t Democrats, these are Republicans. He tried to get Mike Pence killed, for god’s sake! But the new Trump 2.0 will only include ‘yes’ men, unqualified self-aggrandizing morons who will mine the country for themselves and leave it barren.

Don’t send resumes of anyone qualified for a job in Trump 2.0!

Writers Guild Nominations: “Anora,” “Real Pain,” “Complete Unknown,” “Wicked” Vy for Prizes

Roger Friedman
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Writers Guild Nominations: “Anora,” “Real Pain,” “Complete Unknown,” “Wicked” Vy for Prizes

The Writers Guild Awards announced their nominations today in a variety of media.

In movies, the big ones, of course, are “Anora” and “A Real Pain” in original screenplay, “Wicked” and “A Complete Unknown” in adapted screenplay.

In adapted, my personal favorite is Richard Linklater and Glen Powell for “Hit Man.” I so enjoyed that film as I do most Linklater efforts. Maybe this will be a surprise win!

in talk shows, as usual, Seth Meyers was snubbed. WGA threw him a bone for a prime time special. But every night Meyers does what John Oliver does once a week occasionally.

Daytime drama on TV is always a weird category. There are four soaps on the air, but only three were found deserving. The one that wasn’t was “The Bold and the Beautiful,” which I see infrequently while having lunch. I’m not surprised the WGA didn’t include them. It’s the most repetitive show in the history of television.

As with all TV awards shows, “The Bear” is listed as a comedy. It is not a comedy. It’s a drama. The writing is great, but it belongs in the drama category. “Hacks” is the best comedy. So is “Only Murders in the Building.” which wasn’t nominated at all. Go figure.

2025 Writers Guild Awards Nominees

SCREENPLAY NOMINEES

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

A Real Pain, Written by Jesse Eisenberg; Searchlight Pictures

Anora, Written by Sean Baker; NEON

Challengers, Written by Justin Kuritzkes; Amazon MGM Studios

Civil War, Written by Alex Garland; A24

My Old Ass, Written by Megan Park; Amazon MGM Studios

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

A Complete Unknown, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks, Based on the Book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald; Searchlight Pictures

Dune: Part 2, Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, Based on the Novel Dune by Frank Herbert; Warner Bros. Pictures

Hit Man, Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Glen Powell, Based on the Texas Monthly Article by Skip Hollandsworth; Netflix

Nickel Boys, Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, Based on the Book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios

Wicked, Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, From the Novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Jim Henson: Idea Man, Written by Mark Monroe; Imagine Documentaries

Kiss the Future, Screenplay by Bill S. Carter, Story by Bill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-Sain; Fifth Season

Martha, Written by R.J. Cutler; Netflix

War Game, Written by Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss; Submarine Deluxe

TELEVISION, STREAMING, AND NEWS NOMINEES

DRAMA SERIES

The Boys, Written by Geoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson; Prime Video

The Diplomat, Written by Peter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; Netflix

Fallout, Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video

Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video

Shōgun, Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu

COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary, Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Chad Morton, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Rebekka Pesqueira, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner; ABC

The Bear, Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Will Guidara, Matty Matheson, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer, Courtney Storer; FX/Hulu

Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Stephen Leff, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO | Max

Hacks, Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Guy Branum, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carol Leifer, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO | Max

What We Do in the Shadows, Written by Jake Bender, Max Brockman, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Amelia Haller, Sam Johnson, Jeremy Levick, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Rajat Suresh, Lauren Wells; FX/Hulu

NEW SERIES

English Teacher, Written by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/Hulu

Fallout, Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video

Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video

Nobody Wants This, Written by Barbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; Netflix

Shōgun, Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu

LIMITED SERIES

The Penguin, Written by Vladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L. Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO | Max

Presumed Innocent, Written by Miki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+

Ripley, Written by Steven Zaillian; Netflix

Say Nothing, Written by Clare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/Hulu

True Detective: Night Country, Written by Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO | Max

TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES

The Great Lillian Hall, Written by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone; HBO | Max

Prom Dates, Written by D.J. Mausner; Hulu

Rebel Ridge, Written by Jeremy Saulnier; Netflix

Terry McMillan Presents Forever, Written by Bart Baker; Lifetime

ANIMATION

“Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox

“Cremains of the Day” (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; Fox

“Night of the Living Wage” (The Simpsons), Written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox

“Saving Favorite Drive-In” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Katie Crown; Fox

“The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Greg Thompson; Fox

“Winter Is Born” (Blood of Zeus), Written by Charles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides; Netflix

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Anjin” (Shōgun), Written for Television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks; FX/Hulu

“The Beginning” (Fallout), Written by Gursimran Sandhu; Prime Video

“Fear of the End” (Evil), Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon & Nialla LeBouef; Paramount+

“First Date” (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Written by Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover; Prime Video

“Olivia” (Sugar), Written by Mark Protosevich; Apple TV+

“Pilot” (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS

EPISODIC COMEDY

“AGG” (Somebody Somewhere), Written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett; HBO | Max

“Bulletproof” (Hacks), Written by Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky; HBO | Max

“Linda” (English Teacher), Written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn; FX/Hulu

“Napkins” (The Bear), Written by Catherine Schetina; FX/Hulu

“Once Upon a Time in the West” (Only Murders in the Building), Written by John Hoffman & Joshua Allen Griffith; Hulu

“Petiole” (The Sticky), Written by Brian Donovan & Ed Herro; Prime Video

COMEDY/VARIETY SERIES – TALK OR SKETCH

The Daily Show, Head Writer Dan Amira Senior Writers Lauren Sarver Means, Daniel Radosh Writers David Angelo, Nicole Conlan, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Jennifer Flanz, Jason Gilbert, Dina Hashem, Scott Hercman, Josh Johnson, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Joe Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Jon Stewart, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker; Comedy Central

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., Writers Anna Drezen, David Ferguson, Fran Gillespie, Langston Kerman, Jeremy Levick, John Mulaney, Alex Scordelis, Rajat Suresh; Netflix

The Kelly Clarkson Show, Head Writer Jordan Watland Writers Kevin Hurley, Nik Robinson; Syndicated

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Senior Writers Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali Writers Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Mark Kramer, Sofia Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford; HBO | Max

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir Writers Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Asher Perlman, Michael Pielocik, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien; CBS

Saturday Night Live, Head Writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette Writers Rosebud Baker, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan-Shah, Steven Castillo, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Alex English, Jimmy Fowlie, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Vannessa Jackson, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Ben Marshall, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Gary Richardson, Pete Schultz, KC Shornima, Will Stephen, Bryan Tucker, Asha Ward, Auguste White, Celeste Yim;; NBC

COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS

The 77th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; CBS

A Closer Look with Seth Meyers: Primetime Live Election Special, Head Writer Alex Baze Writing Supervised by Mike Scollins Closer Look Writing Supervised by Sal Gentile Written by Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Sal Gentile, Matt Goldich, Allison Hord, Mike Scollins, Seth Meyers, Mike Shoemaker; NBC

Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, Written by Nikki Glaser; HBO | Max

Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, Written by Ramy Youssef; HBO | Max

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC

Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Buzzy Cohen, Michael Davies, Chip Dornell, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Traci Mack, Amy Ozols, Louis Virtel, Billy Wisse; Amazon Prime

DAYTIME DRAMA

Days of Our Lives, Head Writer Ron Carlivati Writers Sonja Alarr, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Henry Newman, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock; Peacock

General Hospital, Head Writers Elizabeth Korte, Chris Van Etten Writers Nigel Campbell, Ashley Cook, Emily Culliton, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Catherine LePard, Patrick Mulcahey, Dan O’Connor, Shannon Peace, Stacey Pulwer, Anne Schoettle, Scott Sickles, Micah Steinberg; ABC

The Young and the Restless, Head Writer Amanda L. Beall Writers Susan Banks, Jeff Beldner, Marin Gazzaniga, Lindsay Harrison, Marla Kanelos, Rebecca McCarty, Madeleine Phillips, Dave Ryan; CBS/Paramount+

CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS

“A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Written by Rick Riordan & Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disney+

“I’m Pogey” (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock), Written by Charley Feldman; Apple TV+

Out of My Mind, Written by Daniel Stiepleman; Disney+

“The Sign Language ABCs” (Sesame Street), Written by Jessica Carleton; HBO | Max

“Welcome to Spiderwick” (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Written by Aron Eli Coleite; Roku Channel

SHORT FORM STREAMING

Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill, Written by Tripper Clancy; Roku Channel

Tiny Time Travel, Written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone, Cynthia Furey, Tim McKeon, Nikki Palumbo, Connor White, Moujan Zolfaghari; PBS Kids

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT

“The American Vice President” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS

“The Cancer Detectives” (American Experience), Written by Gene Tempest; PBS

“Part One: Inferno to Paradise” (Dante), Written by Ric Burns and Riccardo Bruscagli; PBS

“Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” (American Experience), Written by Jamila Ephron; PBS

The Space Race, Written by Mark Monroe; National Geographic Channel

NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“Alabama IVF Ruling Sends Shockwaves Across America” (CBS Evening News), Written by James Hutton, Rob Rivielle; CBS News

“Assassination Attempt” (CBS Evening News – Special Weekend Edition), Written by Craig Wilson, James Hutton, Claudine Cleophat, Joe Clines, Rob Rivielle; CBS News

“Willie Mays Tribute” (CBS Newspath), Written by Gerald Mazza; CBS News

NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“Finding Cillian Murphy” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News

“Fine Print: Carl Hiaasen” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Richard Buddenhagen, Lesley Stahl; CBS News

“History Repeats Itself in Northern Gaza One Year Later” (Ayman), Written by Rajaa Elidrissi; MSNBC

“The Resistance” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News

“Understanding Travel Advisories” (ABC NewsOne), Written by Erik Pierorazio; ABC NewsOne

DIGITAL NEWS

“The Food That Makes You Gay” Written by Jaya Saxena; Eater

“Mise-en-Seine: A Paris Olympics Diary”, Written by Henry Grabar; Slate

“Sent by God”, Written by Molly Olmstead; Slate

“The Unraveling of Nancy Mace”, Written by Jim Newell; Slate

“What Is Hamas Thinking Now?”, Written by Akbar Shahid Ahmed; HuffPost

RADIO/AUDIO NOMINEES

RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY

“Art on Trial” (One Year: 1990), Written by Evan Chung; Slate

“Deadly Exes: Domestic Violence Awareness with Annie Elise” (Serial Killers), Written by Maggie Admire; Spotify Studios

“A Hotbed of Homosexuality” (Slow Burn), Written by Christina Cauterucci; Slate

“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check?” (Decoder Ring), Written by Cheyna Roth and Patrick Fort; Slate

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“6:40am News – Nov 6, 2023”, Written by Philip Pilato; 1010 WINS AM & FM

“12-15-2023, World News This Week”, Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio

“Inside a Gaza Hospital” (What Next?), Written by Mary Harris and Rob Gunther; Slate

“Passages: Three Women Who Made A Difference”, Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

“World News This Year 2023”, Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“The Athleticism and Empathy of Horses” (Press Play 2024), Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio

“The bleeding edge” (Unexplainable), Written by Byrd Pinkerton; Vox

“Charles Osgood Remembered”, Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio

PROMOTIONAL WRITING NOMINEES

ON AIR PROMOTION

“Fortune Favors the Bold. Promotions for Tracker and King & Conqueror”, Written by Molly Neylan; CBS

“LC Voting Ads”, Written by Desireena Almoradie, Angad Bhalla; YouTube

“NCIS: Season 21 Legacy, Launch and Beyond Trailers”, Written by Erial Tompkins; CBS

“NYSNA AMC Campaign”, Written by Adrianna Hernandez Stewart, Angad Bhalla; YouTube

Grammys Will Go Ahead, Weekend Shortened to Just Four Main Events Plus Fire Aid Concert

Roger Friedman
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Grammys Will Go Ahead, Weekend Shortened to Just Four Main Events Plus Fire Aid Concert

It’s official.

The Grammy Awards will go ahead on Sunday, February 2nd despite — or because of — the terrible fires and destruction in LA.

Recording Academy chief Harvey Mason made the final pronouncement today. All record company parties and extraneous events have been canceled. There are just three main events.

They are: on Friday, the Musicares Person of the Year gala honoring the Grateful Dead, the Special Merit Lifetime Achievement award ceremony, and the NARAS Clive Davis pre-Grammy dinner on Saturday night, and the Grammys themselves on Sunday.

There will also be the Fire Aid concert on Thursday, produced by Irving Azoff, Live Nation, and AEG at the Intuit Dome. Big names are being booked as we speak.

There will undoubtedly be private parties here and there, but so far we know nothing.

This is the best plan to move forward, frankly. And it will raise money for a lot of needy causes.

Mason said today: “We understand how devastating this past week has been on this city and its people. This is our home, it’s home to thousands of music professionals, and many of us have been negatively impacted. So after thoughtful consideration, and multiple assurances from state and local elected leaders, public safety agencies, and with support from our incredible artist community, we have decided to go ahead with the GRAMMY telecast and some select events. GRAMMY Week 2025 will not just be about honoring music, it will be about using the power of music to help rebuild, uplift and support those in need.”

Bad Rap: Drake Sues His Own Record Company, Universal Music, for Defamation in Kendrick Lamar Feud

Roger Friedman
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Bad Rap: Drake Sues His Own Record Company, Universal Music, for Defamation in Kendrick Lamar Feud

Drake is suing Universal Music Group, the company that issues his recordings, for defamation.

This is the latest salvo on the ongoing feud between Draka aka Aubrey Graham, and Kendrick Lamar, who is also with Universal.

The feud has become byzantine at this point. Few people understand it, and the ones that do seem to side with Lamar.

But now Drake has called in super law firm Willie Farr & Gallagher.

What makes this lawsuit even more complicated is that in 2022, Drake signed a deal with UMG that was reported to be worth as much as $400 million, making it one of the largest recording contracts ever.

This is how the complaint is over the Kendrick release, a rap song called “Not Like Us,” a jab at Drake that became not only a commercial hit, but also a Grammy nominee.

“Not Like Us,” the complaint says, suggests Drake is a pedophile. (It’s not too kind to The Weeknd either.)

The lyrics include:
“Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young

You better not ever go to cell block one

To any b!tch that talk to him and they in love

Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him”

also

“The audience not dumb

Shape the stories how you want, hey, Drake, they’re not slow

Rabbit hole is still deep, I can go further, I promise”

In the 91 page complaint, Drake demands a jury trial. What’s interesting is that he’s suing Universal for promoting and publicizing the song, leading to all kinds of threats against him including in person violence and online doxxing.’

A statement from Drake’s legal team:

“Drake filed a lawsuit against his label, Universal Music Group, to hold UMG accountable for knowingly promoting false and defamatory allegations against him. Beginning on May 4, 2024 and every day since, UMG has used its massive resources as the world’s most powerful music company to elevate a dangerous and inflammatory message that was designed to assassinate Drake’s character, and led to actual violence at Drake’s doorstep.  UMG wants the public to believe that this is fight between artists, but this lawsuit is not brought against Kendrick Lamar.  This lawsuit reveals the human and business consequences to UMG’s elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists, and shines a light on the manipulation of artists and the public for corporate gain.”

keep refreshing…

Broadway Box Office Falls $13 Million in First $9 Congestion Price Week, Post-Holiday Season

Roger Friedman
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Broadway Box Office Falls $13 Million in First $9 Congestion Price Week, Post-Holiday Season

Out of town fans of Broadway shows didn’t like congestion pricing’s first week at all.

Receipts were down by $13 million from the previous week, showing steep drop off in attendance. Total was $32.1 mil, down from $45.1 mil for the week ending January 5th.

The only good news is that the total box office was up about $4 million from the same week in 2024.

(Yes, it is now 2025, which seems insane.)

Did the $9 surcharge for driving into the theater district from above 60th St. play a part in the huge decline? Maybe. A few more weeks will make that determination.

Surprisingly, new hit “Sunset Boulevard” played to only a 90% capacity after booming through the holidays. Major legacy musicals like “Wicked” and “The Lion King” were way off, too, although still making millions. “MJ The Musical” was slammed, down to 82% capacity.

Of the newest shows, Audra McDonald in “Gypsy” held its own. That may be because audiences were re-seated from Christmas week when the show was dark because of cast illness.

January is the worst month for Broadway already. Cold or bad weather, holiday hangover, and so doesn’t encourage theatergoers. The congestion pricing certainly doesn’t help as the bulk of Broadway attendance comes from out of town.

BAFTA Snubs Daniel Craig in Awards Bid, “Wicked,” Denzel Washington, Raises Hopes of Jamie Lee Curtis, “Conclave,” “Emilia Perez”

Roger Friedman
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BAFTA Snubs Daniel Craig in Awards Bid, “Wicked,” Denzel Washington, Raises Hopes of Jamie Lee Curtis, “Conclave,” “Emilia Perez”

The British Academy has turned out to be James Bond’s worst villain.

BAFTA has snubbed Daniel Craig for his role in “Queer,” playing late author William S. Burroughs. And Craig is British!

This was Craig’s big swing for awards season. He’s been nominated by every other group so far: Critics Choice, Golden Globes, etc. Either they didn’t like a straight actor playing gay, or they resent Craig for mostly living abroad.

BAFTA also snubbed “Wicked” and its director, Jon M. Chu. The two lead actresses, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, were among their 7 nominations. But for the movie as a whole, nada.

Also ignored was Denzel Washington’s bravura turn in “Gladiator II.” The movie was snubbed earlier, and so was its director, Ridley Scott, also British. But Washington seemed like a sure bet a couple of months ago. His omission is very disappointing.

BAFTA improved the chances of “Conclave” and “Emilia Perez,” which got the most votes. And it really lifted Jamie Lee Curtis, from “The Last Showgirl.”

The awards will be given out February 16th in London.

BAFTA NOMINATIONS

BEST FILM

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

DIRECTOR

Sean Baker, Anora

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

Edward Berger, Conclave

Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two

Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

LEADING ACTRESS

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun

LEADING ACTOR

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Hugh Grant, Heretic

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Yura Borisov, Anora

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

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