Grumpy Editor

Officials around the country are wondering why so many drivers are speeding these days.

 

Grumpy Editor has the answer:  TV commercials.

 

Just about every spot pitching cars shows the vehicles speeding on --- and off --- city and country roads.

 

The speeding is prompting cities and states to toughen enforcement.

 

As reported in The Wall Street Journal, Michael Hanson, director of Minnesota’s Office of Traffic Safety, declares:  “I am literally somewhat terrified by what could happen on the roads in Minnesota, and really across the country, if we don’t get a handle on some of this really dangerous driving.”

 

About 42,000 people died in car crashes last year, up eight percent from 2019, estimates the National Safety Council.

 

Law enforcement officials note an uptick in excessive speeding, with some vehicles going over 100 m.p.h. on highways.

 

 

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HOW STRANGE CAN HOLLYWOOD GET?  Last night’s Academy Awards, held at Los Angeles’ Union Station, the 82-year-old transit hub in downtown Los Angeles, saw few journalists and no bleachers where fans can cheer the nominees.  

 

HOME SALES SOAR.  New home sales jump 20.7 percent last month, the highest level since 2006, with the median sales price $330,800.

 

COYOTE SPOILS TV REPORTER'S LIVE SHOT.  A coyote came out of nowhere to spoil a Winston-Salem, N.C. TV reporter’s live shot for the 10 o’clock news --- on a story about coyote sightings.

FLUFFY CAT NABBED SMUGGLING NARCOTICS.  A drug-runner’s fluffy white cat is caught trying to smuggle narcotics into a prison in Panama.  The feline, carrying the contraband in a pouch tied around its neck, is stopped outside the Nueva Esperanza Prison in the province of Colon.

 TV AND MOVIES PRODUCT PLACEMENT GETS BOOST.  Product placements on TV and in movies get a boost as items now can be digitally added to scenes and closeups such as bottles or advertising signs.

FULL MOON AFFECTS MEN, SAY RESEARCHERS.  Researchers find a full moon leaves men stressed and sleepless.  They believe solar radiation reflected by a full moon could cause changes in brain activity and blood chemistry.

 

COFFEE DRINKERS MORE FOCUSED.  European scientists say three to five cups of coffee a day can make coffee drinkers more focused while also displaying greater memory and learning abilities.

CORONAVIRUS FORCES SOME LOCAL NEWSPAPERS TO SHUTTER

 

The coronavirus crisis is smacking some local newspapers hard, forcing them to suspend publication, perhaps indefinitely, notes Grumpy Editor.

Forced closing of “non-essential” businesses --- ranging from movie theaters to restaurants to concerts--- is producing a sudden steep drop in ad revenue for newspapers.

Staffers are being laid off and print editions are ceasing to be published.

Typical are small weekly newspapers in California and Nevada.  Jeff vonKanael,  president of the Sacramento, Chico and Reno News & Reviews, says the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic “could be the end” for the organizations.

He reports the Chico News & Review, for example, lost 50 percent of its ad revenue in less than a week.

 

Media companies are working to offset revenue losses by turning to companies more likely to advertise now, such as streaming services, food delivery and e-commerce companies.

 

Meanwhile, The Denver Post is suspending its regular sports section "until things start returning to normal,” says its publisher, adding the sports staff will now be free to help the newspaper focus on covering the impact of coronavirus in Colorado.  On Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays the Post will produce a smaller than normal sports section, then on Wednesdays through Saturdays any sports news will be placed in the paper’s main section.

 

 

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CHINA REVOKES PRESS CREDENTIALS.  China revokes press credentials of American journalists representing The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post.  It represents the largest expulsion of media since the Mao era, amid an escalating battle with the Trump administration over media operating in the two countries.

 

CENSUS BUREAU HEAD COUNTS EXTENDED.  U.S. Census Bureau is extending the deadline for head counts by two weeks --- now to mid-August, because of the coronavirus.

 

CORONAVIRUS HALTS DENTAL WORK.  Dentists in Nevada are being informed not to perform routine checkups and cleanings in response to the coronavirus.

 

PHYSICAL PROTECTION FOR BIDEN.  Former Vice President Joe Biden now has Secret Service protection as the Democrat presidential candidate is off the campaign trail amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

 

BIRTH IN WALMART STORE.  A woman gave birth in the toilet paper aisle of a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri.  A nurse shopping in the store provides a delivery assist.

 

BASEBALL WATCHERS ONLY ON TV PROPOSED.  Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon advocates starting the baseball season with fans only watching on TV. Doing so could allow MLB to test pace-of-play initiatives.

 

BANK OF AMERICA PLEDGES $100 MILLION DONATION.  Bank of America pledges to donate $100 million to support populations hurt by the coronavirus with the funds distributed to various communities as well as national and global organizations.

 

KANGAROO CONTRIBUTES TO TOILET PAPER CRISIS.   A kangaroo visits a campground in South Australia, enters the restroom to munch toilet paper from a bathroom stall.

BUFFETT SELLS NEWSPAPERS FOR $140 MILLION

Lifelong newspaper supporter Warren Buffett, via his Berkshire Hathaway, is selling BH's newspapers to publisher Lee Enterprises for $140 million, notes Grumpy Editor.

Buffett views the current newspaper business as unsustainable, warning in recent years that the industry is “toast” due to the decline in advertising.

 

His first job in the field was as newspaper delivery boy.

 

Among the 30 newspapers in the deal are the Buffalo News, Tulsa World, Richmond Times Dispatch , Omaha World Herald, Waco Tribune Herald and more than 100 weekly publications.

 

The newspapers’ earnings have been declining in recent years.

 

Buffett’s newspapers operations employed 3,685 at year-end 2018, down from 4,337 a year prior.

 

The deal is expected to close in March. 

 

 

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Sinatra's gold-seated toilet sells for $4,250.

SINATRA'S GOLD TOILET SEAT SOLD.  Singer-actor Frank Sinatra's highly sought-after Italian marble and gold-seated toilets are sold.  A gold one goes for  $4,250 while a basic marble one without a gold seat sells for $1,800. Also sold:  Sinatra's baby grand piano for $7,000.  Sinatra died in 1998.

POSTAGE STAMP HONORS GWEN IFILL.  The 43rd stamp in U.S. Postal Service’s Black Heritage series honors Gwen Ifill,  journalist, television newscaster and author.  In 1999, she became the first woman of black heritage to host a nationally televised U.S. public affairs program with Washington Week in Review.

BLOOMBERG SPENDS HEAVILY ON TV.  Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg spends $188 million from late November to year end.  In that period, about $140 million is spent on TV and digital advertising.

MURDOCH PLANS RADIO STATION.  Rupert Murdoch,  media mogul who founded News Corp., plans to inaugurate a radio station to rival BBC Radio 4 . Programming will run uninterrupted with no breaks for advertising.

 

HALF BILLION DOLLAR HOME IN L.A.  Movie producer turned developer Nile Niami says he's  about ready to test the market with a 100,000-square-foot mansion in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles with an asking price of  $500 million . The property includes a nightclub, four swimming pools, bowling alley and 360-degree vistas.

SEINFELD WRITING COMEDY BOOK.  Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is writing a book about comedy, his first in 25 years.  Due out in October, the book is organized by decade, from the 1970s.

 

FTC WARNS ON ROBOCALLS.  The Federal Trade Commission puts 19 internet-based phone companies on notice that assisting or facilitating robocalls could place them in legal trouble.

 

ALASKA AIRLINES HIRING.  Alaska Airlines plans to hire almost 2,800 people this year, including about 400 pilots, divided equally between Alaska and Horizon Air, along with more than 300 flight attendants, more than 1,100 passenger service agents, 450 ground service agents and 90 maintenance technicians.

 

CHASE TRIMMING STAFFERS.  JMorgan Chase & Co., in a cost-cutting measure, this week plans to dismiss several hundred workers from its consumer unit as the lender seeks to rein in costs.  The unit contains deposit, credit-card, home-loan and auto-lending businesses.

2019 TRANSFORMATIVE YEAR FOR U.S. MEDIA INDUSTRY: AXIOS

 

This year, as Axios points out, indeed was "a transformative year for the U.S. news media industry," notes Grumpy Editor.

The news and technology company reminds that "there were enormous business challenges, which resulted in an unprecedented number of layoffs, desperate product maneuvers and fire-sale deals," adding, "the economic outlook of the news industry is still grim heading into 2020." 

 

Axios says "voters are starting to tune out political coverage, which for the past few years has been the news industry's biggest money-maker. That reality, coupled with an anticipated recession, has newsrooms on edge."

 

This year, it mentions, "was a particularly brutal year for older news industries, like newspapers, magazines, television and radio. Revenue for television was down nearly 4 percent this year, and for print it was down nearly 20 percent."

 

These challenges took a human toll on journalists and news industry employees around the country, observes Axios, and "by some estimates, nearly 8,000 people were laid off or lost their jobs in media in 2019. That level of attrition is on pace to be the highest it's been since the 2009 recession."

 

 

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'HOLLAND' USE SET TO FADE.  Going into the new year, the Netherlands is set to drop from tourist promotions its long-used alternative — Holland — as it seeks to re-brand itself.  The nickname has been used for several decades. 

 

GOLDEN STATE POPULATION GROWTH SLOWS.  California’s population growth slows to a trickle --- the most sluggish rate since 1900 as residents leave and immigration decelerates.  Behind it:  fewer births, coupled with higher number of deaths with an aging population.

 

LONG-TIME SHELTER DOG FINALLY ADOPTED.  Seamus, a nine-year-old pit bull mix, spending more than 2,000 days or more than half his life in a Fresno, Calif., shelter --- The Fresno Bully Rescue --- is adopted just in time for Christmas. The shelter aims to help bully breeds, like bulldogs, pit bulls and boxers, get adopted.

 

STUDY CITES STATES WITH MISERABLE CITIES.  A Business Insider study finds the state with the most miserable cities is California, with 10 in the top 50.  Taking second place is New Jersey, with nine, then Florida with six.

 

USS MISSOURI EYEWITNESSES SOUGHT.  Organizers for a 75th anniversary event marking the end of World War II are searching for veterans who were aboard the USS Missouri where Japan officially surrendered. 

 

WILDFIRES KILL KOALAS.  Thousands of koalas in the mid-northern coast of New South Wales are feared to have died in the raging wildfires in that area that was home to about 28,000 of the animals.

 

 

NEWSEUM SHUTTERS TOMORROW.  The glass-walled journalism showcase Newseum, after 11 years in operation in Washington, D.C., across the street from the National Gallery of Art, is closing its doors tomorrow. 

 

 

And HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

NO DROUGHT TALK IN CALIFORNIA --- THIS MONTH

Heading into spring, California soon will be concerned (an annual ritual) about its water supply, especially with the influx of millions of new residents since the last reservoir was constructed in 1979, observed Grumpy Editor.

Since that last reservoir --- New Melones in Calaveras County --- went operational, California has added 15 million people.

An upcoming reservoir, the Pacheco Reservoir in southeast Santa Clara County, is in the works but completion is more than a decade away.

The Sierra Nevada snowpack, source of about one-third of California’s water supply, last week was up 161 percent from its historical average for that date and up from just 69 percent on New Year’s Day.

Every major reservoir in California is at or above its historic average, and some, like San Luis, east of Gilroy, were full.

The 10 largest reservoirs in California were built between 1927 and 1979.

Shasta Lake, the massive inland sea on the Sacramento River, was completed in 1945. Oroville, the tallest dam in the country at 770-feet on the Feather River in Butte County, was finished in 1968.

Until more reservoirs are built, much California water runoff continues to flow into the Pacific Ocean.

 

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SOME STATES EYE DUMPING DST.  With daylight saving time kicking in yesterday, some states were mulling joining Hawaii and most of Arizona to opt out of a system established more than 100 years ago. Considering staying permanently on standard time: California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. 

NORTH KOREA NUKE SITE BACK IN ACTION.  In the wake of summit talks last month between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea appeared to restore normal operations at a long-range rocket launch site it partially dismantled last year as part of what was claimed to be disarmament steps, declared U.S. analysts. 

 

TORNADO SENDS BILLBOARD 20 MILES.  A fierce tornado with 170 m.p.h. winds that blasted southeastern Alabama were so strong a billboard sign was sent flying 20 miles into neighboring Hamilton, Georgia.

 

GOAT NAMED HONORARY MAYOR.  Fair Haven, Vermont elected a three-year-old Nubian goat named Lincoln that edged out a victory over Sammie the dog.  As the town's first honorary pet mayor, Lincoln will attend special events throughout the year. 

 

NEW JERSEY CITY FROWNS ON BARKING. Saddle River, N.J. seeks to clamp down on excessive dog barking, proposing an ordinance that would prohibit loud, continuous barking for over 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.  It would be stricter at night, with penalties kicking in for barking lasting more than 15 minutes from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Officials didn't say how they plan to muzzle barking canines.)

 

DNC NIXES FOX NEWS ON DEBATES.  The Democratic National Committee nixed Fox News hosting any 2020 Democrat primary debates, citing the network's "inappropriate relationship with President Donald Trump."

 

RECORD WET WINTER.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said from December to February (what it calls winter), the lower 48 states received 9.01 inches of rain and snow --- 2.22 inches more than the 20th century normal. Record or almost record rain and snow fell in the West, Tennessee Valley and parts of the Great Lakes. 

 

MILWAUKEE GREETS NEW SPORTS EDITOR.    Louisa Boardman has been named the third sports editor in the history of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She started her career with Milwaukee newspapers in 1985.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOME RETAILERS RATED 'NICE' IN USING CHRISTMAS IN ADVERTISING

Some retailers during the holiday season refrain from using the word “Christmas” in advertising and the American Family Association (AFA) notes them on its list of "naughty" companies while branding "nice" another list of firms that use Christmas, observes Grumpy Editor.

The AFA, headquartered in Tupelo, Miss., placed these companies on its “nice” list:

1-800-Flowers.com, Ace Hardware, AFA Online Store, Banana Republic, Bass Pro Shops, Bath & Body Works, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Big Lots, Books-A-Million, Cabela's, Cracker Barrel, Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillards, Do-It-Best Hardware, Dollar Tree, Fred's, H.E.B. Stores, HSN.com, Hallmark, Harbor Freight, Harris Teeter Stores, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Hy-Vee Stores, JCPenney, JoAnn Fabrics, Kirkland's, Kmart, Kroger, L.L. Bean, Lowe's, Macy's, Marshalls, Meijer, Menard's, Michael's Stores, Neiman Marcus, Pier One Imports, ProFlowers.com, Publix, QVC.com, Rite Aid, Sam's Club, Scheels Sporting Goods, Super D Drug, TJ Maxx, Toys R Us, True Value, Wal-Mart and Zappos.com.

The AFA evaluates five areas to decide whether a retailer is "Christmas-friendly" in its advertising: print media (newspaper inserts), broadcast media (radio/television), website, social media (Facebook, Twitter) and/or personal visits to the store.

“If a company has items associated with Christmas, but did not use the word ‘Christmas,’ then the company is considered as censoring Christmas, pointed out AFA.

The list is continually updated, added AFA, and only national companies are evaluated “naughty” or “nice.”

 

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FEDEX DRIVER SAVES FLAG.  An unidentified FedEx driver in Maryland saw an American flag on the ground from a wind-blown broken flag pole, made a quick unscheduled stop on his delivery route to work the flag in the proper triangular fold and place in on the porch of the home.  The action was captured on video.

 

RADIO STATION BANS CLASSIC SONG.  FM radio station WDOK in Cleveland pulled the 1940s classic song, "Baby It's Cold Outside," from its lineup after one listener expressed concern over the lyrics. In the tune, which has been spotlighted by many artists since its debut, a female sings: "I really can’t stay,” to which a man responds: "But baby, it’s cold outside.”

 

JERRY SPRINGER TO BECOME JUDGE JERRY.  Jerry Springer, best known as host of “The Jerry Springer Show” and who started his career as a lawyer, next fall will debut as “Judge Jerry,” where he will hear testimony and render verdicts before a studio audience on NBC.

"MISINFORMATION" RATED TOP WORD IN 2018.  “Misinformation,” judged word of the year from Dictionary.com, was selected to serve as a “call to action” in the battle against fake news.

POLITICAL DEBATES, ADVERTISING GET LOW MARKS, FINDS SURVEY

A Rasmussen Reports national survey finds 68 percent of likely U.S. voters get most of their information about a political candidate from news reports, 13 percent get most of their information from debates, while seven percent rely most on political advertising or family and friends, notes Grumpy Editor.

Rasmussen also finds 46 percent of likely voters have watched candidate debates this midterm campaign season, while 49 percent have not watched any, adding "they’re split on whether those debates carry any value for them.” 

 

For the survey, Rasmusen contacted 1,000 likely voters Oct. 15-16.

 

Grumpy Editor adds that even with unlisted telephone numbers, the campaign season triggers an upswing in unwelcomed political calls morning, afternoon and night left on answering machines.

 

Since the calls are not requested, the candidates plugged mostly get a negative reaction, defeating the purpose of reaching into homes and businesses

 

Another way political candidates attempt to get the word out is via literature that fills up mail boxes --- and usually gets tossed into trash bins.

 

 

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DETAILS UPCOMING ON MISSING JOURNALIST.  Look for Turkey's president to provide details tomorrow on the investigation into missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS UP IN STATES WITH POT.  A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds traffic accidents are rising in states that have legalized recreational marijuana.

WHERE'S THE NATIONAL GUARD?  In Florida, armed looters are targeting homes and businesses that remain without electricity after being ravaged by Hurricane Michael earlier this month.

 

ALMOST HALF BILLION DOLLARS FOR PET COSTUMES.  More than 30 million people will spend about $480 million treating their pets to costumes on Halloween.  That's more than double the $220 million spent on pet Halloween costumes in 2010 when the National Retail Federation began tracking pet costumes.

 

UNWELCOMED BANK DROP-IN.  A slithering 6 1/2-foot python finds its way into the ceiling of a bank in China and spooks staffers during a meeting when it falls from the ceiling.

CHERRY BLOSSOMS BLOOM OFF-SEASON. In Tokyo, some of Japan's famed cherry blossoms bloom unexpectedly this month, raising eyebrows.   The pink and white flowers usually bloom two weeks in the spring.  Experts say a series of typhoons could have contributed to the phenomenon. 

PETA SUPPORTERS GO NAKED.  Animal rights activists, supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and covered in "bloody body paint," demonstrate topless on Thursday in New York City to protest outfitter Canada Goose over the treatment of coyotes and geese.

MARINE RECEIVES MEDAL OF HONOR.  Retired Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. John Canley, from Oxnard, Calif., gets applause in the White House when he is awarded the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump.  Now 80 years old, he "fought with unmatched bravery" at the start of one of the Vietnam War's longest and bloodiest battles.

A HOME RUN THAT WASN'T.  Houston Astros are convinced that Major League Baseball robbed the team of a two-run home run by Jose Altuve when a fan reached out in an attempt to grab the ball. 

 

 

'EVENT' TAKES THE PLACE OF 'SALE' IN ADS

 

Event. 

Especially with Labor Day next Monday, that’s the word Grumpy Editor sees gaining use in TV commercials and in newspaper ads.

Used as a substitute for sale, event doesn’t quite zero in on the activity being touted since it means occurrence, happening or episode.  Yet, it’s a growing favorite, especially with car manufacturers and car dealers.  It’s also popular with retail stores.

What would happen if you heard “year-end automobile happening.” Or “visit our occurrence today.”  Or maybe “hurry to see our episode this week.”

Those pitches wouldn’t stir many shoppers.

So what happened to the vanished sale?

Unfortunately, sale has been laid to rest with many advertisers, although sometimes one sees “sales event."

Yet, sale remains more direct since it involves “the act of selling” or “a special disposal of goods.”

One advertiser manages to get “sell” (sort of) into a pitch by promoting “sellathon.”

But sale isn’t frowned on everywhere. 

Fortunately, signs continue to go up on front lawns of houses that still read: "For Sale.”

 

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MUSK KEEPS TESLA PUBLIC.  Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, decides not to take the electric car company private after considering to do so earlier this month. He attributes the decision to the will of investors.

AIRLINES CUT ROUTES. Because of rising fuel prices, American Airlines cuts some of its international routes, including Chicago to Shanghai.   American also will fly from Chicago to Tokyo three times a week rather than daily.  Meanwhile, in the wake of new U.S. sanctions on Iran, Air France and British Airways are shutting down flights to Tehran.

AIR FORCE CONSIDERS DRESS BLUES AGAIN.  The Air Force may follow suit with the Army by adopting a dress uniform that reflects its history. That means going to dress blues.

MACBOOK WAITING IN WINGS.  Apple is preparing to launch a low-cost MacBook this year, along with a pro-focused Mac mini desktop, notes Bloomberg.

MAERSK SAILS ARCTIC ROUE.  In a trial run, Maersk, the world's biggest container shipping company, sends its first freight vessel on an Arctic route, traveling over the top of Russia from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg.

GOING BACK TO OPEN-PLAN OFFICES.  In efforts to being less stressed and more active in the office, University of Arizona researchers find open-plan offices achieve almost a third more physical activity than their counterparts in private offices and 20 percent more than those sitting in cubicles.

SNAKE BITES PRINCIPAL.  A snake turns up in an Arkansas second-grade classroom and bites the principal, a former Arkansas State Parks employee who attempted to put wildlife experience to good use and capture the serpent, only to be bitten on the thumb. The nonvenomous snake later is released in the wild.

DATA BREACH HITS T-MOBILE.  T-Mobile reveals a data breach exposes personal details of about 2 million customers names, billing zip codes, email addresses, account numbers and account types.

McCLATCHY CUTS STAFF.  The McClatchy Co., publisher of dozens of newspapers, including The Miami Herald, The Sacamento Bee, The Kansas City Star, The Idaho Statesman, The Fresno Bee and The Charlotte Observer, is cutting about 3.5 percent of its staff.

TWO MINUTES OF TV COMMERCIALS PER HOUR TARGET OF FOX

Good news for TV watchers who grumble over heavy interruptions via abundant commercials cluttering programs:  Fox Network Group is aiming to slice its television spots time to only two minutes an hour, notes Grumpy Editor.

The goal to accomplish this is by 2020. Accomplishing this would be a significant change heartily welcomed by TV watchers. 

Current commercials per hour now average a little over 13 minutes on broadcast TV --- just short of one quarter hour, according to Nielsen.  On cable TV, it’s a bit more, 16 minutes.

To compensate for the revenue drop, it means charging more for advertisers to get messages beamed.

Inspiration for the reduction in ad pitches is attributed to ad-free streaming platforms such as  Amazon and Netflix.

 

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HIGH PRICE TAG FOR DOORS.  Doors to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's office are getting a $138,670 upgrade with installation set for summer.  The Interior Department says it is necessary to replace old doors that are in "disrepair" and attributes the high cost to the historical nature of the building while noting current doors from a hallway to the sixth floor office do not lock.

 

NAVY PLANS TO MODERNIZE SUPER HORNETS AIRCRAFT FLEET.  Boeing is being called on to modernize the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets to extend their life by at least a decade and improve cockpit, communication and fuel systems.

 

MORE WOMEN READERS SOUGHT.  London-based The Economist, a weekly aiming to attract more readers, is targeting women — an underrepresented demographic in its audience. Less than 30 percent of its 1.4 million print and digital subscribers are women, finds the publisher. The publication started in 1843.

 

BAY STATE HATES GUNS, BUT PRODUCES THEM.   Massachusetts, which has strict gun-control laws and the lowest shooting-death rate, also accounts for one fourth of the 11.9 million guns produced each year, centered around Springfield.

 

EVENING NEWSCASTS TARGET TRUMP.  A Media Research Center analysis of ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts in January and February finds 10 times more negative comments about President Donald Trump than positive statements as the ongoing Russia investigation swamps all other topics.  In the study, MRC analysts looked at 505 evening news stories that mentioned the President or his administration and tallied out of 851 total minutes of airtime devoted to the administration, the networks spent almost one-fourth of it (204 minutes) on the Russia investigation, eclipsing other major topics such as the economy, immigration reform and the gun debate.

 

TOP CITIES FOR EARLY RISERS FOR WORK.  A Census Bureau survey from 2009 to 2015 to determine key locations of early risers finds top cities where commuters leave for work before 5 a.m. include:  Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana: 13.3 percent; Pascagoula, Mississippi: 11.9 percent; El Centro, California and Stockton-Lodi, California: 11 percent; Hammond, Louisiana: 10.9 percent, and Merced, California: 10.1 percent.

 

U.S. SET TO OVERTAKE RUSSIA IN OIL PRODUCTION.  Within five years the U.S. is aiming to overtake Russia as the world’s largest oil producer with 12.1 million barrels a day, predicts the International Energy Agency.

 

WORKPLACE DRUG TESTS FADING.  As the job market tightens and more states legalize marijuana, a growing number of American employers is dropping drug tests as hiring prerequisites, notes Bloomberg.  With employers accepting drug use more, testing is no longer worth the expense.

VEGAS GETS NEW SLOGAN AFTER SHOOTING RAMPAGE

 

Grumpy Editor says look for a new, widely circulated slogan in print and on TV for Las Vegas following the Oct. 1 shooting rampage on the Las Vegas Strip.

Advertising experts say the 14-year-old rallying cry --- “What Happens Here, Stays Here ” --- is among the more famous tag lines in modern tourism marketing, one of the most quoted, talked about and recognized.

Las Vegas ad agency R&R Partners develops a new advertising campaign that starts to run over the weekend for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.  The new ads build on the grass-roots #VegasStrong social media hashtag, says Billy Vassiliadis the ad agency’s CEO. 

The campaign aims to express gratitude for everybody in the community who responded to the tragedy, including police officers, paramedics and doctors, while highlighting how much Las Vegas has come together.

“We’re going to let people know that we are strong, and that we’ll be coming through this and coming out of this in a strong fashion,” points out Vassiliadis.  “A lot of people spent a lot money and a lot of years building this world-class destination. We’re not going to let one lunatic ruin it.”

As a motive continues to be sought by authorities, Time magazine's Oct. 16 cover story on the Las Vegas shooting rampage provides a one-line food for thought --- "The glitzy (Las Vegas) boulevard is a symbol of our culture of decadence: there's a reason that the Islamic State released a 44-minute propaganda video in May calling for supporters to conduct attacks there."

Meanwhile, CNN reports Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock didn't spend all his time in casinos --- he also took at least 20 cruises that sailed to Spain, Italy, Greece, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Las Vegas Strip marquees went dark at 10:05 for 11 minutes last night in honor of the 58 victims killed during the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest festival. 

IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE…

MOST MEDIA SOCK IT TO TRUMP.  An analysis of 3,000 stories across 24 media organizations during the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency finds reporting on the president has been the most negative over the past quarter century compared to other presidents. Findings show only 5 percent positive media coverage during the period with 62 percent  negative and 33 percent neither positive nor negative.

 

PBS AND NBC TAKE HONORS. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences names PBS and CNN winners in the business and economics news categories for the 38th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

 

CHINA THROWS CURVE TO HOLLYWOOD.  China has been underreporting audience figures, screenings and box office ticket sales, the latter by about 9 percent last year, says the Motion Picture Association of America.

AROUND, AROUND SHE GOES.  The Senate Intelligence Committee expands the long-running Russia probe despite a lack of evidence, points out Lou Dobbs on Fox Business.

 

NBC SETS SAN JUAN BUREAU.  NBC News plans to open a bureau in San Juan as a base to report on recovery activities from hurricanes.  The network is renting a house where news crews will be based.

 

HOWARD STERN GETS TOP PAY.  Howard Stern, heard on SiriusXM, tops Forbes’ list as the highest-paid radio host, earning about $90 million in the year ended June, 2017.  Premiere Networks’ Rush Limbaugh placed second on Forbes tally with an estimated $84 million.

DODGING WIND, RAIN --- AND CHAIR.  Mike Seidel, Weather Channel meteorologist and field reporter, standing outside in 85 m.p.h. wind and rain nearly gets smacked by a beach chair Saturday night while covering Hurricane Nate as it made landfall near  Biloxi, Miss.