Ke$ha's "Die Young" dropped from radio airplay

As Billboard previously reported, following the shooting deaths of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., on Friday (Dec. 14), Ke$ha's "Die Young" has dropped in radio airplay. A look at the last two days of airplay, monitored by Nielsen BDS, however, shows that decline to be steadying somewhat. Radio Reacts to Newtown, From Dropping Ke$ha's 'Die Young' to Providing Comfort Adult pop station WDAQ Danbury, Conn., located about 10 miles from Newtown, stopped playing the track after Friday's tragedy, with the station's program director, Rich Minor, telling Billboard (Dec. 18), "We've been playing it before Friday but not since and I think we're now done with it.

Even though it's a fun pop/dance record about seizing the moment, all people are going to hear right now [are] those two words in the title." Airplay for the song in the Northeast was noticeably lower after Friday, although not all stations in the region have dropped the song permanently.

"We backed off 'Die Young' initially [but it's] back in regular rotation," Pop Songs panelist WODS Boston PD Dan Mason told Billboard (Dec. 18). "So far, no negative calls or texts from listeners about it." "Out of respect to the victims, and to be sensitive to parents in our listening audience, we did pull ['Young'] temporarily from rotation.

It will return [Dec. 19]," adult pop WSJO Atlantic City, N.J., assistant PD/music director Heather DeLuca echoed (Dec. 18). Ke$ha 'Was FORCED' to Sing 'Die Young' Lyrics, Singer Tweets Even Ke$ha herself has expressed sorrow over the timing of "Young." "I'm so so so sorry for anyone who has been effected by this tragedy.and I understand why my song is now inappropriate. words cannot express," she Tweeted on Tuesday (Dec. 18). As of Wednesday evening, she has not updated her account since.

However, a look at airplay for "Young" on Monday and Tuesday (Dec. 17 and 18) shows that it's actually trending back up nationally since the weekend. According to BDS, on the more than 1,200 stations monitored for the Billboard Hot 100, the song logged approximately 2,300 plays each day. That's up slightly from about 2,100 spins each on Dec. 15 and 16. Notably, "Young" did begin to decline sharply from Dec. 13 through Dec. 15, which sandwiched the Dec. 14 tragedy.

Over those three days, plays for the song fell from 3,000 to 2,700 to 2,100. Until then, the song was peaking at around 3,000 all-format plays per day. Its decline appears to have hastened due to programmer concerns about potential insensitivity but it's important to note that the downturn is also part of the song's natural chart arc. Additionally, RCA Records had already announced the release of the song's follow-up single, "C'mon," which is receiving airplay on more than 50 pop stations early into its radio promotion. On the Radio Songs chart this week, "Young" dips 3-5, down 19% from last week's sum of 120 million to 97 million audience impressions.

The fall marks the greatest plummet in airplay among titles in the chart's top five since Mariah Carey's "Don't Forget About Us" fell to No. 5 after spending five weeks at No. 1 (descending from 128 million to 105 million) the week of Feb. 4, 2006. Going forward, "Young" is likely to continue decreasing in airplay, again through a combination of extra lyrical analysis from PDs and the typical decline of a former No. 1 Pop Songs hit. Stations, especially those serving communities in Connecticut, meanwhile, continue to respond to the needs of listeners following the events of last week.

Adult contemporary WRCH Hartford, Conn., PD Allan Camp says that the station has since made several changes in its programming. "Initially, we simulcasted our all-news AM sister station, WTIC. Once we returned to playing music, we adjusted our current all-Christmas playlist away from novelty cuts and added more comforting songs into power rotation. "Psychologist Dr. Elaine Ducharme spent Monday morning with us and we put her breaks up in podcast form online, along with additional links to helpful resources," Camp says. "We're also posting videos of artists who've written songs in honor of the victims."

Camp feels that the role of radio is always to be about more than just the music, even more so during trying times. "It's a tender time and we continue to try and be there for listeners who need the escape from the news cycle, while remaining respectful and caring to the people of Newtown and the state," he added. "It's a big difference when something like this happens in your neighborhood. We are treading carefully." Keith Dakin, operations manager of adult pop WEZN and rock WPLR and WFOX in Bridgeport, Conn., likewise says that recent days have been difficult.

"It's been a very challenging time, that's for sure. Newtown is only about 20 minutes away, clearly in our listening area. "On Friday morning, when we got the news, our general manager, Kristin Okesson, and I decided to flip the station to all-talk from about 11:30 a.m. to 10 at night," Dakin says. "Our morning show came back to the station and did six hours live simply with news, information and calls. We did the same thing on WPLR and WFOX." Dakin says that by Friday night, WEZN returned to playing music, but with changes. "We tried to take out anything that was too 'up' or just felt wrong. We produced special promos and sweepers that ran all weekend.

We also ran news at the top and bottom of each hour," he says. "By Monday, we were back to regular format but we dropped songs that felt insensitive, Ke$ha's being a perfect example. Also, no remotes, liners, contesting or silly morning show games and bits." Going forward, Dakin says, the station is aiming to help in an even more tangible way. "We're focused on a radiothon that we will be staging on Friday (Dec. 21) to raise money for the Sandy Hook Support Fund. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., we'll be taking donations on all three radio stations. It's been a few days that hopefully we will never have to go through again."

Ann Curry to CNN??

Curry Could Add CNN Spice (NY Post / Page Six)


Incoming president of CNN Worldwide Jeff Zucker has plans to bring ousted Today show co-host Ann Curry to his new network as a high-profile anchor, sources tell Page Six. Zucker -- the former executive producer ofToday and one-time NBC Universal head -- is interested in installing Curry in CNN's 8 p.m. time slot, we hear, which is currently occupied by Anderson Cooper. 

Business Insider In his new role as president of CNN, Zucker wants the scorned Today show anchor to come in as a high-profile personality but later transition to a "Christiane Amanpour role" as a globetrotting correspondent. "Jeff wants a headliner like Rachel Maddow or Bill O'Reilly in prime time," sources tell the Post. "He cannot allow the low ratings at CNN to continue... so he can't hire a nobody. Curry fits that CNN-smarty-pants-foreign-affairs type." The Atlantic Wire The move, if it happens, would actually be a good one. Even though she was dismissed by the Todayshow, Curry came out on the winning end -- fans rallied behind her and Today's ratings have dropped. (And we've seen NBC try, very publicly and on several occasions, to take the bullet for Matt Lauer.) Mediaite Much of that may be true but there is one big problem with this story. The Post's source is likely wrong. While Curry would certainly be a feather in the cap of CNN, and could be a great news anchor and reporter for them, CNN will likely be looking for opinionated or big personality hosts in its primetime slots. Chicago Sun-Times In checking with knowledgeable sources -- both at NBC and CNN -- it's clear Curry maintains a strong reserve of popularity with many viewers. "Ann has an uncanny ability to communicate her humanity to everyone, but it especially resonates with people watching her on television," said a longtime NBC producer who has worked with Curry. Added a source at the cable network, "I think she would bring a breath of fresh air -- tempered with a strong history with viewers -- if she does come to CNN." HuffPost There are many obstacles to this notion -- Cooper's status as the most popular figure on CNN and Curry's recently signed, long-term, multi-million dollar contract with NBC among them -- but it is a fun one nonetheless. To picture Curry bolting her still-awkward situation at NBC for the man who worked with her onToday and turning into the queen of cable? Delicious.

Rhonda Lee was fired from a Louisiana news station after she responded to a viewer’s Facebook comment about her "ethnic hair"

Meteorologist fired after responding to negative Facebook comments

Rhonda Lee was fired from a Louisiana news station after she responded to a viewer’s Facebook comment about her "ethnic hair"

(Madeleine Morgenstern) A black female meteorologist was fired from a Louisiana news station after she responded to a viewer’s Facebook comment about her “ethnic hair.”

Rhonda Lee, formerly of ABC affiliate KTBS in Shreveport, La., had also responded to another reader’s post that had pointed out that the winners of a station contest were all “people of color.”

The first viewer, identified as Emmitt Vascocu, wrote in an Oct. 1post on KTBS’ Facebook page, “the black lady that does the news is a very nice lady.the onlt [sic] thing is she needs to wear a wig or grow some more hair. im [sic] not sure if she is a cancer patient.” Somewhat strangely, the post received a “like” from KTBS 3 News.

Lee responded several days later to say she was the “black lady” and that she is “very proud of my African-American ancestry which includes my hair.”

“Traditionally our hair doesn’t grow downward. It grows upward,” she wrote. “Many Black women use strong straightening agents in order to achieve a more European grade of hair and that is their choice. However in my case I don’t find it necessary. I’m very proud of who I am and the standard of beauty I display. Women come in all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and levels of beauty. Showing little girls that being comfortable in the skin and HAIR God gave me is my contribution to society.”

Vascocu responded that Lee was “right to be proud of” where she was from and said he was “not at all a racis” [sic.]

“what im trying to say an this is my opionion. [sic] this world has has certain standerd. [sic] if youve come from a world of being poor are you going to dress in rags?” he wrote.

One month later, a second viewer commented on the station’s Facebook page that the child winners of the station’s “Three Minute Smile” contest for a three-minute shopping spree were all “people of color.”

“This is Channel 3, not KSLA, the “Project Pride” network, that might as well be part of the BET channel,” viewer Kenny Moreland wrote.

Lee responded that the children were “picked at random” and that if the poster “truly just want[s] to see the kids happy your message had a funny way of showing it.”

KTBS news director Randy Bain said in a statement to Joural-isms Tuesday that Lee was fired on Nov. 28 for repeatedly violating the station’s policy against responding to comments on the official KTBS Facebook page — a rule Lee said is not written down and that she was never informed of.

“[The station's general manager] claims that even if a policy isn’t on paper we as employees are responsible for abiding by them. There isn’t anything in our employee manual talking about social media dos and don’ts. I was accountable for a rule that essentially isn’t in existence,” Lee toldJournal-isms.

But Bain said Lee was “warned multiple times of the consequences” of commenting on Facebook posts, and said another employee, “a white male reporter who was an eight year veteran of the station,” was dismissed for the same reason as well.

“If harsh viewer comments are posted on the station’s official website, there is a specific procedure to follow,” Bain said. “Ms. Rhonda Lee was let go for repeatedly violating that procedure and after being warned multiple times of the consequences if her behavior continued. Rhonda Lee was not dismissed for her appearance or defending her appearance. She was fired for continuing to violate company procedure.”

Earlier this year, Lee filed a discrimination lawsuit against Austin, Texas NBC affiliate KXAN alleging she was fired after being “repeatedly subjected to crude and insensitive remarks about her race.”

Read more: The Blaze

Jenni Rivera, big-voiced Queen of Banda, dies at 43

Jenni Rivera, big-voiced Queen of Banda, dies at 43

Born in Long Beach, California, Jenni Rivera was at the peak of her career as perhaps the most successful female singer in grupero, a male-dominated regional style influenced by the norteno, cumbia and ranchero styles.

A 43-year-old mother of five children and grandmother of two, the woman known as the "Diva de la Banda" was known for her frank talk about her struggles to give a good life to her children despite a series of setbacks.

She was recently divorced from her third husband, was once detained at a Mexico City airport with tens of thousands of dollars in cash, and she publicly apologized after her brother assaulted a drunken fan who verbally attacked her in 2011.

Her openness about her personal troubles endeared her to millions in the US and Mexico.
"I am the same as the public, as my fans," she told The Associated Press in an interview last March.

Rivera sold 15 million records, and recently won two Billboard Mexican Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year and Banda Album of the Year for "Joyas prestadas: Banda." She was nominated for Latin Grammys in 2002, 2008 and 2011.

Transportation and Communications Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said "everything points toward" the wreckage belonging to the plane carrying Rivera and six other people to Toluca, outside Mexico City, from Monterrey, where the singer had just given a concert.

"There is nothing recognizable, neither material nor human" in the wreckage found in the state of Nuevo Leon, Ruiz Esparza said. The impact was so powerful that the remains of the plane "are scattered over an area of 250 to 300 meters. It is almost unrecognizable."

Augusta Ada Byron-Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), born Augusta Ada Byron and now commonly known as Ada Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognised as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. Because of this, she is often considered the world's first computer programmer.

Ada was the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Byron. She had no relationship with her father, who separated from her mother just a month after Ada was born, and four months later he left England forever and died in Greece in 1823 when she was eight. As a young adult, she took an interest in mathematics, and in particular Babbage's work on the analytical engine. 

Between 1842 and 1843, she translated an article by Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea on the engine, which she supplemented with a set of notes of her own. These notes contain what is considered the first computer program – that is, an algorithm encoded for processing by a machine. Ada's notes are important in the early history of computers. She also foresaw the capability of computers to go beyond mere calculating or number-crunching while others, including Babbage himself, focused only on these capabilities.

Ed "Cass" Cassidy, World's Greatest and Oldest Rock Drummer Passes away

ARROYO GRANDE, CA (IFS) -- He left us at 7:30 this morning... It was an easy passing.  Glad I got to spend nearly 25 years playing and recording with him.  He was my Guru, being able to still play drums into his late 80's is amazing!
Thanks to you for putting out "On The Blue Road" !
All My Best,
Merrell


SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Drummer Ed Cassidy, a co-founded of the 1960s rock band Spirit, died last week in California at the age of 89, former bandmates said.
Cassidy was battling cancer at a San Jose assisted-living home when he died Thursday.
A Facebook posting by Cassidy's stepson and Spirit guitarist Randy Cassidy said his stepdad was "one of the world's drummers," The Hollywood Reporter said Sunday.

Ed Cassidy was noted for his shaved head and performing drum solos with his bare hands. He earned the nickname "Mr. Skin," which was the title of a song on their 1970 album "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus."
Ed and Randy Cassidy formed Spirit in Los Angeles and released their first album in 1968. Ed Cassidy, was 28 years older than 16-year-old Randy and came from a jazz background.

The differences in age and musical chops proved not to be a detriment to Spirit's success, The Reporter said. The group released 11 albums between 1968 and 1977 and several singles.
The group was also the headliner at Led Zepplin's first U.S. gig in 1968.

PSY's anti-American rap comes back to haunt

Weekend Christmas concert for president is still on
By Mark C. Brown

My, this is awkward.

PSY, this year’s instant celebrity with “Gangnam Style,” has been all over the internet, television and iPods.

What no one has been listening to up till now is “Dear American,” a 2004 protest song in which PSY joins others in protesting American policies in Korea and Iraq. According to sources including the Washington Post and New York Magazine, the rap translates to:

Kill those (expletive) Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives

Kill those (expletive) Yankees who ordered them to torture

Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers

Kill them all slowly and painfully
Now my skills in Korean rap are non-existent, but running the original Korean text through several online translators do consistently bring up Yankees (spelled Yang Ke) and the “killing slowly and painfully” part comes through pretty clear.
This news comes at a very inconvenient time, given PSY is due to perform for President Obama and others at a Christmas concert in Washington D.C. on Sunday. According to the Post a petition has already been started to remove him from the bill. Some websites have tried to explain the changing nature of Korean attitudes toward the United States, but given the political atmosphere of the past few months subtleties and varying translations aren't going to win the day.

If anyone out there is fluent in Korean, here’s the song. Let us know what you hear.
UPDATE: PSY owns up to his words and issues an apology. He is quoted in Rolling Stone saying:

"As a proud South Korean who was educated in the United States and lived there for a very significant part of my life, I understand the sacrifices American servicemen and women have made to protect freedom and democracy in my country and around the world," said Psy in a statement. "The song – from eight years ago – was part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two innocent Korean civilians that was part of the overall antiwar sentiment shared by others around the world at that time. While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted. I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused anyone by those words.
"I have been honored to perform in front of American soldiers in recent months – including an appearance on the Jay Leno show specifically for them – and I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology. While it's important we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so. In my music I try to give people a release, a reason to smile. I have learned that though music, our universal language we can all come together as a culture of humanity and I hope that you will accept my apology."

Via the Associated Press, the president indicated he will attend Sunday's concert, which is customary for the office.