COURT VACATES MOST OF AWARD TO QUINCY JONES
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones made some of the biggest hits in music history, like the “Thriller” album. Jackson died in 2009. And when his estate used some of his hits in the concert movie “This Is It” and in two Cirque de Soleil shows, Jones sued, saying he was owed royalties. In 2017, a jury awarded Jones $9.4 million. But an appeals court has cut the award. Jones now gets only $2.5 million.
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122072-w-389:28-(Oscar Wells Gabriel, AP entertainment correspondent)-"I'm Oscar Wells Gabriel"-Court overturns Quincy Jones' win in Michael Jackson lawsuit (6 May 2020)
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FORMER PRES. OBAMA JOINS MAKE-UP GRADUATION EVENT
NEW YORK (AP) — From a bummer — to Obama. A lot of high school students were bummed when their in-person graduation ceremonies were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. But now, they’re getting a big-name speaker at their commencement. Former President Barack Obama will speak at the May 16th event organized by NBA star LeBron James. All four broadcast networks will carry the event live.
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122031-w-320:16-(Margie Szaroleta (zar-oh-LEH'-tah), AP entertainment correspondent, with music)-"I'm Margie Szaroleta"-Barack Obama will headline televised prime-time commencement (5 May 2020)
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TV RATINGS
NEW YORK (AP) — Being quarantined means we’re taking most of our meals at home. So, it’s no shock that food and home are among the subjects many of us are watching on TV these days. Nielsen reports the Food Network saw its ratings last month rise 25% over last year. HGTV saw a similar spike, with 22% more viewers tuning in. Both networks have tweaked their programming to appeal to shut-ins. For example, Food Network’s Guy Fieri has been showing viewers where he goes for takeout.
CBS RENEWS 23 SHOWS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — TV viewers craving familiarity will find it on CBS next season. The network has announced that it's renewing nearly two-dozen series including newcomers “The Unicorn” and “All Rise” and stalwarts “Blue Bloods” and “The Amazing Race.” The 23 shows will be part of the network’s lineup for the 2020-21 season, along with new offerings to be unveiled in the coming weeks. “Young Sheldon,” “Bob Hearts Abishola” and “Evil'' are also returning. CBS brought back 24 series last year. ABC, Fox and NBC have yet to announce plans for next season.
CELEBRITIES TO READ “HARRY POTTER” FOR FRIENDS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Want to hear the actor who played “Harry Potter” read part of the book to you? You can, now that Daniel Radcliffe has signed on for a deal in which he and other celebrities will read parts of the original J.K. Rowling book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” All 17 chapters will be read in video and audio form. Other readers include David Beckham, Dakota Fanning and Eddie Redmayne.
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Online:
Harry Potter site: http://www.harrypotterathome.com
DISNEY SLUMPS BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS
NEW YORK (AP) — You don’t have to be a business expert to imagine how Disney’s finances are doing these days. Its theme parks are closed, its film studios are shuttered — and many of its big blockbuster movies have been delayed. Disney also owns ESPN and the streaming service ESPN Plus — and they’ve lost viewers because there are no live sports anymore. It all adds up to grim financial news. The company says its second-quarter profits dropped 91% to $475 million. That’s down a whopping $5.4 billion from the year before.
METROPOLITAN OPERA ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS
NEW YORK (AP) — No performances for the Metropolitan Opera — means no work for some of its employees. The opera company has laid off 41 of its administrative employees; that’s about 20% of its full-time staff, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those laid off get two weeks’ pay as they leave — and will keep getting their health insurance.
KRAFTWERK CO-FOUNDER DIES
BERLIN (AP) — A co-founder of German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk has died. Florian Schneider-Esleben was 73. Schneider-Esleben was involved in Kraftwerk albums spanning three decades, including Autobahn, Radio-Activity, Trans-Europe Express, The Man-Machine and Tour de France. He left Kraftwerk at the end of 2008. Schneider-Esleben and fellow group founder Ralf Huetter started working together in 1968. In 1970, they founded the Kling-Klang-Studio in Duesseldorf and launched Kraftwerk. Huetter told record label Sony that Schneider-Esleben had been suffering from cancer.
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122149-r-494:88-(Kraftwerk, performing "Autobahn")-"(music fades)"-Musician Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk dies (6 May 2020)
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122164-r-225:12-(Kraftwerk, performing "Computer Love")-"(music fades)"-Musician Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk dies (6 May 2020)
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PHILIPPINES BROADCASTER KICKED OFF THE AIR BY GOV’T
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Imagine if the leader of a country pulled the license of a broadcast network that has criticized his administration. It’s what’s happening in the Philippines, where the top broadcast network is now off the air. The license for ABS-CBN Corp. is no longer valid now that its 25-year congressional franchise ended Monday. That leaves Filipinos without a major news provider during the coronavirus pandemic. It also raises concerns that President Rodrigo Duterte (doo-TEHR’-tay) used his clout with lawmakers to muzzle news outlets that criticize administration policies.
by Oscar Wells Gabriel II
Follow Oscar Wells Gabriel II on Twitter at https://twitter.com/OWGabriel2