NEWS & VIEWS

285 thoughts on “NEWS & VIEWS

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    Good Night Chet, Good Night David

    Jason Remington • August 4, 2026

    NBC Nightly News launched in 1970 as the successor to the long-running Huntley-Brinkley Report.

    Chet Huntley retired after the final Huntley-Brinkley Report on July 31, 1970.

    The program officially became NBC Nightly News starting August 1–3, 1970 (weekend broadcasts began around August 1; the first major weekday edition is often dated August 3).

    It aired in the traditional half-hour evening news slot (typically 6:30 p.m. ET).

    NBC initially used a rotating “troika” (or platoon) system of three anchors:
    David Brinkley
    John Chancellor
    Frank McGee

    At least one (and often two) would appear on any given night. This arrangement proved confusing for viewers and lasted only about a year. By August 1971, John Chancellor became the sole primary weeknight anchor, with Brinkley shifting to commentary and McGee moving to Today.

    The change came at a time when the Huntley-Brinkley Report had dominated ratings for years but was losing ground to Walter Cronkite’s CBS Evening News. The new Nightly News struggled initially in the ratings and generally finished second to CBS through much of the 1970s, though it remained a major national newscast covering major events of the era.

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    KZAL now the BULL

    Jason Remington • August 4, 2026

    Yes, KZAL (94.7 FM, licensed to Manson, Washington, serving the Lake Chelan and Greater Wenatchee area) has rebranded as 94.7 The Bull.

    In July 2026, the station (previously known as Z-Country 94.7) shifted from a general country format to classic country, positioning itself as “True Country From the 90s Beyond.” It is owned by AudioSphere LLC (which acquired it in 2025).

    The station features hosts including Randy Roadz in mornings and Jeff Conwell in afternoon drive. Its website is 947thebull.com.

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    Identification Needed For Food, Not For Voting

    Duke Stern • August 4, 2026

    Multiple Democratic politicians and officials (including former Attorney General Eric Holder, John Fetterman, and others) have cited studies showing that African Americans are less likely than white Americans to possess government-issued photo ID.

    Fetterman has argued that poorer people and “people of color” are less likely to have ID readily available.

    This is sometimes raised in contexts of online services, registration, or document applications. An argument used against voter registration/proof of identification.

    Surveys and research (from groups across the spectrum) consistently show disparities in photo ID possession by race/income/age, while also showing that large majorities of Black and Hispanic Americans support voter ID requirements and that most adults of all backgrounds possess some form of government ID.

    If you don’t possess identification, that is simply a result of low-IQ, irresponsible behavior.

    But now, you will need identification in order to get your oatmeal at New York’s government-run grocery store.

    Mamdani is a joke. A stain on the political history of the city. Will police patrol these stores to prevent rampant theft? What happens with these government stores will be fun to watch.

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          Duke Stern The next Governor of Wisconsin

          From the X account of Jeffery Mead @the_jefferymead with Jeffrey’s comments following the video —
          This woman has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she was just sued for over $29,000 in unpaid credit card debt..

          Guess who paid it off? Her family..

          She’s a democratic socialist who wants to abolish police also. And this is who Dems are likely to try and make the next governor of Wisconsin…
          ****
          Francesca Hong (born November 4, 1988) is a Wisconsin Democratic state representative and democratic socialist who is running for governor in the 2026 election. She is currently the frontrunner in the Democratic primary (scheduled for August 11, 2026) to succeed term-limited Gov. Tony Evers.

          Hong was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly (District 76, covering parts of Madison) in 2020, becoming the first Asian American member of the Wisconsin Legislature. She has been reelected since and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Assembly’s Socialist Caucus. She also formed the first Asian Caucus in the Assembly.

          She has also introduced immigration-related measures such as the Keep Families Together package.

          As well as being a supporter of open borders, she wants to abolish the police.

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    Fauci's Covid Lies

    Jason Remington • August 3, 2026

    Kennedy had been interviewed by another of the snarky female anchors of CNN, Dana Bash.

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    FCC Commercial FM Auction

    Jason Remington • August 2, 2026

    The FCC has announced it will hold Auction 114 of 132 commercial FM allocations starting on February 2, 2027. (Details from Radio Insight https://radioinsight.com/headlines/368492/fcc-report-8-3-date-rules-set-for-fm-auction-114/ )
    In Washington, a Class A at 94.5 FM – Oak Harbor
    Class A is the lowest-power full-service commercial FM class, intended mainly for local coverage: Maximum effective radiated power (ERP): 6 kW
    Maximum antenna height above average terrain (HAAT): 100 meters (328 feet)
    Reference/protected service contour: 60 dBu (1 mV/m) out to about 28.3 km (17.6 miles)
    City-grade (70 dBu) contour: roughly 16.2 km (10.1 miles)

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    Alex Jones' Trump Allegiance Fractured

    Jason Remington • August 1, 2026

    The most prominent recent development in the Alex Jones saga is that he is publicly calling for President Trump’s impeachment or the invocation of the 25th Amendment related to the ongoing Iran war/conflict. On his show and X posts this week, Jones described the situation as “absolutely out of control,” warned about preparations for a national draft or ground invasion, and urged pressure on Congress to end the conflict. He has framed it as a quagmire involving issues like control of the Strait of Hormuz and resource shortages, claiming his earlier predictions aligned with events.

    The Iran war has caused many followers to jump from the Trump train.

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    Stern Pinching Pennies Regarding Employee Severance

    Jason Remington • August 1, 2026

    (U.S. SUN & PAGE SIX) Many of Howard Stern’s former employees are reportedly fighting for more severance after getting laid off earlier this month.

    Stern laid off about a dozen staffers from his SiriusXM show, Page Six previously reported, because he’s preparing to drop to just one new show a week after Labor Day.

    Stern-smBut many of the now-unemployed staffers declined the severance package offer of just about one week of pay per year worked, instead pushing for more money, the US Sun reported Thursday.

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    Network Switcheroo Concerns FCC

    Jason Remington • August 1, 2026

    The FCC, under Chairman Brendan Carr, has expressed concern over a recent wave of Big Four (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) network affiliation changes/swaps among local TV stations, launching investigatory actions into at least one (and potentially more) of these transactions as of late July 2026.

    These involve stations in multiple markets shifting affiliations—for example, CBS affiliations moving from certain Nexstar-owned stations (in places like Albuquerque and Bismarck) to others such as Hearst or Forum stations (sometimes on digital subchannels), and an ABC affiliation shift in St. Louis tied to activity involving Gray Media and Sinclair.

    Carr has framed the issue around the idea that some broadcasters appear to treat affiliation deals as a lawless free-for-all. He stated that “This is not the Wild West, or as I like to say, it’s not Nam. There are some rules of the road,” and that companies mistaken in viewing it as completely unregulated are wrong. The FCC is examining whether the moves may violate federal policy or existing rules governing network-affiliate relationships.

    A key worry is that the flurry of changes could leave local TV stations in a weaker bargaining and operational position relative to the national networks that supply national news and entertainment programming. This ties into broader FCC priorities around localism and stations’ ability to fulfill public-interest obligations.

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    Living the Life Of Romo

    Jason Remington • August 1, 2026

    It always amazes me that someone making this kind of money puts it all on the line with some stupid action like drinking and driving…

    NYTimes– When CBS Sports signed Tony Romo to a 10-year, $180 million contract in 2020, a top sports media executive called me immediately after and said, “This is the worst contract in media history.”

    TonyRomoIt may end up being just that.

    CBS has called a timeout on the deal after Romo’s arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Following the arrest has been a steady drip of new information, including 45 minutes’ worth of multi-angle video of the traffic stop during which Romo is given a citation for an open container of alcohol that contradicted him saying he had no drinks.

    The incident led the network to announce that Romo “is on leave from his role at CBS until further notice.” CBS elevated J.J. Watt to team with Jim Nantz in the network’s No. 1 NFL booth and offered no further comment.

    Romo’s contract calls for him to receive a nearly implausible $72 million over the next four years, but he is going to have to make quite a case to get his top job back.

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    Start Your (Hydro) Engines

    Reader Submission • August 1, 2026

    August 1954 Hydro highlight… Dr. Black calmly said to Cantrell, “Did you have an invitation?” And offered him a cocktail.

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    Filling out the “60 Minutes” roster

    Reader Submission • August 1, 2026

    “I’m told that there have been dozens of screen tests conducted in recent weeks for potential ‘60 Minutes’ correspondents, a practice several veteran television executives I spoke to described as odd. As they noted, those under consideration for a job on broadcast television’s most prestigious news program should already have a body of work to review and a screen test would also do little to shed light on a journalist’s investigative reporting skills. In any event, CBS News has been asking those interested in a job to participate in the tests — even those under contract at other networks, creating somewhat of a stir within the industry.”
    — Oliver Darcy, Status media newsletter

    Sidebar: The tests themselves are also, well, unusual. Some have featured mock interviews with a person playing Ghislaine Maxwell, the close Epstein associate. Weiss has long wanted to secure an interview with Maxwell, So, in that context, perhaps the Maxwell mock interview makes a little sense, though it is nevertheless a bizarre way in which to interview for any job, never mind ‘60 Minutes.

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    Getting Baked @ SeaFair

    Jason Remington • July 31, 2026

    August heat will hit the PNW this weekend. Thousands will turn out to view the hydro races and KMIH “The Bridge” will have all the action on-air at 88.9 FM.

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    Turn Out The Lights On Your AM Station

    Jason Remington • July 31, 2026

    Effective September 1, 2026, Audacy will discontinue operations of News & Talk 840 AM (KXNT-AM) in Las Vegas. That’s the 3rd AM station there shut down since 2023.
    Conservative Talk/News will be heard on KDWN Vegas 101.5 K-Dawn.
    The property the transmitter for KXNT sits on has been sold to a developer.

    This will happen in Seattle someday. There are many stations underperforming. It’s just a matter of time.

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      AM radio is dying

      Steve • August 1, 2026

      It is certainly sad to read this. Whatever the faults of AM radio, its signals can travel great distances at night. This is excellent for emergency situations and for people living in isolated areas beyond the range of local radio signals.

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      AM Real Estate

      T.K. • August 1, 2026

      The NIMBYs on Vashon won’t stand for a transmitter site getting turned into a subdivision, so I think those are all relatively safe. The Mercer Slough sites (880/1150/1540) are all on preserve land owned by the city of Bellevue, so they aren’t going anywhere. The 850 site is owned by Vertical Bridge but is in the Puyallup River floodplain.

      The 1590/1300/1680 site on Bainbridge would probably fetch a pretty penny. It’s surrounded by housing on two sides. The entire island is within city limits (and therefore a designated Urban Growth Area). A proposal to build there would probably fly even if the neighbors don’t like it.

      The West Seattle site of 1050/1250 looks ripe for housing development and 1420/1620 in Renton as well. 1210 in Auburn could be turned into an industrial site.

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        The fall of AM radio

        Jason Remington • August 1, 2026

        Right. The Auburn station is a great location for something like an Amazon distribution center, between Seattle and Tacoma.

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          Jason Remington What happens in Vegas doesn't always survive in Vegas

          KXNT Host Alan Stock announced the closure Friday at the start of his “News at 8” program, reading from a prepared statement while wearing headphones.

          “I have an important update for our listeners. Effective September 1, News Talk 840 KXNT will conclude its broadcast operation,” Stock said. “To put it simply, the station’s transmitter site is shutting down. Our parent company, Audacy, explored a number of alternative transmission options, but ultimately wasn’t able to identify a technically and financially viable long-term solution. This wasn’t an easy decision.”

          “I know KXNT has been a part of this community for a long time, and it’s been an honor to spend time with you every day,” Stock continued. “I’m incredibly grateful to our listeners, our advertisers, and everyone who has made the station such an important part of Las Vegas.”
          The approximately 40 full- and part-time staffers will remain with Audacy.

          THAT is rare. No loss of jobs. Just fortunate there was an FM in town to catch them when they fell.

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