Chances are you saw this video over the weekend in which seemingly countless local news broadcasters read from an identical script lamenting fake news and irresponsible journalism. The stations are owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, a media company that owns 200 local news stations and is on the verge of acquiring 40 more when it takes over Tribune Media, which is just a matter of time. When that happens, Sinclair will have stations in 72% of the country. Oh, and as I might have mentioned earlier, to comply with FCC rules, Sinclair will be required to sell some of their stations before they can purchase Tribune, but they’re trying to pull some fuckery where they wouldn’t actually relent control of those stations.
Sinclair requires their stations to read prepared statements that often skew conservative, and to air segments by Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump advisor, some four times a week. You might remember a segment John Oliver did about them last year, and here’s what he ran last night in response to the chilling video above:
Someone else also took notice of the story this morning, and you’ll be surprised to learn that President FAKE NEWS! sees no problem here:
After I posted about David Hogg’s call for a boycott of Laura Ingraham’s program on Friday, more advertisers dropped out and the host announced she’d be taking this week off. And now the right is calling Hogg the bully. But not NRA board member and general shitheel Ted Nugent who said that the Parkland kids are “soulless.” LOL, OK.
Will & Grace‘s showrunner, Max Mutchnick, is sending a copy of John Oliver’s gay bunny book to every elementary school in Mike Pence’s home state, Indiana because he’s awesome. “My grammar school library was something I always remembered as a safe haven. Books allow children to dream and hope, but you know that already. Thanks to libraries and librarians like you, storytelling not only became my passion — it also became my profession. I hope your students enjoy this book as much as my family and I did.”
Chrissy Teigen 🔥🔥🔥
Stacey Dash has decided to not run for Congress after all.
Some Roseanne junk: It turns out ABC had a meeting shortly after Trump’s win and decided they needed to bring back Roseanne and American Idol to address economic diversity and “other cultural divisions within our own country.” However, Trump’s name is not going to be mentioned on the show according to Sarah Gilbert. Meanwhile, Roseanne Barr is still batshit insane and tweeting bizarre conspiracy theories.
Cheers will not be our next reboot.
Here’s a thoughtful piece about The Good Doctor, autism, and the “model minority” problem.
Stephen Glover suggests that a Taylor Swift episode of Deadpool was what actually killed the animated series, but what does that even mean?
Chrissy Metz dropped a few hints about why Toby might be depressed in the next season of This is Us.
Oh great, Legion is going to somehow be “trippier” this season.
Mary-Margaret Humes and John Wesley Shipp were upset that they weren’t included in the Dawson’s Creek “reunion,” whoever the hell they are.
You’re going to make a gallery of famous people who appeared on General Hospital and you’re going to leave James Franco out of it? What’s wrong with you?
Sounds like things aren’t going well over at True Detective.
Needledick’s boring fiancé has moved to Arizona to be with him.
#MeToo
NBCUniversal revealed their UK gender pay gap; as did Disney and Amazon. And HOLY HELL, Amazon, WHAT IS Y’ALL’S DEAL?
Putin’s spokesman compared Harvey Weinstein’s accusers to prostitutes. All of this computes.
Meanwhile, French director Catherine Breillat sounds like an awful human being.
Bill O’Reilly’s accusers want to bring 21st Century Fox into their defamation lawsuit. DO IT. DRAG THEM.
Edie Falco hopes Louis C.K. can return; while Kate Mara calls the Kevin Spacey revelations “devastating.”
Renewals
- It’s not official, but it sounds like the cast of Riverdale said the show has been renewed for a third season.
Cancellations
- Stuck in the Middle will end after three seasons on Disney.
In Development
- The Stand is being adapted into a miniseries, again, at CBS All Access.
- A League of Our Own is being turned into an Amazon series.
Casting News
- Kamar de los Reyes is going to guest star on a Puerto Rico-themed episode of MacGyver.
- Nike Kadri, Joshua Bitton, and Hamilton Clancy are joining the cast of $1 on CBS All Access.
Mark Your Calendar
- The 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air on HBO on May 5.
- The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars will debut on MTV on April 17.
- Naked and Afraid XL returns on Discovery on May 6.
R.I.P.
Stephen Bochco, Producer of Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue
Howard G. Malley, Emmy-winning producer
Bill Maynard, British actor
WATCH THIS
The Crossing: A bunch of refugees from a war in the future wash up in a fishing village and Steve Zahn is all “WHAAAAAAAA?” Series premiere. 9 p.m., ABC
NCAA National Championship: Yay sports. 8 p.m., TBS
King in the Wilderness: A portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. in his final years. 7 p.m., HBO
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Tracy Morgan, Kate Mara, Chris Lane featuring Tori Kelly Late Night with Seth Meyers: Leslie Mann, Jared Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Steve Smith Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jenna Fischer, Ashley McBryde Watch What Happens Live: Kristen Doute, Paul Adelstein
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | American Idol (new) |
The Crossing (new) |
| CBS | The Big Bang Theory (repeat) |
Young Sheldon (repeat) |
The Big Bang Theory (repeat) |
Living Biblically (repeat) |
NCIS (repeat) |
| CW | DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (new) |
Penn & Teller: April Fool Us Day (new) |
Local |
| FOX | Lucifer (repeat) |
The Resident (repeat) |
News/Local |
| NBC | The Voice (new) |
Good Girls (new) |