2013-09-30

Arbitron becomes Nielsen Audio as sale closes

Story by Inside Radio

Nielsen today closed on its $1.26 billion deal to buy Arbitron. The radio ratings service is being rebranded Nielsen Audio, and it will become part of Nielsen’s U.S. Watch business segment that also includes the TV ratings business. “This is a great day for Nielsen and a natural step in our evolution,” Nielsen CEO David Calhoun says.

Nielsen offered no details of any immediate changes it plans to take at Arbitron, although Calhoun notes that they plan to use people meter technology for such things as streaming audio and tracking TV viewing in out-of-home environments.

Arbitron staff members say in the meetings they’ve had with Nielsen representatives during the past few weeks that their new owners asked more questions than offered answers of what may change. But they did make it clear that it was an acquisition, not a merger.

Nielsen has had plenty of time to consider how it wants to integrate its long-time rival media research company, and staff was told to expect to see most of the changes implemented by year’s end. In a call with analysts last week, Calhoun said Nielsen plans to implement a “restructuring,” saying he believes the company will find $20 million in cost synergies within a few months. “We can’t wait to close and then get in to take a look under the hood,” he said.

Today’s closing ends a courtship that began nearly one year ago to the day. It was last October 1 that then-COO/CFO Sean Creamer received a call from Nielsen CFO Brian West expressing the measurement behemoth’s interest in potentially rolling up the two companies. Arbitron had already begun the process of shopping itself and by mid-October Calhoun reached out to former Arbitron CEO Bill Kerr to discuss “strategic opportunities.” In regulatory filings Arbitron says Nielsen had “strong interest” and nine days after that CEO face-to-face, an offer was in hand. Nielsen’s first offer of $45 per share was countered by Arbitron at $50 — ultimately the $48 figure was settled on.

Radio royalty bill introduced in Congress

Story by Inside Radio

Rep. Mel. Watt (D-NC) has made good on his threat to introduce a bill that would require radio stations to pay a performance royalty for over-the-air music use. The proposed “Free Market Royalty Act” was introduced this morning. It would require broadcast radio’s rate to match what already exists in law for streaming radio services. It also would remove the compulsory license, allowing labels to withhold music from a radio group. Watt says that should “jumpstart meaningful private negotiations” among broadcasters opposed to paying anything.

Watt says his bill uses a market-based solution, something broadcasters have been pushing for. “While Congress will establish a right, it will get out of the business of essentially establishing a price for that right,” he says. “The value of music will be determined by the market.”

The National Association of Broadcasters has opposed a congressional mandate, saying that the recent private market deals between labels and radio groups including Clear Channel, Entercom, Beasley Broadcast Group and Greater Media negates the need for legislation.

“The Free Market Royalty Act signals accelerating momentum for an AM/FM performance right and fair pay for music creators on all platforms,” Music First Coalition executive director Ted Kalo says in a statement. “This bill sends all parties back to the bargaining table to find common ground,” Kalo says.

Watt’s bill is likely to face an uphill battle. To date, 171 House members and 12 Senators have signed a non-binding resolution opposing a radio royalty. “NAB respectfully opposes the legislation, and appreciates the support of 183 members of Congress who stand with America's hometown radio stations against the offshore record labels,” NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton says. “NAB believes market-based negotiations like the recent Warner Music-Clear Channel accord demonstrate that this issue is already being addressed in the free market. This legislation would impose new costs on broadcasters that jeopardize the future of our free over-the-air service.”

Who is affected if the Government shuts down October 1, 2013

WHAT STAYS OPEN:
• Postal Service. You will get your mail.
• Social Security. You will get your checks.
• Medicare continues.
• Active-duty military will keep working, but will NOT get paid until the funds are available (this is NEW).
• Air-traffic control.
• Immigration.
• Border security.
• Emergency and disaster assistance.
• Federal law enforcement.
• IRS can STILL process electronic returns and payments ONLY.

WHAT CLOSES:
• Any federal agency that's subject to appropriations. That's MOST of them. Each agency has the discretion to decide who is "excepted" or "emergency" (don't call it "essential") and who is furloughed.
• All National Parks.
• All federally-funded museums. This includes the Smithsonian.
• The National Zoo (also Smithsonian).
• All federal government websites. Yes, the Panda Cam, too. ( getting final confirmation on Panda Cam from Smithsonian )
• Research by Health and Human Services stops. So does the grant process. Depending on how long it lasts, that'll also impact medical research at hospitals and universities.
• APPLYING for Social Security. If you're a new retiree, your application won't be processed.
• IRS walk-in centers. Your paper tax return will not be processed.
• Loan applications for small businesses, college tuition, or mortgages.
• All Library of Congress buildings. All public events will be cancelled and web sites could be inaccessible.
• DC Government would also shut down, as it is subject to congressional appropriations and is considered "a federal agency." But the mayor sent a letter to OMB saying that all DC Workers are declared "essential." This is a new feud and worth watching.
• Contractors will be out of work.
• Federal workers (except "excepted" or "emergency" personnel) will not be allowed to work, not even from home. No blackberry, no smartphone, no laptop. Not even allowed to check work email.

Al Sharpton exclusive book excerpt: From boy preacher to Tawana Brawley to the White House Super Bowl party


NY Daily News link: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/al-sharpton-exclusive-book-excerpts-article-1.1468678#ixzz2gHNE1gSe


President Obama Weekly Address: Averting a Government Shutdown and Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare


In this week’s address, President Obama says that on October 1st, a big part of the Affordable Care Act will go live and give uninsured Americans the chance to buy the same quality, affordable health care as everyone else. It is also the day when some Republicans in Congress might shut down the government just because they don’t like the law. The President urged Congress to both pass a budget by Monday and raise the nation’s debt ceiling so that we can keep growing the economy. He also said that those without health insurance and those who buy it on the individual market should visit HealthCare.gov to find out how to get covered on Tuesday.

2013-09-27

Tearful Mariano Rivera bids goodbye to Bronx in Yanks' loss


Mariano Rivera receives an emotional sendoff from Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter as he exits his final game at Yankee Stadium - Video by YES/WCBS/WDAE/Sun Sports

2013-09-26

Marissa Alexander granted retrial

Marissa Alexander, 31, has been granted a retrial. (File Photo)

Story by The Grio
Written by Carrie Healey

Marissa Alexander, convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for firing a gun over the head of her husband in order to stop physical abuse, has been granted a new trial.

The Florida mother was sentenced to 20 years in prison in May 2012. Alexander testified that her then husband Rico Gray physically assaulted her on August 1, 2010, just one week after she gave birth to their baby daughter. She testified that following physical abuse, she escaped to the garage with intentions to leave the house, but the garage door was not working. She retrieved a gun, which she had a permit for, from a vehicle in the garage and reentered the house, where Gray confronted her in the kitchen. Alexander said Gray charged her “in a rage,” and she fired her gun into the air as a warning shot.

Alexander was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon because Gray’s two sons, aged 10 and 12 at the time, were with him in the kitchen when the confrontation took place.

Alexander’s former husband whom she has twin boys with, Lincoln Alexander, spoke to theGrio over the summer saying that “Marissa’s spirits are high, and that she is ‘fully aware’ of the Zimmerman verdict, though he declined to elaborate on his or her feelings about it, given that they face the same prosecutor in Marissa’s case.”

The prosecutor, Angela Corey, argued Alexander acted on anger, rather than fear.

Gray had been arrested twice previously for domestic violence, including one incident against Alexander while she was pregnant.

Court documents state that the court remands for a new trial “because the jury instructions on self-defense were erroneous.”

2013-09-25

FBI releases disturbing Video footage of shooter Aaron Alexis at Navy Yard in Washington DC


The FBI released more details about last week’s shocking shooting at Navy Yard to the public. A new video surfaced this afternoon that shows the shooter Aaron Alexis entering the facility and stalking the hallways with a shotgun in the seconds before he went on a violent shooting that left 12 people dead. He himself was eventually put down by authorities.

President Obama Addresses the United Nations General Assembly


President Obama delivers remarks to the United Nationals General Assembly.

Advertisers bypass Black Media - Firms missing out on reaching growing population, expected to account for $1.3 trillion in consumer spending by '17

Story by Chicago Tribune
Written by Robert Channick

The buying power of African-Americans continues to grow, but advertisers are missing the mark by passing over black-oriented media.

That is the conclusion of a Nielsen report, which shows that of the $75 billion spent last year in the U.S. on television, magazines, Internet and radio advertising, less than 3 percent went to media focused on black audiences.

With 43 million blacks in the U.S. representing about 14 percent of the population — more than half younger than 35 — advertisers are not effectively reaching a growing population projected to account for $1.3 trillion in consumer spending by 2017, according to Nielsen. In short, the message and the medium matter when selling items such as feminine hygiene products and Big Macs, both of which are purchased more heavily by African-Americans than the general population, according to the report.

"African-American consumption patterns are, in some areas, higher than the total market," said Nielsen Senior Vice President Cheryl Pearson-McNeil. "Advertisers are not advertising in sync with the consumption patterns and behaviors and habits of the African-American consumer."

The study, released Thursday, finds that blacks watch 37 percent more television than any other group, spending an average of more than seven hours per day viewing TV. Cable channel BET (formerly Black Entertainment Television) is the favorite network among African-Americans, with four of the top 10-rated total daytime programs through June. Several network shows, including ABC's "Scandal," which stars black actress Kerry Washington, also cracked the top 10. But Pearson-McNeil said numbers don't tell the whole story when it comes to reaching the black consumer.

"Because there are no language barriers, the assumption is I can reach African-Americans with the same ads that I can reach the general market," she said. "In reality, there are a lot of cultural nuances that resonate more with blacks … that could actually drive up market share if you incorporated them into your marketing strategy."

That's the pitch that has been made by Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Co. for more than 70 years. Johnson publishes two of the oldest and largest magazines geared toward African-Americans — Ebony and Jet. Both have undergone recent redesigns in an effort to attract more readers and revenue, but a striking advertising disparity between those publications and general interest magazines still exists.

Ebony, a lifestyle magazine with deep roots in African-American culture, is published monthly and has a total average circulation of 1.29 million as of June, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. Last year, Ebony had advertising revenues of about $48 million, up 29 percent from 2011, according to the Publishers Information Bureau.

Vanity Fair, a comparable general market magazine published monthly by Conde Nast, has a total average circulation of 1.21 million, and last year brought in more than $268 million in advertising revenue, according to the bureau.

Johnson Publishing CEO Desiree Rogers said the disparity represents an undervaluation of the black audience, but she believes the tide may be turning among some marketers looking to tap into a resilient and increasingly powerful consumer segment.

"Cutting-edge consumer products CEOs are beginning to take a hard look at where their growth is going to come from in the country and the world," Rogers said. "They may have tapped out with the general market, and these other segmented markets are becoming opportunities for them, if they do it right."

Rogers said younger blacks are undergoing a "reverse assimilation" of sorts, taking renewed pride in their cultural heritage and seeking entertainment, information and news that speaks directly to their unique experiences. She said companies employing black-oriented media and messages will be "much further ahead" in terms of influencing buying decisions among those consumers.

Ahmad Islam, co-founder and managing partner of commonground, a Chicago-based multicultural agency whose clients include MillerCoors, Coca-Cola and the Illinois Lottery, said black-oriented media is an essential advertising vehicle for reaching African-Americans.

"There is a unique relationship that African-Americans have with black media," Islam said. "There is an affinity for black media that in a lot of ways creates a halo effect for brands that do invest in black media."

Finding the proper marketing mix between general and multicultural advertising is both art and science, according to Islam, who said the return on investment in black media is sometimes difficult to quantify, but no less crucial.

"A lot of the art comes in through the benefit that a Johnson Publishing or BET brings that is a bit more difficult to measure," Islam said. "A lot of it is emotional, but it's very, very tangible and very, very real."

2013-09-23

President Obama's keynote address at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner


President Obama deliver remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner. The President remains optimistic that Affordable Health Care will continue; the Government will not shut down; Education at all levels will be affordable; Minimum wage will increase; and America will work toward a less violent society.

2013-09-22

President Obama Weekly Address: Congress Must Act Now to Pass a Budget and Raise the Debt Ceiling


In his weekly address, President Obama says the economy is making progress five years after the worst recession since the Great Depression, but to avoid another crisis, Congress must meet two deadlines in the coming weeks: pass a budget by the end of the month to keep the government open, and raise the debt ceiling so America can pay its bills. Congress should vote to do these now, so that we can keep creating new jobs and expanding opportunity for the middle class.

2013-09-17

President Obama Speaks on the Washington Navy Yard Shooting


Before delivering remarks on the economy, President Obama gave a brief statement about the tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard.

President Obama: “We still don’t know all the facts, but we do know that several people have been shot, and some have been killed,” he said. “So we are confronting yet another mass shooting -- and today, it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital.”

It’s a shooting that targeted our military and civilian personnel. These are men and women who were going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us. They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad -- but today, they faced unimaginable violence that they wouldn't have expected here at home.

So we offer our gratitude to the Navy and local law enforcement, federal authorities, and the doctors who’ve responded with skill and bravery. I’ve made it clear to my team that I want the investigation to be seamless, so that federal and local authorities are working together. And as this investigation moves forward, we will do everything in our power to make sure whoever carried out this cowardly act is held responsible.

In the meantime, we send our thoughts and prayers to all at the Navy Yard who’ve been touched by this tragedy. We thank them for their service. We stand with the families of those who’ve been harmed. They’re going to need our love and support. And as we learn more about the courageous Americans who died today -- their lives, their families, their patriotism -- we will honor their service to the nation they helped to make great. And obviously, we're going to be investigating thoroughly what happened, as we do so many of these shootings, sadly, that have happened, and do everything that we can to try to prevent them."

President Obama also called Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to express his condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims of today’s mass shooting and ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on September 20.


2013-09-16

At least 12 killed in shooting rampage at Washington Navy Yard, chief says

Story by NBC News
Written by Jim Miklaszewski, Pete Williams, Richard Esposito and Erin McClam

A man brandishing an assault rifle, shotgun and handgun opened fire Monday inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard. The city police chief said 12 people were killed.

SWAT officers swarmed the building, the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command, and a shooter there was killed, sources told NBC News.

Chief Cathy Lanier said there could be as many as two other suspects at large, one white and one black, both seen with firearms and wearing military-style uniforms. But reports conflicted in the chaotic hours after the rampage, and there was no confirmation of more than one person firing shots.

It was the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last December, and the worst at a military installation since 13 people were killed at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.

The number of injured was not clear.

President Barack Obama called it a “cowardly act.” He said the rampage targeted patriots, military and civilian alike, “men and women who were going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us.”

NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports on the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. and shares the latest information. NBC's Kasie Hunt also joins the conversation.

Terrie Durham, who works at the Naval Sea Systems Command building, said she saw a gunman who appeared to be wearing dark fatigues. Another worker there, Todd Brundidge, said he heard a fire alarm go off, and later saw the gunman come around the corner.

“He turned our way and started firing, and we ran downstairs to get out of the building,” Brundidge said. “No words. He raised the gun and started firing.”

Law enforcement officials said the gunman may have gotten into the building using someone else’s identification.

A naval security guard was among those shot and was hit in both legs, U.S. military officials said. Washington city police told WRC, the NBC affiliate in Washington, that one of their officers was also among those shot. It was not clear how many of the others shot were civilian and how many were military.

Patricia Ward, who works at the Navy Yard, said she had just gotten breakfast in the cafeteria when she heard “three gunshots, pow-pow-pow, straight in a row.”

“All of the people that were in the cafeteria, we all panicked, and we were trying to decide which way we were going to run out,” she said. “I just ran.”

Tim Hogan, a spokesman for Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, posted photos to his Twitter account of people tending to at least one person down on a street corner.

Chaos enveloped the surrounding neighborhood for hours. Flights were briefly grounded at Reagan National Airport, and nearby schools and the headquarters of the Department of Transportation were locked down. Farther away, police stepped up security on the Capitol grounds.

Washington police issued lookouts for two people they described as suspects — a 50-year-old black man with a rifle, wearing an olive drab military uniform, and a white man with a pistol, wearing a short-sleeved, khaki uniform and a beret.

Dr. Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said that the hospital was treating three gunshot victims — a woman hit in the head and hand, a woman hit in the shoulder and a man hit in the legs.

She said that the victims came in alert and talking.

“They’re talking about gunshots that they heard in rapid succession,” she said.

George Washington University Hospital said it had one patient.

Obama, speaking at an event marking the fifth anniversary of the financial crisis, turned to the shooting and said: “We are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital.”

“It’s a shooting that targeted our military and civilian personnel,” he said. “These are men and women who were going to work, doing their job, protecting all of us. They’re patriots. And they know the dangers of serving abroad, but today they faced the unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home.”

The Navy said on its Twitter feed that three shots were fired at 8:20 a.m. ET at the Sea Systems Command headquarters. About 3,000 people work there, the Navy said. They were ordered to stay in place. WRC video showed a medical helicopter lifting someone off a roof.

“This is a huge piece of land with several building so it’s going to take some time for us to get through it and search it so we can make sure it’s safe,” Peter Newsham, assistant chief of the Washington police, told reporters.

Obama was getting regular briefings.

The Naval Sea Systems Command builds, buys and maintains ships and submarines and their combat systems. The Navy Yard is along the Anacostia River in Washington, near the Washington Nationals baseball stadium.

Tracy Connor, Kasie Hunt, Michael O’Brien and Andrew Rafferty of NBC News contributed to this report.

US wakes up to a Miss America of Indian descent

For the first time America's top beauty queen is a woman of Indian origin, a first partly clouded by a spate of hateful Tweets branding her an Arab terrorist. The new Miss America is Nina Davuluri, a 24-year-old from the state of New York who wants to be a doctor. She called her crowning Sunday night at the Atlantic City pageant, in which she performed a traditional Bollywood-style dance, a victory for diversity in America.

Gunman opens fire at Navy Yard in Washington, killing at least 4

Story by NBC News
Written by Jim Miklaszewski, Pete Williams, Richard Esposito and Erin McClam

A man brandishing a military-style assault rifle, a shotgun and a handgun opened fire Monday inside a building at the Washington Navy Yard — killing at least four people and wounding at least seven more, including two police officers, authorities said.

SWAT officers swarmed the building, the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command, and a shooter there was killed, sources told NBC News. More than two hours after the first gunfire, there were reports that tactical teams were entering a second building at the Navy Yard, but there was no hard evidence of a second gunman.

Terrie Durham, who works at the Naval Sea Systems Command building, said the gunman appeared to be wearing dark fatigues. Another worker there, Todd Brundidge, said he heard a fire alarm go off, and later saw the gunman come around the corner.

“He turned our way and started firing, and we ran downstairs to get out of the building,” Brundidge said. “No words. He raised the gun and started firing.”

A naval security guard was among those shot and was hit in both legs, U.S. military officials said. Washington city police told WRC, the NBC affiliate in Washington, that one of their officers was also among those shot. It was not clear how many of the others shot were civilian and how many were military.

Tim Hogan, a spokesman for Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada, posted photos to his Twitter account of people tending to at least one person down on a street corner.

Chaos enveloped the surrounding neighborhood for hours. Flights were briefly grounded at Reagan National Airport, and nearby schools and the headquarters of the Department of Transportation were locked down. Farther away, police stepped up security on the Capitol grounds.

Dr. Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said that the hospital was treating three gunshot victims — a woman hit in the head and hand, a woman hit in the shoulder and a man hit in the legs.

She said that the victims came in alert and talking.

“They’re talking about gunshots that they heard in rapid succession,” she said.

George Washington University Hospital said it had one patient.

The Navy said on its Twitter feed that three shots were fired at 8:20 a.m. ET at the Sea Systems Command headquarters. About 3,000 people work there, the Navy said. They were ordered to stay in place. WRC video showed a medical helicopter lifting someone off a roof.

“This is a huge piece of land with several building so it’s going to take some time for us to get through it and search it so we can make sure it’s safe,” Peter Newsham, assistant chief of the Washington police, told reporters.

The White House said President Barack Obama was getting regular briefings.

The Naval Sea Systems Command builds, buys and maintains ships and submarines and their combat systems. The Navy Yard is along the Anacostia River in Washington, near the Washington Nationals baseball stadium.

Has the National Action Network surpassed the NAACP in influence

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton (C) speaks to reporters outside of the West Wing after he and a group of civil rights leaders met on the Voting Rights Act with US President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and Labor Secretary Tom Perez on July 29, 2013 at the White House in Washington. Others in photo are Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (2nd L) and National Council of La Raza President and CEO Janet Murguía (2nd R). (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Story by The Grio
Written by Mary C. Curtis

As Ben Jealous prepares to step down from his leadership post at the end of this year, there is no question that he brought stability and visibility in his five years as the president and CEO of the NAACP.

Now, as members and observers give Jealous a proper celebratory sendoff, they are also looking to the future of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. How is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, founded in 1909, tackling 21st century challenges and what is its relationship with other civil rights organizations?

There is still much work for the NAACP in a nation where, with its help, progress has been made but where inequality remains. Many issues look familiar. For example, at this year’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, voting rights and income inequality battles topped the agenda in 2013, as in 1963. However, some tactics and players had changed.

At the Aug. 24 “Realize the Dream” event the weekend before the official anniversary with President Obama in attendance, tens of thousands gathered on the National Mall to hear speeches by Jealous and others.

It was, however, the Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network (NAN) – a host with the NAACP and others – center stage at the Lincoln Memorial. Sharpton walked arm-in-arm during the march with U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia — a young SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) leader when he spoke in 1963 — and Martin Luther King III.

The two organizations with different histories have worked together on events. Both have weighed in on racial profiling, recently in the response to the killing of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., and subsequent acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting.

That said, a New York City “Justice for Trayvon” rally after the verdict was organized by NAN, with Sybrina Fulton, Martin’s mother, alongside Sharpton and attendees that included Beyonce and Jay Z.

In a Miami rally that was part of 100 NAN-led events across the country, Tracy Martin, Trayvon Martin’s father, appeared with Bishop Victor Curry, president of the South Florida chapter of NAN and director of the southeast region. In the past, Curry served two stints heading the Miami-Dade NAACP, the last term ending about a year and a half ago, he told theGrio.

“I have nothing but respect for the NAACP,” Curry said, praising its longevity. “Being around over 100 years, that says a lot about the organization. But I think sometimes a discouraging aspect of working with an organization that has been around that long, sometimes it becomes top heavy.”
He said, “Before you can get things done in your local branch you go through so many different layers of leadership, and by the time you get approval from everybody the situation you’re dealing with on the ground has almost passed.”

“That was what was refreshing with me from Reverend Sharpton,” Curry said. “He gives his chapter presidents a lot of leeway to deal with what’s going on in their communities.”

In his first time as head of the Miami-Dade NAACP, Curry, who pastors two Baptist churches and is president, general manager and talk-show host at a radio station, said the national sent him a letter telling him to “cease and desist” his on-air criticism of the organization’s position — in the aftermath of a rash of police shootings — not to reconsider a decision to hold its convention in Miami Beach.

“We needed the NAACP to think about not coming,” he said. “Instead of them wanting me to discuss it they told me to shut up. I’m on the ground; I’m having to bury these young men. For the national to do that that kind of hurt me.” When the federal government subsequently indicted 11 police officers, Curry felt a measure of vindication.

National Action Network, founded in 1991, says in its mission statement that it “works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda.” Curry said he favors that “preacher friendly” tradition, “birthed out of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.”

Curry said he spoke with longtime friend Sharpton about working together. Sharpton’s MSNBC showPolitics Nation provides a Monday to Friday cable megaphone. Though NAN has chapters throughout the nation, its personality is tied to Sharpton, its founder, and his swift reaction to controversies.

“You don’t try to stifle that,” said Curry. “You ride the wave. You strengthen the organization so that when it’s time for these others chapters to fly, they can fly.” He said, “I believe NAN is strong enough and has enough strong chapter leaders.”

The NAACP’s legacy – from its founding by whites and blacks partly in response to the horror of lynching – includes grueling battles for social, political and economic justice that resulted in precedent-making civil rights laws, part of the landscape of 20th century America.
Mississippi Field Secretary Medgar Evers was murdered for his civil rights organizing in 1963; his widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams became the third woman to chair the NAACP in the 1990’s. Some say it is time for another woman to lead the group.

“Most people don’t understand what the NAACP has always understood, and that is that movements come from the bottom up, not from the top down,” Rev. Dr. William Barber, North Carolina NAACP president, told theGrio. The organization initiated and has led “Moral Monday” demonstrations — noted for the diversity of the thousands who participated — which continue to protest a conservative wave of legislation enacted by Republican super-majorities in the state legislature.

“When you become president of the NAACP, you don’t have to field an organization in North Carolina, you have one. You don’t have to field an organization in Mississippi, there already is one, with leadership that gives their lives to this work voluntarily. … That’s been the power and the consistency of it,” he said. “President Jealous was able to put forward a vision to expand on an already strong foundation.”

“Sometimes people mistake deliberation for slowness,” Barber said. “The NAACP is deliberate when it gets involved in an issue. We’re not a helicopter organization; we don’t just pop in and pop out. In North Carolina, we didn’t just have a march, we started a movement.”

He said the North Carolina group’s activism goes back years, when Democrats were in office, “pushing through same day registration, early voting and Sunday voting and the Racial Justice Act, more money for education, standing up against voter ID when it first came up, suing over redistricting and building relationships with our coalition partners.”

After arrests at the first Moral Monday, “it sent a signal to people we already had relationships with — over 13 weeks, 1,000 arrested. That didn’t happen because a William Barber popped into North Carolina, gave a speech and popped out. It happened because the NAACP has a history of grassroots, branch-up work.”

Barber said, “No human organization is perfect. But very few organizations can look at its track record and say every major victory we’ve ever won on the national and the state level bettered America.” After Jealous, “whoever is CEO,” said Barber, “male, female, young, old, whomever God sends, first thing is they become not so much a CEO but the leader of the largest volunteer civil rights program in the world.”

In telling its history, which includes the names W.E.B. Du Bois, Rosa Parks and Charles Hamilton Houston, the NAACP acknowledges occasional friction with groups that advocated more direct action. “Although it was criticized for working exclusively within the system by pursuing legislative and judicial solutions, the NAACP did provide legal representation and aid to members of other protest groups over a sustained period of time,” the group’s Website says.

Curry, of NAN in Miami, said, “I’m not naïve. I know back in the day, all of the civil rights organizations weren’t always on the same page. They were mature enough to put aside their difference for a greater cause.” He said, “I think it’s going to take all of the organizations working together in order to keep the powers that be feet to the fire.” He also said he is a big William Barber fan.

Barber, who has been a guest on Sharpton’s MSNBC show, said, “The true reality of the first March on Washington is that Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph insisted and demanded that people not be stuck in their egos — whether it be organizational ego or whether it be personality ego. What we must understand, particularly in the south, is you cannot have social, political and economic victories without fusion politics.”

As was the case 50 years ago, when leaders of a host of civil rights groups, from the National Urban League to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP and others shared the stage and the job of challenging the country to live up to its promise of equal rights for all, the job is still big enough to keep different organizations plenty busy.

For now, those organizations are planning their next steps, separately and together.

2013-09-13

CBCF MAKES HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN MINORITY BANKS - As part of a new campaign to strengthen the economy in Black communities

WASHINGTON, DC--The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) will reveal its $5 million investment in African-American banking institutions as part of a broader effort to increase the availability of loans for businesses and individuals in African-American communities. CBCF is targeting banks in four regions of the country--the North, South, East and Midwest--in an attempt to achieve geographic balance in an initiative that could prove crucial in lifting the economic fortunes of Black communities. In all, five banks will receive $1 million each.
WHO:

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA), Board Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

A. Shuanise Washington, President and CEO, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

Michael Grant, President, National Bankers Association

B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr., Board Chair, National Bankers Association and President, Industrial Bank

Russell Kashian, PhD, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin Whitewater

Ron Busby, Sr., CEO, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
WHAT: A PRESS CONFERENCE to discuss CBCF's record investment in minority banks

WHEN: 12:00pm, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013
WHERE: Walter E. Washington Convention Center
L Street Bridge (2nd Floor)

801 Mount Vernon Place, NW
Washington, DC 20001

2013-09-12

Washington DC mayor vetoes 'living wage' bill aimed at big retailers

Story by NBC News
Written by Patrick Rizzo

Washington, D.C.'s Mayor Vincent Gray on Thursday vetoed the so-called "living wage bill" that would have required big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart to pay workers at least $12.50 an hour.

“While the intentions of its supporters were good, this bill is simply a woefully inadequate and flawed vehicle for achieving the goal we all share,” said Gray in a statement. Formally called the Large Retailer Accountability Act of 013 (LRAA), Gray's statement said the bill would have harmed job growth and economic development.

The bill had set up a clash between the mayor, the bill's supporters and the big retail chains that was being watched closely by labor and other cities across the nation. Workers at retailers and fast food restaurants have been holding increasingly large and vocal protests to boost the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Businesses have argued that raising the wage would end up harming workers by reducing jobs.

Wal-Mart had said it would not build three of six planned stores if the D.C. bill became law. The D.C. Council approved it in July on an 8-5 vote, which is one short of a veto-proof majority. Major U.S. retailers, also including Target Corp. and Home Depot Inc., had opposed the bill.

The bill would only affect retailers with stores of 75,000 square feet or larger, at least $1 billion in annual sales and non-unionized workforces.

The bill isn't totally dead, however. Washington, D.C.'s council can override the veto with a two-thirds vote within 30 days, according to The Washington Post. That vote could come as early as Tuesday.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Network radio said to be at a pivot point

Story by Inside Radio

The Radio Advertising Bureau says network business is down 4% so far this year, while Kantar Media sees a decline that’s four-times as big. One thing is certain: It’s been a challenging period for the sector. From deal-marking to downsizing, network executives say a new era is beginning in their business.

“It hasn’t been off the cliff but it’s been a difficult environment,” says Reach Media CEO David Kantor. Several execs point to talk radio, which has been clobbered by expansive no-buy edicts from advertisers seeking to distance themselves from controversial programing in the wake of the Rush Limbaugh dust-up. Talk Radio Network, which has drastically scaled back operations, has been particularly hard hit. Others attribute the decline to networks that slashed rates to maintain market share when demand was down.

But some see brighter days ahead. “I think the pendulum will slowly swing back,” KMG president Gary Krantz says. “There is an opportunity for either the big networks or the independents to come up with new talent and new ideas that can attract listeners and deliver results for advertisers.”

Sun Broadcast Group CEO Jason Bailey says it’s time for talk radio to change its tune. “Entertaining lifestyle talk that’s positive, helpful and not hurtful may be a good direction to head in,” he says. He’d also like to see less in-fighting among networks. “We all need to have a Kumbaya moment and start defending talk radio instead of beating each other up and letting other people redefine us,” he says.

As the network radio business continues to consolidate, a talent shakeout is likely to send some syndicated shows by the wayside — or into self-syndication or to smaller independent networks. Duplication abounds in the pending Cumulus Media purchase of Westwood One with a combined four news networks and just as many overnight country shows. Layoffs and the merging of facilities are all but certain in a streamlining expected to produce $40 million in cost savings. “It will weed out the me-too programming and services and only the stronger ones will survive,” Krantz predicts.

But the elimination of marginal shows with weak revenue or ratings will lead to a healthier industry with less inventory and more demand, network execs say. “This is the beginning of a healthy process,” Kantor predicts. “The shows will get better audiences, pricing and advertisers. The companies that survive this round will be the ones that have the resources going forward.”

That could ultimately lead to more resources for investing in new shows. The network business will soon be dominated by two superpowers, each with a significant distribution platform of its own. Executives point to Dial Global’s lack of in-house distribution for its financial woes and say it can sometimes be difficult for indie networks to get their shows cleared in the major markets. “Westwood One distributes a lot of independent programming,” says Podcast One founder Norm Pattiz who founded the original Westwood One in 1976. “As it becomes part of Cumulus, it will be interesting to see how much of its shows are picked up.”

There’s arguably never been greater acceptance of network programming in the modern era radio industry. Stations have moved from devoting just one daypart to multiple dayparts to syndicated programming. Network leaders say more is on the way. Urban radio has become more reliant on syndication while sports and country stations have more network choices than ever. As network radio audiences grow, the hope among consolidators is that a healthier, stronger network radio industry will attract a new crop of advertisers, beyond those that have traditionally used the medium. “They will have more distribution, an even stronger marketing staff and a very strong offering,” OMD U.S. director of national radio investment Natalie Swed Stone says of Cumulus Media’s purchase of Westwood One. “They’ll do better in this tough, tough marketplace.”

The stronger the networks become, the more competitive they will be to cable networks, Kantor says, especially as they focus more on dominating specific formats. Kantor believes specialization will allow sports networks to compete with ESPN, urban networks to take on BET and news networks to go toe-to-toe with CNN.

But not everyone is convinced. “Consolidators generally consolidate to cut costs but that that doesn’t mean network radio is going to grow,” says Pattiz. “It may mean that it becomes more profitable with less revenue. Radio needs to embrace the areas where it can grow rather than grow by consolidating.” The Westwood One founder believes his on-demand audio company Podcast One “wouldn’t exist” if network radio had wholeheartedly embraced digital technology and online delivery. “On demand audio is the direction that consumers are heading in,” he says.

2013-09-11

President Obama addressed the nation on Syria.



Good evening:

I just addressed the nation about the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Over the past two years, what began as a series of peaceful protests against the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has turned into a brutal civil war in Syria. Over 100,000 people have been killed.

In that time, we have worked with friends and allies to provide humanitarian support for the Syrian people, to help the moderate opposition within Syria, and to shape a political settlement. But we have resisted calls for military action because we cannot resolve someone else's civil war through force.

The situation profoundly changed in the early hours of August 21, when more than 1,000 Syrians -- including hundreds of children -- were killed by chemical weapons launched by the Assad government.

What happened to those people -- to those children -- is not only a violation of international law -- it's also a danger to our security. Here's why:

If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons. As the ban against these deadly weapons erodes, other tyrants and authoritarian regimes will have no reason to think twice about acquiring poison gases and using them. Over time, our troops could face the prospect of chemical warfare on the battlefield. It could be easier for terrorist organizations to obtain these weapons and use them to attack civilians. If fighting spills beyond Syria's borders, these weapons could threaten our allies in the region.

So after careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the national security interests of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike. The purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to degrade his regime's ability to use them, and make clear to the world that we will not tolerate their use.

Though I possess the authority to order these strikes, in the absence of a direct threat to our security I believe that Congress should consider my decision to act. Our democracy is stronger when the President acts with the support of Congress -- and when Americans stand together as one people.

Over the last few days, as this debate unfolds, we've already begun to see signs that the credible threat of U.S. military action may produce a diplomatic breakthrough. The Russian government has indicated a willingness to join with the international community in pushing Assad to give up his chemical weapons and the Assad regime has now admitted that it has these weapons, and even said they'd join the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits their use.

It's too early to tell whether this offer will succeed, and any agreement must verify that the Assad regime keeps its commitments. But this initiative has the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons without the use of force.

That's why I've asked the leaders of Congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force while we pursue this diplomatic path. I'm sending Secretary of State John Kerry to meet his Russian counterpart on Thursday, and I will continue my own discussions with President Putin. At the same time, we'll work with two of our closest allies -- France and the United Kingdom -- to put forward a resolution at the U.N. Security Council requiring Assad to give up his chemical weapons, and to ultimately destroy them under international control.

Meanwhile, I've ordered our military to maintain their current posture to keep the pressure on Assad, and to be in a position to respond if diplomacy fails. And tonight, I give thanks again to our military and their families for their incredible strength and sacrifices.

As we continue this debate -- in Washington, and across the country -- I need your help to make sure that everyone understands the factors at play.

Please share this message with others to make sure they know where I stand, and how they can stay up to date on this situation. Anyone can find the latest information about the situation in Syria, including video of tonight's address, here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria

Thank you,
President Barack Obama

2013-09-10

President Obama agrees to UN discussion of Russia proposal on Syria chemical weapons

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told NBC News' Keir Simmons in Moscow that he hoped acceptance of Russia's "peaceful solution" would "put an end to the war."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Story by NBC News
Written by Alastair Jamieson, Albina Kovalyova and Keir Simmons

President Barack Obama has agreed to discuss Russia's proposal that Syria hand over chemical weapons, the White House said Tuesday after Damascus confirmed it would accept such a deal.

Talks begin at the United Nations later Tuesday, a White House official told NBC News, even as Obama prepares to address Congress -- and the American people -- over the need for military strikes.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the U.S., France and Britain would table a UN Security Council resolution shortly.

Earlier, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem told NBC News in Moscow that he hoped acceptance of the "peaceful solution" would "put an end to the war."
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The building momentum behind Russia's plan came only 24 hours after Secretary of State John Kerry first suggested a weapons handover as news conference in London.

France announced early Tuesday it would seek a U.N. Security Council resolution along similar lines to Russia's plan, which has has already been endorsed by Iran and China.

France announced early Tuesday it would seek a U.N. Security Council resolution along similar lines to Russia's plan, which has has already been endorsed by Iran and China.

Obama said Monday that the Russia plan offered a potential path that averted U.S. military strikes, but Kerry cautioned that the only reason the Russia solution has "potential legs at all" is because of a credible threat of force.

"Nothing focuses the mind like the prospect of a hanging," Kerry told a Congressional committee Tuesday. He said Obama would look at the plan but added: "We’re waiting for that proposal but we’re not waiting for long.”

Kerry said it had been the “credible use of force” by the U.S. that has, “for the first time brought this regime to even acknowledge that they have a chemical weapons arsenal,” adding that the threat of military action “is more compelling if the Congress stands with the commander in chief.”

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel echoed that line, saying the Russia deal "could be a real solution to this crisis," but added: "We must be clear-eyed and ensure it is not a stalling tactic by Syria and its Russian patrons."

Senior senators - including John McCain, R-Ariz., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. - announced they were working on a new plan that would authorize the president to use force only if Syria did not comply with a U.N. resolution to remove chemical weapons by a pre-determined deadline.

But even as they discussed their move, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced his opposition to military strikes against Syria.

In a further development, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the Russian president had discussed the weapons handover plan with Obama at last week’s G-20 summit.

That shed a different light on Secretary of State John Kerry’s mention of the plan at a news conference in London on Monday. That had previously been characterized by spokesman Jen Psaki as an off-the-cuff “rhetorical argument.”

The president will travel to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to meet with the Senate Democratic Caucus and Senate Republican Conference before delivering an address to the nation from the East Room of the White House at 9:01 p.m. ET.

His case for limited airstrikes targeting Assad's regime was boosted early Tuesday when a Human Rights Watch report blamed Syrian government forces for the Aug. 21 poison gas attack that killed hundreds of people.

The U.S.-based rights group said it had reached its conclusion after analyzing witness accounts, remnants of the weapons used and medical records of victims.

2013-09-02

Let Freedom Ring

Proud member of the Little Rock Nine, Ernest Green, with Daughter McKenzie Green and I at the "Let Freedom Ring" 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington.

Former Presidential Candidate Rev. Jesse Jackson, formerly of President Obama White House Adminstration Van Jones, and Reach Media Director of Operations Kirk Tanter in the Press Gallery of the 'Let Freedom Ring' 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Commemoration.

Media Mogul Oprah Winfrey speaks at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

The Presidents have arrived. President Obama and First Lady Michele Obama, former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton arrive entering from the Lincoln Memorial Monument.

The crowd grows as the day went at the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Commemoration.

National Urban League President Marc Morial along with Reach Media News-Talk Network's newscaster Ebony McMorris on the historic anniversary of the August 28th, 1963 March on Washington.

President Barack Obama's nominee to be Ambassador to Japan and a member of the influential Kennedy family (the only living child of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy) Caroline Bouvier Kennedy speaks at the 50th Anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

Promptly at 3pm on August 28th, 2013, the "Let Freedom Ring" bell rang, which was the exact time Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke 50 years ago in 1963. The large bell came direct from the 16th Street Baptist in Birmingham, Alabama, where the four little girls were killed in another church bombing mere weeks after the March on Washington in 1963.

Former President Carter and Clinton, the First Lady Michele Obama, Congressman John Lewis, Actress/Broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, and daughter of the late President Lyndon Johnson, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb watch as President Barack Obama speak at the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

President Barack Obama keynotes an attentive crowd at the "Let Freedom Ring" 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington.

CNN's reporter Joe Johns interviews me for a CNN 'on the spot' report.