The album has topped the Billboard album chart for the past 12 weeks. The 70th Annual Academy Awards was the most covered event during March on TV news magazine shows, generating 198 segments, according to the latest NewsTV Reports Study. Miramax released a statement saying that the payments had been made voluntarily and that the Labor Department has filed no formal actions against it. The strategy appeared aimed at skirting some of the controversy that will undoubtedly arise over Stern's often sex-oriented comedy schtick. CBS Stations boss Mel Karmazin, who has been in the radio shock-jock's corner from the outset, said Wednesday that Stern has been given a commitment for 40 shows.
Most national advertisers tend to avoid controversial programming.
Terms were not disclosed. Two controversial ABC series, Ellen and Nothing Sacred were among 34 George Foster Peabody Awards announced Wednesday by the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Life on the Street, CBS's 60 Minutes and Sunday Morning and Nickelodeon's The Big Help. The newspaper, citing industry observers, said that Mediaset would require outside capital to finance the expansion. Blair was careful to observe that he was acting in support of a British company, BSkyB, which is controlled by Murdoch, not on behalf of Murdoch himself, who is an American citizen.