THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Monday December 7, 2015
Freeman unhurt after plane’s forced landing UNICA, Miss. (AP)‑ A plane carrying actor Morgan Freeman and his pilot blew a tire on takeoff from a Mississippi airport and made an emergency landing in which its landing gear collapsed and the plane ran off the side of a runway, authorities said. No one was injured. Mayor Bill Luckett of Clarksdale, a friend of the 78-year-old Oscar-winning actor, told The Associated Press that the twin-engine plane made what he described as a controlled forced landing just before nightfall Saturday at an airport in Tunica after it had taken off from another airport in his area. Both cities are near each other in northwestern Mississippi, with Tunica about 40 miles southwest of Memphis, Tennessee. Freeman issued a statement saying he was heading to Texas from Mississippi aboard his plane to shoot a segment for the series, “The Story of God.” “Sometimes things don’t go as planned and a tire blew on takeoff, which caused other problems,” Freeman said in the statement sent by his publicist. “But thanks to my excellent pilot Jimmy Hobson we landed safely without a scratch.” “I cannot say the same about my plane,” Freeman added in the statement, which didn’t elaborate on the condition of the aircraft afterward. “I appreciate the concern and prayers for our safety.” Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman with the Federal Aviation Administration, identified the plane as an Emivest SJ-30 aircraft
and said the plane reported a “mechanical problem” after taking off from Fletcher Field in Lyon, a community just outside Clarksdale. An FAA statement emailed by Bergen said the plane’s original destination was Sugar Land near Houston, but that the aircraft diverted to the Tunica Municipal Airport in Mississippi where it made the emergency landing at 6:15 p.m. local time Saturday. She confirmed its main landing gear had collapsed and that the plane went off the side of the runway after landing. The Clarksdale mayor said another plane subsequently went to Tunica to pick up the actor, who has a home in Mississippi. Randy Stewart, the chief deputy in the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed there were no injuries, that Freeman was not piloting the craft and that an inspector would check the plane Sunday. Freeman was involved in a 2008 car accident that seriously injured the actor and a passenger in Mississippi on a rural highway near his home. No charges were filed and Freeman settled a lawsuit in 2009 that was filed by the passenger. Freeman is known for his roles in “The Shawshank Redemption,” ‘’Driving Miss Daisy,” ‘’Seven,” and “Invictus.” He has been nominated for five Academy Awards and won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in Clint Eastwood’s 2004 film “Million Morgan Freeman is unhurt after his plane blew a tire during a Mississippi takeoff. Dollar Baby.”
thedailybeast.com
Univision asks court to dismiss Trump lawsuit NEW YORK (AP)‑ Univision struck back Friday at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s $500 million lawsuit claiming that it unjustly broke a contract to broadcast beauty pageants, citing his “disgraceful allegations” about Mexican immigrants. Univision lawyers filed papers in Manhattan federal court asking a judge to toss out the lawsuit Trump filed in July. The lawyers said Trump destroyed the value of Univision’s rights to broadcast the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants when he announced June 16 that he was running for president. “Trump offended millions during that announcement when he made disgraceful allegations about Mexican immigrants, whom, he claims, ‘Mexico sends’ across the border to America,” the lawyers wrote. They said his remarks “outraged Mexican Americans, Mexican immigrants, Hispanics, and other Americans of all backgrounds,” prompting at least 20 companies and the city of New York to terminate business relationships with Trump and his brand in the weeks after the announcement. Trump’s lawsuit claimed breach of contract, defamation and First Amendment violations. Matthew Maron, an attorney for Trump, said Univision’s
Donald Trump is accused of breaching a contract with Univision to broadcast the Miss USA and Miss universe pagaents. attempt to dismiss the suit is “laughable.” “Univision can try to distract the court and the public from the real issues in dispute all it wants.
The fact remains that Univision willfully breached their contract, acted in bad faith and caused my clients to suffer significant damages,” Maron said. “For this, Uni-
thewashingtonpost.com
vision will pay in the end.” Univision lawyers noted that the network was the leading media company serving Hispanic America when Trump delivered
“extreme and controversial opinions on race and national origin.” “Through his diatribe, Trump destroyed the value of those broadcast rights, and neither Trump nor Miss Universe did anything to repair the damage in the aftermath of his speech,” Univision’s lawyers said in a document signed by attorney Randy M. Mastro. In January, Univision signed a five-year license agreement for the exclusive right to air the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants in Spanish in the United States. Univision’s lawyers said Trump worsened the damage caused by his initial remarks about Hispanics by saying in the days afterward that his statements were “totally accurate.” Univision announced on June 25 that it was ending its business relationship with the pageants. “By the end of June, it was clear that Trump’s anti-Mexican and anti-immigrant views would be a focal point of his campaign and that the damage done to Univision’s programming deal was irrevocable,” the lawyers wrote. “Trump shocked the nation’s conscience by accusing almost every Mexican immigrant (and many Univision viewers) of being criminals and rapists - then promising to become president of the United States on the strength of that indictment.”
‘Good Morning America’ rapidly losing young viewers, ratings slump NEW YORK (AP) ‑ For the past few years, turning on ABC’s “Good Morning America” was like happening upon a joyous party. Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and their pals all seemed nice, and looked like they loved being together. It was almost always a good time. The party isn’t over. But it’s getting late. Television’s top morning show is in its first prolonged slump since overtaking NBC’s “Today” in popularity three years ago. “GMA” is losing viewers, most rapidly among a younger demographic that advertisers eagerly seek, where NBC has wrested back the lead from its rival. The search is on for those missing viewers, many of whom ABC executives suspect have turned off morning television altogether, and for ways to lure them back. The “Good Morning America” typical daily audience is 4.9 million, or 11 percent smaller than last season, the Nielsen company said. Among 25-to54-year-olds, the decline is 19 percent. “Today” now leads among that group not because it is surging - the NBC show is down 4 percent from last year - but because it is losing audience more slowly. The demo number is the key to a vault, since advertisers check it first when making spending decisions. “Today” is feeling bullish. Its team is clicking, with Matt Lauer appearing more comfortable than he has in years. The show’s aggressiveness in seeking
interviews has paid off, most recently with Charlie Sheen’s revelation that he is HIV-positive. But ABC’s bigger concern may be smartphones on the bedside table. Morning television usage peaked at 40.7 million viewers three years ago and has dropped by two million since, Nielsen said. Some people who used to turn on TV for a quick check of the headlines and weather now likely do that online. To that end, “GMA” executives are emphasizing live events and features to convey a sense that people will be missing out on something important if they don’t turn on the TV. They turned to social media, for example, to heavily promote Roberts’ interview with Kobe Bryant this week. “Good Morning America” has suffered turnover the past couple of years, with Josh Elliott leaving for NBC Sports and Sam Champion for The Weather Channel. The short-term ratings impact was minimal, but longterm may be different. “It’s really who you want to spend time with for two hours in the morning,” said Brad Adgate, an analyst for Horizon Media, “and they may have done something to change the mix of what people are comfortable with.” One thing beyond a television producer’s control is the cultural zeitgeist, and a sense that a program is no longer in tune with the times. To some, the “GMA” celebration of its 40th anniversary last month less
deadline.com
‘Good Morning America’ suffers first rating slump in nearly a decade. than a week after the Paris attacks felt jarring. This is a serious, newsy stretch of time, with people on edge over terrorism and mass shootings on an endless loop. Next year’s presidential election has attracted unprecedented attention a year in advance. Morning shows are a combination of news and entertainment, and nothing annoys ABC executives more than a suggestion they don’t have
the news chops to compete. Yet while “GMA” ratings are down this season, the more sober and traditional “CBS This Morning” is up 7 percent in viewers. “The show should become G e orge-centr ic again,” said former ABC and CBS morning show producer Shelley Ross, suggesting Stephanopoulos’ political expertise is an asset for an election year.
The risk in shifting to a heavier news emphasis is that the people who came to “GMA” because it looked like the cast was having fun and was quickest to laugh at the latest viral pet video may say, “this isn’t what I signed up for.” ABC executives aren’t talking publicly about what’s going on with the show and, privately, they’re not fully sure what has happened to the “Good Morning Amer-
ica” audience. They don’t feel it is a rejection of the show. “We never take for granted the position that we’re in and we work every day to bring our viewers a smart, innovative show to start their day,” Michael Corn, senior executive producer of the broadcast, said in a statement. “We are laser focused on this mission and making ‘GMA’ essential to our viewers.”