Franklin Avenue

KTLA’s Mark Kriski Among Layoffs As Nexstar Eliminates Jobs at Stations Across the Country; SAG-AFTRA Decries Cuts

2026-02-25T22:27:00.000-08:00

Longtime KTLA weather anchor Mark Kriski, an eight-time Emmy winner who has been an L.A. TV fixture since he joined "KTLA Morning News" at its launch in 1991, has been let go by the station. Kriski's exit is a part of nationwide staff cuts by Nexstar, including major layoffs at flagship stations WPIX New York, WGN Chicago and KTLA Los Angeles.

Also let go at KTLA were midday anchors Glen Walker, who had been at KTLA since 2010, and Lu Parker, who had been with KTLA since 2015. At WGN, the Chicago Tribune reported eight layoffs, including Dean Richards, who had been with the station in various capacities since 1991.

"Nexstar does not comment on personnel issues, but the company is taking steps necessary to compete effectively in this period of unprecedented change," a Nexstar spokesperson said in a statement.

The Nexstar job cuts come as the company is in the process of acquiring the Tegna station group, which would give it a massive oversight of TV news departments in major local markets across the country.

In a statement, SAG-AFTRA blasted Nexstar for eliminating its union positions at KTLA and WGN — and noted that the layoffs come as SAG-AFTRA is actively bargaining with Nexstar stations in several markets.

Read more here.

Choice Cuts Volume 24: Some of Our Favorite Tracks From 2025

2026-01-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

In no particular order, I've selected my favorite tracks from 2025's playlists for my 23nd annual Choice Cuts end-of-year mix. And once again I am doing my Casey Kasem impression and turned it into a radio show as well. Here ya go:

Choice Cuts · Choice Cuts 2025 Radio Show

Also, check out the Choice Cuts 2025 YouTube playlist here, or stream the full playlist on Spotify playlist here.

Or you can listen and watch each one below!

1. Float (feat. Jim Adkins) — Jay Som (3:28)
Jay Som is the stage name of Melina Duterte, a California singer songwriter who grew up playing trumpet and guitar and started writing and recording music at the age of 12. Now, her latest album, "Belong," features collabs with Haley Williams, Mini Trees, and this one, the song "Float," which features Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World.

2. Ring Ring Ring — Tyler, The Creator (3:22)
"Don't Tap the Glass," the ninth release from Tyler the Creator, is a short 10-track release but stands out for its use of house, funk, techno and more with tracks like "Sugar on My Tongue," and of course, "Ring Ring Ring."

3. Sally, When The Wine Runs Out — Role Model (3:39)
Back in February, Role Model released a deluxe edition of his 2024 album "Kansas Anymore." Dubbed "Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)," new tracks included "Sally, When the Wine Runs Out." And of course, wouldn't you know, that became Role Model's breakout hit. It's become standard now at each concert, Role Model will bring out a fan or celebrity to play Sally. On "SNL," it was Charli xcx's turn.

4. Edge of the Earth — The Beaches (2:40)
Formed in Toronto in 2009, The Beaches have become the pride of Canada — winning the Juno Award for Group of the Year in both 2024 and 2025. Off their 2023 album "Blame My Ex," which was their second full-length, "Edge of the Earth" was a 2024 hit that I was a year late to.

5. What Would I Do (A Kalapana Tribute) — Franskiiz, Lelz (3:25)
In 2025, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Kalapana's breakthrough first album. Still considered one of the high marks of the 1970s music revolution in Hawai'i, that album is chock full of gems, including "What Do I Do," which I used to play a ton on my KCSN Hawaiian music show. Cut to 2025, and Franskiiz and Lelz pay tribute to "What Do I Do" with their contemporary take, "What Would I Do." To make the song, the duo connected with Kalapana founding member Kirk Thompson, who appears in the music video.

6. Sunshine Baby — The Japanese House (3:40)
U.K. singer Amber Bain is also known as The Japanese House, who got her start in 2012 after meeting The 1975's Matty Healy, who offered to produce her music. Healy can be heard on "Sunshine Baby," from her album "In the End It Always Does."

7. Grave — Kid Cudi (3:11)
Kid Cudi has been wearing many hats for some time; this year he was simultaneously promoting his appearance in "Happy Gilmore 2," as well as his memoir "CUDI: The Memoir," while also releasing his 11th studio album, "Free." Oh, and Cudi also got married this year. Among the singles: "Grave."

8. Seein’ Stars — Turnstile (3:06)
Formed in 2010, Maryland's Turnstile is often described as a "hardcore punk band." But their breakout 2025 single "Never Enough" is much more ethereal. Then there's the track "Seein' Stars," from the album "Never Enough," which is completely poppy.

9. Church & State — Brandi Carlile (4:18)
Speaking of expanding your sound, Brandi Carlile is known for her folk, Americana and roots influenced songs. But in these unprecendented times, Carlile has something to say: And the rock-infused "Church & State," from her eighth album "Returning to Myself," is the protest anthem we need at this moment.

10. Father Time (10am) — Cautious Clay (2:28)
Born Joshua Karpeh and raised in Ohio, Cautious Clay released his third studio album, "The Hours: Morning" this year. The album's songs are all subtitled with times, from 5 a.m. to noon. At 10 a.m. is the track "Father Time."

11. eau de vie — Halima (2:52)
Halima was raised between Lagos and London and started studying folk and piano, which then led to jazz and R&B. From her debut album "Sweet Tooth" comes "eau de vie," which translates to "water of life."

12. Right Here, for Now — Bakar (3:01)
From his 2023 album "Halo," British singer Bakar's "Right Here, For Now" gained new life after being featured in the game "Dream League Soccer 2025."

13. Divinize — Rosalía (4:07)
On her latest album "Lux," it's said that Rosalía sings in at least 14 different languages. You hear several of them here on "Divinize." One of the best-reviewed albums of the year, "Lux" apparently took time to build as Rosalía learned all those languages. With lush orchestrations and challenging lyrics, "Lux" lives up to the hype.

14. Shower Song — Tierra Whack (2:43)
Yes, Tierra Whack is her real name -- why would you need a stage name when you've been gifted something cool like that? From her album "World Wide Whack," how about something funky? I hope the folks at Dove have found a way to use "Shower Song" in its advertisements.

15. Catch These Fists — Wet Leg (3:09)
From the Isle of Wight in England, Wet Leg has been one of rock music's biggest success stories in the past few years. From their second full length, "Moisturizer," comes the hit "Catch These Fists" — their first new music since 2022.

16. I'd Miss The Birds — Joy Oladokun (3:10)
American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun has said the chorus of "I'd Miss The Birds" has "put words to a pain I've had for a while." As a Black, queer Americana artist, living in Nashville and dealing with an industry that can be hostile to some folks hasn't been easy. Those raw, brutal honesty is on full display here.

17. NUEVAYoL — Bad Bunny (3:04)
“Nuevayol,” or in other words “Nueva York” (“New York”) was the lead track on Bad Bunny’s 2025 release “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” The song, about Puerto Rico’s identity, opens with a sample of Any Montañez and El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico’s “Un Verano en Nueva York.” I’m hoping we hear this powerful track when Bad Bunny performs the half time show at this year’s Super Bowl.

18. Dracula — Tame Impala (3:25)
Tame Impala, aka Kevin Parker, has a new classic on his hands. I expect to hear “Dracula,” off his fifth studio album “Deadbeat,” on everyone’s Halloween playlists next year. Off his album “Deadbeat,” “Dracula” also happens to be Tame Impala’s highest-ranking Billboard Hot 100 single yet.

19. Toro — Remi Wolf (2:56)
Remi Wolf makes a return to Choice Cuts, following up on last year’s “Cinderella” with “Toro,” also off her album “Big Ideas.”

20. The Field (feat. The Durutti Column, Tariq Al-Sabir, Caroline Polachek & Daniel Caesar) — Blood Orange (3:19)
“The Field” kicked off Blood Orange’s 2025 album “Essex Honey,” his first full length since 2018. The album features collabs with Lorde, Ben Watt of Everything But the Girl, Naomi Scott, Amandla Stenberg, Zadie Smith, Brendan Yates of Turnstile… and for “The Field,” The Durutti Column, Tariq Al-Sabir, Caroline Polachek & Daniel Caesar.

21. luther (feat. SZA) — Kendrick Lamar (2:58)
One of the best concerts I saw in 2025 was Kendrick Lamar and SZA, together, at the Sofi. And of course, midway through, they bring the house down with “Luther,” which features a sample by Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s “If This World Were Mine.” With 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, it was the second longest-running hip-hop song of all time at No. 1.

22. 南宮FEFERE 남궁페페레 (feat. Japanese Breakfast) — Silica Gel (3:49)
For her collaboration with Korean band Silica Gel, Michelle Zauner — aka Japanese Breakfast — wrote lyrics in Korean for the very first time. The song, “Namgung Fefere,” is a tour de force.

23. Automatic (feat. Lalah Hathaway) — Nate Smith (4:52)
Drummer Nate Smith recruited some heavy hitters on his album Live-Action, and that includes Lalah Hathaway doing her version of the Pointer Sisters’ 80s single “Automatic.” It’s a reimagining that brings more jazz and soul to the dance pop gem.

24. Pussy Palace — Lily Allen (4:02)
From the homage to “Stranger Things” at the start of this song to the dig at his “dojo,” we know exactly whom Lily Allen is singing about in “Pussy Palace.” Her ex does not get off easy in Allen’s “West End Girl,” and “Pussy Palace” — and with its catchy chorus accusing him of being a sex addict — revenge has never sounded better.

25. Saoirse — Maruja (5:14)
English rock band Maruja, which formed in 2014 in Manchester, perhaps have the most important song of the year in “Saoirse.” From their album “Pain to Power,” the song opens with an intense jazz riff — before moving on to its key lyric, repeated over and over: “It’s our differences that make us beautiful.” We need more people to recognize that in the coming year.

‘Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Shrinking,’ ‘The Pitt’ Among Series Set for 2026 Edition of PaleyFest LA

2025-12-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Paley Center for Media’s PaleyFest LA is revealing the first programs set for next year’s PaleyFest LA: Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” Apple TV’s “Shrinking” and HBO Max’s “The Pitt.” The org also announced that PaleyFest LA 2026 will return once again to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, from Saturday, April 4 to Sunday, April 12.

More shows will be announced next month on Monday, Jan. 26, and ticket presales will begin on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

“’Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Shrinking’ and ‘The Pitt’ stand out not only for their exceptional writing, but for the way they’ve captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, and we are honored to announce these acclaimed shows as our first selected programs for this year’s PaleyFest LA,” said Maureen J. Reidy, President & CEO, The Paley Center for Media, in a statement.

The PaleyFest is sponsored by Citi, while William S. Paley Foundation is the founding benefactor.

Entering its 43rd year in Los Angeles, the PaleyFest features screenings and conversations for some of the most popular shows on TV.

Read more here.

Nipsey Hussle Docuseries Eyed for 2026 as Director One9 Sifts Through Tons of Footage: ‘His Father Videotaped Everything’

2025-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

A long-awaited docuseries about the life of late hip-hop star Nipsey Hussle may finally be released next year. The filmmakers behind the series say the interviews, music and footage are all in place — now they’re on the hunt for a network or streaming home. Director One9, who was behind the recent three part Prime Video doc “Allen Iv3rson,” says the tentatively titled “Hussle” will have between five and seven episodes, and will be narrated posthumously by Hussle along with his brother, Blacc Sam.

The Grammy-winning Hussle (real name Ermias Asghedom), who became a respected figure for both his music career and his community outreach (which included investing in Crenshaw’s commercial district), was killed outside his clothing shop in 2019. He was just 33, and his death continues to reverberate in South-Central L.A. and the wider Southern California region — where tribute murals depicting the performer are commonplace.

“We’ve been working on it for several years, and making sure that it’s told the right way,” One9 says. “You talk about one of the most inspirational figures out there, who was a highly gifted child building his own computers to burn CDs and get his music out there.”

Fueling the multipart doc, One9 says, is a trove of footage he’s sifting through as he assembles the episodes. “Nipsey had the foresight to videotape everything in his life,” the director says. “Even when he was young, his father videotaped everything. You see the whole transformation of a young man coming of age, going through the iterations of childhood to gang life to independence to music to finding his own voice — and then becoming such a huge inspirational figure to the Crenshaw culture and environment.”

The footage includes the first time Hussle went into the studio at age 12. He also recorded an unreleased audio book, parts of which will supplement the voice-over narration. And the series will feature never before-heard music from the vault.

Blacc Sam — aka Samiel Asghedom — has been instrumental in gaining the participation of Hussle’s family, One9 says: “Sam’s learning more about Nipsey’s life from just watching the archival [footage]. … It’s really the story of those two brothers and how they navigated their lives.”

Read more here.

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2025 Recap: Our Biggest Crowd Ever Hikes Down Wilshire For the 20th Edition

2025-11-23T11:44:00.000-08:00

I know I say this every year, but I think most who attended can agree it was our biggest walk yet. We ran out of "I ❤️ LA" hats from TV's "Hacks" (thank you Universal TV) and our handouts, and those ran around 500 -- so it was a lot! Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the 20th edition of the Great Los Angeles Walk and hit the boulevard that started it all — Wilshire — on Saturday. Many (most?!) braved all 15.8 miles to make it to end too!

And it was a beautiful day for a walk. The temperature was mild (not too cold, not too hot) and after the past week's rain, the skies were perfect.

Other than that pesky security guard at Pershing Square (hey, he was just doing his job and I'm not sure he expected 600 people to randomly show up at 9 a.m.!) the morning kicked off well, starting with Jenny from the LA Conservancy giving us a little pep talk about what to see on Wilshire. A double thanks to the LA Conservancy, as I cribbed from an old Wilshire guide of the organization's to populate this year's handout.

First thing, some folks checked out the Biltmore Hotel (again, apologies to security there!) while most headed to One Wilshire to kick off our proper walk from downtown to the ocean. Early on, we reconnected with one of our favorite walkers, Julian from Santa Fe, who walks the route every year completely barefoot! Julian missed last year's event, but he was back and ready to go for the 20th!

We quickly made our way through downtown, and saw some classic architecture in the Good Samaritan Hospital and La Parrilla restaurant, a 1905 home that has been converted into an eatery. We made it to MacArthur Park, which quite honestly is looking ROUGH right now.

And yes, we witnessed perhaps another GLAW first: An LAPD arrest right in front of us, Yikes. I will not share a photo of that. Some of the beautiful buildings in the area are currently shut down and looking for some TLC, like the Park Plaza Hotel/The MacArthur, where I've been to many events over the years, including the wedding of good friends Jeff and Jess. Hopefully the building will recover.

From there, we saw a ton of wonderful apartment buildings like the Wilshire Royale, the Bryson, the Talmadge and more. We talked our way into the Gaylord, next to the HMS Bounty, were we once held the Ambassador Hotel wake. We saw the RFK school that took over the Ambassador, checked out the churches like Oasis, St. Basil, the Wilshire Blvd. Temple and then the Wilshire Colonnade.

Then there was the Wiltern, the newly painted red doors of the St. James Episcopal Church and the Scottish Rite Masonic Temple. Another treat was checking out the "House of Explore Indonesia" inside the Deco Building on Wilshire, where we got a free coffee! Along the way we also met an engineer behind one of those delivery robots, and we saw mahjong players setting up their tables. Learning a lot from fellow Angelenos!

By lunchtime it was LACMA (still can't believe what happened to the old buildings) and the Academy Museum (inside the old May Co. building), where many stopped for lunch at Fanny's.

Later, we walked through Beverly Hills (where some construction forced a sidewalk detour); and admired the rainbow patterned glass above the Bank of America building. We made it to the Beverly Hilton, where again construction forced some crafty running (and jaywalking, sigh) back and forth across Wilshire.

At Westwood, some of us stopped by to see People's Vision Zero painting crosswalks at the corner of Malcolm and Lindbrook in Westwood. The Hammer museum's "Made in LA 2025" exhibit also was a draw for some, especially since that venue is free! There was a bit more to see after that as we passed by the VA and the Wadsworth Chapel -- the oldest remaining building on Wilshire, from 1900 — and then entered Santa Monica. And of course, after taking celebratory photos at the Santa Monica statue, we gathered to eat at Papi Tacos & Churros!

What a day! Thanks to everyone who made all of the trek, some of it, or even just helped give rides to their friends. Check out The Great Los Angeles Walk's Instagram feed for more pics, and the hashtags #glaw and #greatlawalk for more as well.

But here are just a few highlights from the day:

Some of the crowd watches as I kick off the 20th annual Great Los Angeles Walk, with help from the LA Conservancy's Jenny!

Just a fraction of the crowd. We pretty much filled a big chunk of Pershing Square!

Holding a banner we made for the occasion.

And we're off!

Our barefoot regular, Julian!

Excited for a day of walking!

Overlooking the 110. The safety rail sure is low.

La Parilla restaurant, created out of a 1905 house that is one of the oldest remaining buildings on Wilshire.

Westlake Theatre (1926) closed in 1991.

General Harrison Gray Otis is pointing to the site of his former home.

MacArthur Park

The MacArthur (aka Park Plaza Hotel) (1925)

Looks like there's not much going on at the Park Plaza right now.

American Cement Building (1961)

Wilshire Royale (1927)

Bullocks Wilshire/Southwestern Law School (1929)

Getting to know our friend Coco

This engineer was repairing another robot and giving us the scoop on how they work.

I remember when this mural went up about 15-20 years ago. It sure does need a new paint job.

Mahjong tables at Open Market

Looking around inside the Gaylord (1924)

The HMS Bounty, where we held the Ambassador Hotel wake back in 2006.

The Brown Derby dome, which was moved to the top of the strip mall that replaced it.

Pretty much all of the Angels Walk pillars that were put up in the 2000s now look like this, sadly.

Peace! Outside the Line hotel.

St. Basil Church (1969)

Wilshire Colonnade

The Wiltern and Pellissier Building

New red doors at the St. James Episcopal Church (1925)

The Getty House -- aka the LA mayors' house in Hancock Park

Inside the art deco building that now houses the House of Explore Indonesia (HEXI). It's an old bank building (see the vault above) that has since been transformed...

...and thanks for the coffee!

Wilshire sidewalk haircuts!

La Brea Tar Pits!

Berlin Wall remnants across the street from LACMA

Oscar at the Academy Museum

Thanks to the Academy Museum for welcoming us and offering a discount off future visits!

Petersen Automotive Museum

Entering Beverly Hills!

Bank of America building features a rainbow patterned glass of a dalle da verne cornice cantilevered nine and a half feet out from the top of the building.

People's Vision Zero painting crosswalks at the corner of Malcolm and Lindbrook in Westwood.

Made in LA 2025 exhibit at the Hammer Museum

Walkers having a little fun at the Hammer

Wadsworth Chapel (1900) -- the oldest remaining building on Wilshire

Kim Kardashian looks over Wilshire

Sunset in Santa Monica

Dogtown

At the end of the walk!

Celebrating at Papi Tacos & Churros

How KROQ Became World Famous Again: Two Kevins, a Return to Rock and a Lot of Patience for Its New Morning Show

2025-11-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla are among the producers who have spent years crafting a multi-part docuseries chronicling the history of influential Los Angeles alternative radio station KROQ — and five years ago, they seemed to have a proper (albeit, depressing) ending to the story. As reported at the time by Variety, the once-“world famous” KROQ had collapsed in both ratings and reputation as the station lost its two-time Hall of Fame morning show “Kevin & Bean,” while simultaneously blowing up its familiar playlist. “It’s the End of the World Famous KROQ As We Know It,” the Variety headline read.

And yet, five years later, there appears to be a bit of a recovery happening at the legendary radio outlet. In October, KROQ posted a 5.8 share in its key adults 25-54 demo — making it No. 2 in Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest marrket. That’s quite a change from even just a year ago, when the station was still pulling a fairly tepid 2.6 share (No. 16 in the market).

KROQ is also experiencing a tremendous boost in the mornings, where the “Klein.Ally.Show” hit its best-ever numbers last month — after having struggled to gain traction during its first four years on air.

“We have a great frickin’ story here,” says KROQ senior VP of programming Kevin Weatherly. “It was dark times at this station. Many people thought would never come back. A lot of people thought KROQ was dead, and it was dead to a lot of our listeners. But now here we are, five years later. Not only have we come back from that, but we’re back bigger in terms of ratings success, than we’ve been in 15-plus years.”

Per KROQ’s monthly ratings trends, that rebirth really took off this past spring — and it’s probably not a coincidence that the listenership skyrocketed after the return of ex-morning host Kevin Ryder. With his former “Kevin & Bean” partner Gene “Bean” Baxter, Ryder spent 30 years at KROQ until March 2020 — when he and co-hosts Allie Mac Kay and Jensen Karp (Baxter had departed in November 2019) were fired over the phone during the pandemic.

Ryder returned to the KROQ in afternoon drive this past April 1, a little over five years after being axed — and soon after, another KROQ vet, Doug “Sluggo” Roberts, also returned to the station for regular shifts after a long absence. (During that time away, Ryder and Roberts hosted an afternoon show together on L.A. classic rock outlet KLOS.)

“I think Kevin Ryder coming back had the halo effect of really benefiting the radio station from a ratings standpoint,” Weatherly says. “Because it did give people permission that were pissed off, that didn’t want anything to do with KROQ, to go, ‘OK, if he’s coming back, it’s cool for us too.’”

Read more here.

TV Academy Sets August 2026 Date for the Return of the Televerse Festival, Which Moves to a Full Weekend

2025-11-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

The Television Academy has greenlighted a second season of its Televerse festival. The news isn’t quite a surprise, as TV Academy president/CEO Maury McIntyre told Variety last August that the org was already planning an encore, and examining how to improve on this year’s inaugural event.

One of those changes was to adjust the event to a Friday/Saturday/Sunday event, vs. the inaugural year’s Thursday/Friday/Saturday pattern. As a result, the second Televerse will take place from Friday, Aug. 14 to Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, once again at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

The first Televerse attracted more than 2,500 attendees — with approximately 75% consisting of TV Academy members, and the other 25% from the general public. The event centered on Phase 2 FYC panels from Emmy-nominated shows, the first time it had thrown sanctioned campaign events after the Emmy nominations. That included panels for shows like “The Pitt,” “Severance,” “The Studio,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Slow Horses” and “Top Chef,” among others. Other nominated shows that couldn’t front a panel were still given the option to screen an episode.

Read more here.

World Series Champion L.A. Dodgers’ Season Opener in Japan to Be Focus of Upcoming Doc ‘Homecoming: The Tokyo Series’

2025-11-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Banijay Americas’ BD4 documentary label has partnered with theatrical distributor Fathom Entertainment and Major League Baseball production shingle MLB Studios to produce the doc “Homecoming: The Tokyo Series,” which is set to premiere in movie theaters on February 23 and 24.

The film, directed by Emmy winner Jason Sterman (“13th”) and also produced by Supper Club, looks back at the historic MLB 2025 World Tour — which opened this past baseball season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs facing off in Tokyo. The two-game event in March, which saw the Dodgers win both matchups (setting the stage for its back-to-back World Series win in November) was also personal for several MLB players who made the journey back home: Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki of the Dodgers joined Seiya Suzuki and Shōta Imanaga of the Cubs.

Carol Burnett Donates All Her Awards — 140 Emmys, Globes, a Tony, Grammy and More — to UCLA, Where She’s Endowed a New Scholarship

2025-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Carol Burnett has been brewin’ something big with the Bruins. The UCLA alum and Hollywood icon has announced two major gifts to the school: An endowment to establish a scholarship at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, as well as a donation of the more than 140 industry awards and honors that Burnett has received over her seven-decade career.

Among those awards are seven Emmys — ranging from outstanding performance in a variety or music program in 1962 (“The Garry Moore Show”) to outstanding variety special—pre-recorded (“Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter+Love”) in 2023. She’s also won six Golden Globes, a Grammy, a Tony, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honor, multiple Peabody Awards, a Stephen Sondheim Award, a 1976 Creative Circle Award (shaped like a golden typewriter), the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award, the Globes’ first Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award for Television and much more.

As part of the donation, Burnett also included ephemera such as hand drawings of her in costume from “The Carol Burnett Show,” a still-boxed doll of her in the CBS variety show’s iconic Scarlett O’Hara curtain hanger costume, and other photos and memorabilia. A rotating display of Burnett’s honors will be shown in the lobby of UCLA’s Freud Playhouse.

Read more here.

‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Holds Food Drive As Trump Administration Threatens to Halt SNAP Benefits for Millions of Americans

2025-11-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

With the Trump Administration threatening to withhold SNAP benefits to Americans in need, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has launched a food drive to support the Los Angeles Food Bank and the St. Joseph Center. The LA Food Bank’s mission is to “mobilize resources to fight hunger in our community,” while the St. Joseph Center helps “working-poor families and people experiencing homelessness to achieve stability and self-sufficiency.”

As the Trump Administration’s government shutdown is about to hit 36 days — marking a new record — there’s still uncertainty over whether the 42 million Americans who rely on food stamp payments will receive any of those benefits moving forward.

Wrote the show on its Instagram account: “Cutting SNAP benefits creates uncertainty for American children, seniors and families. To support our community members in need, we’re starting a donation center in our Hollywood backlot to benefit the @LAFoodBank & @StJosephCtr. Details below. If you are in LA, please come by to donate food and if you are not, please consider supporting your local food banks.”

Dubbed “The Jimmy Kimmel Live Big, Beautiful Food Bank,” the donation hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. at 6901 Hawthorn Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028.

According to the show, the most needed foods are low-sodium soups/chili/stews, tuna/chicken/salmon (cans or pouches), nut butters, low-sugar cereals, protein bars, whole grain pasta and rice.

Also requested are crackers, trail mix, fruit snacks, 100% juice boxes, dried fruit, UHT milk, cereal boxes, wipes, diapers, facial cleanser, deodorant, soap, lotions, oral hygiene items and feminine products.

Read more here.

Mike Lands Eight LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Nominations

2025-10-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Variety reporters, photographers and designers scored 107 nominations for the Los Angeles Press Club‘s 18th National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, and I am proud to reveal that I have landed eight of them! Here are the categories where I've been nominated -- for several stories, as well as host/producer of the Variety Awards Circuit podcast:

G4. Business, TV/Streaming

* Michael Schneider, Variety, “Inside the Cable TV Hospice: Can NBCUniversal’s

Divorce From MSNBC, Syfy, E! and More Prolong the Life of Once-Popular

Channels?”

G26. Commentary Analysis/Trend, Film

* Michael Schneider, Variety, “A24’s Doc ‘The Sixth,’ About the Terror of Jan. 6, Is

Essential Viewing. So Why Are the Directors Struggling to Get It Seen?”

J1. Anchor/Host

* Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle

Riley, Variety, “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast”

J5. One-on-One Interview, TV/Streaming Personalities

* Michael Schneider, Variety, “‘The Daily Show’s’ Ronny Chieng on Recently

Becoming a U.S. Citizen: ‘It’s a Weird Time to Do It’”

J9. Best Arts or Entertainment Regular Podcast

* Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle

Riley, Variety, “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast”

K2. Hard News, TV/Streaming

* Michael Schneider, Variety, “L.A. Reporters Cover Devastation in Their Own

Neighborhoods During Wildfires: ‘Feels Like a Nightmare’ and ‘Fatigue Is Setting In’”

K23A. TV/Streaming Feature, Creatives

* Kate Aurthur, Michael Schneider, Variety, “Variety TV Editors Recount What It Was Like Shooting a Cameo for the ‘Hacks’ Premiere: ‘I Went Into a Fugue State’”

K31. Commentary Analysis/Trend, TV

* Michael Schneider, Variety, “The L.A. Fires Proved the Urgent Need for Local News in an Age of Social Media Conspiracies and Outright Lies”

The Arts and Entertainment Awards gala is set for Dec. 7.

‘Married With Children’ Stars to Gather at the Wiltern Theatre In One-Night-Only Cast Reunion That Won’t Be Televised

2025-10-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

The stars of hit 1980s Fox sitcom “Married…. With Children” are reuniting in January for a live event that will serve as a benefit for the Race to Erase MS organization.

“Married… With Children” stars Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino are set to gather on stage at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, to celebrate and reminisce about their 11-season sitcom, which ran from April 1987 to June 1997, ultimately filming 259 episodes.

According to the announcement for “An Evening with The Bundys: The Married with Children Cast Reunion,” attendees “can expect never-before-heard stories, rare behind-the-scenes moments, and plenty of laughs as the Bundys relive their most outrageous and iconic memories together.” There are no plans to film the reunion, which means the only chance to see the Bundy clan gathering will be in person at the Wiltern.

Race to Erase MS, which is dedicated to the treatment and cure of Multiple Sclerosis, will receive $2 from every ticket sold. Applegate revealed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS, said in May 2023 that she likely wouldn’t appear on-camera anymore due to the autoimmune disease. Last year she spoke to Good Morning America about the news.

Tickets for the reunion, which is being produced by Live Nation Concerts with Blunt Mgmt.’s Ben Brucato, begin Thursday, Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. PT at ticketmaster.com.

Read more here.

KCRW Announces New Batch of DJs

2025-10-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

A week after KCRW pink slipped long-running DJs Jason Kramer, Jeremy Sole, José Galvan, Travis Holcombe and Valida in a cost-cutting move, the station has announced shows from three new hosts.

Joining the station are Luxxury, John Tejada and Peanut Butter Wolf, who premiere the weekend of Oct. 31. “They’re not just incredible DJs; they’re artists with their own creative worlds and communities, and they’re bringing that energy straight to KCRW,” said KCRW music director Alejandro Cohen in an email to listeners.

Luxxury — real name Blake Robin — hosts the popular podcast “One Song” with Diallo Riddle. (He’s also known for whispering “INTERPOLATION” on TikTok.) The artist, producer and DJ is “known for blending classic songwriting with modern production,” KCRW noted. His show will air on a more rock-focused Friday night, which also includes a continuing show from legendary rocker Henry Rollins.

Tejada is described as “a globally respected DJ, producer, and composer” who “brings decades of influence in techno and electronic music. His refined style bridges the experimental and the familiar, connecting underground innovation with sounds that move listeners.” His show will air on Saturdays, along with DJ Silva and Jason Bentley’s “Metropolis,” as that night focuses on dance music.

Peanut Butter Wolf, real name Chris Manak, is the founder of Stones Throw Records. His show will air on Sunday nights, which will be focused on soul, R&B, hip-hop and jazz. Manak’s Sunday show will air along with one from LeRoy Downs.

Holcombe had hosted the weeknight show “Freaks Only”; with his departure, the station said Monday through Thursday nights will include rebroadcasts of some of the weekend shows mentioned above.

KCRW president Jennifer Ferro had hinted at a change in another email to listeners last week: “These decisions were made after careful consideration of how best to position us against the twin challenges of needing to adapt to how people consume media today as well as the loss of federal dollars. You’ll notice some programming changes too,” she said. “Look for a new on-air music schedule in the coming weeks with new DJs and a new lineup.”

Read more here.

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Singers to Perform First Concert Appearance at KIIS-FM’s Jingle Ball

2025-10-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

The “KPop Demon Hunters” singing voices of Huntr/x — EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — will make their first live public concert appearance in December at this year’s edition of KIIS-FM’s Jingle Ball.

As announced Wednesday by KIIS-FM (102.7) owner iHeartRadio, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami will appear as part of the lineup for the the annual concert on Friday, December 5, at 7:30 p.m. at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami’s performance will join a previously announced lineup that includes Alex Warren, Audrey Hobert, Conan Gray, Feid, Jackson Wang, Jessie Murph, The Kid Laroi, Leon Thomas, Renee Rapp and Zara Larsson.

The KIIS-FM appearance reps the latest in an ongoing media tour for the “KPop Demon Hunters” singers. EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami recently made their first full live appearance performing the movie’s hit song “Golden” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” On Oct. 4, the group appeared on “Saturday Night Live,” appearing as themselves alongside host and musical guest Bad Bunny. During that stint, they performed an abbreviated version of “Golden.”

EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami sing for the roles of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), respectively, in “KPop Demon Hunters.” The animated film was released on June 20, and by late August, it was the streamer’s most-watched movie of all time. Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the film follows a K-pop supergroup who must balance their lives as world-famous pop stars with their secret side hustle as demon slayers.

Read more here.

Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis Among Stars to Appear on PBS SoCal Telethon Supporting Public TV In Wake of Trump’s Elimination of Funding

2025-10-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

In the wake of the Trump administration’s defunding of public broadcasting, local stations PBS SoCal (KOCE and KCET) are planning a telethon next week from the PBS outfit’s Burbank Studios home. “We ❤ Public Television!” is billed as a live, three hour telethon “honoring 55 remarkable years of public television – America’s trusted, free public media service that reaches every city, town and rural community across the nation... This program celebrates the extraordinary musical artists and personalities who have graced PBS stages and screens, showcasing the cultural richness that public media and local PBS stations offer all Americans.”

Set to take place on Saturday, Nov, 8 at 4 p.m. PT, Rickey Minor will serve as music director for the telecast. Guests right now are scheduled to include Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ken Burns, Ziggy Marley, Lily Tomlin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Marlee Matlin, Nicholas Ralph, Noel Paul Stookey, Rick Steves, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Adam Arkin, Courtney Vance, Martha Plimpton, Joe Bonamassa, Sheléa, Jesse Cook, Judy Blume, Celtic Woman, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mychal the Librarian, Lindsey Stirling and more.

The telethon will also feature performances from Nashville PBS including Kathy Mattea, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle and Ketch Secor.

After its initial broadcast on PBS SoCal, “We ❤ Public Television” will air on PBS stations across the country on Thursday, Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving night). It will also be available on the PBS app from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24. Additionally, PBS SoCal will rebroadcast the event on Thanksgiving night at 7 p.m. PT.

Read more here.

KCRW Cuts 10% of Staff in Wake of Public Media Funding Cuts; DJs Jason Kramer, Jeremy Sole, José Galván Among Exits

2025-10-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Faced with further budget cuts following the Trump administration’s elimination of federal funding for public media, local public radio outlet KCRW has trimmed an additional 10% of its staff. Included in the cuts were several of the station’s most well-known music DJs, including Jason Kramer, Jeremy Sole and José Galván. Also as part of the changes, host Elvis Mitchell’s long-running interview series “The Treatment” will now run inside “Weekend Edition.”

KCRW president Jennifer Ferro revealed some of the changes in a letter to the station’s subscribers and supporters on Friday.

“Like so many other public media organizations, KCRW is restructuring parts of the organization in response to our new budget reality,” Ferro wrote in the memo. “The result of this restructuring is a 10% reduction in our staff. These decisions were made after careful consideration of how best to position us against the twin challenges of needing to adapt to how people consume media today as well as the loss of federal dollars.”

Ferro added: “While this moment is challenging, we believe these changes are necessary to ensure KCRW is positioned for the long term.”

In Friday’s letter, Ferro noted that “you’ll notice some programming changes too. Look for a new on-air music schedule in the coming weeks with new DJs and a new lineup.” She didn’t name the departing DJs by name, but Kramer, Sole and Galvan confirmed their exits on social media.

“After 27 years, I have unfortunately been let go from KCRW. Along with some other of the best DJs in the world,” Kramer wrote. “The station will always have a place in my heart, and every artist that I play I will still be there in another way.”

Wrote Galván: “For the past 14 years, I have contributed my musical taste and unique perspective to KCRW. For the first six, I creared and curated a feature called ‘Pan Caliente’ on the music blog, and for the past 8.5 years I was lucky enough to be an on-air host. Growing up in LA, it was a dream come trye to be a part of the elite DJs of KCRW. Sadly as of this morning, I am no longer living that dream. I was let go, along with some other staples of the station. Throughout my time at KCRW, it was never lost on me that it was a privilege and a pleasure to be able to share music and artists with the world week after week. Radio is my passion, and there will be other opportunities for me to share my taste at better run institutions. Thank you to those who supported me on this particular journey… Stick a fork in me, I’m done at 89.9 FM.”

Read more here.

Get Ready for The Great Los Angeles Walk 20, Back on Wilshire!

2025-10-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

The Great Los Angeles Walk is back for its 20th edition on November 22, 2025! Sign up at greatlawalk@mail.com, check your emails (or Spam filters!) and stay tuned for more details!

How Diane Keaton Tirelessly Campaigned to Preserve Los Angeles’ Architectural History

2025-10-12T00:25:00.000-07:00

On a brisk February evening in 2006, around a hundred people gathered in the venerable Koreatown watering hole HMS Bounty to pay their last respects to Los Angeles’ historic Ambassador Hotel. Despite the best efforts of the Los Angeles Conservancy, the Ambassador had been torn down — and among the speakers decrying the fate of the legendary institution that evening was Diane Keaton.

Keaton, who died Saturday at 79, is of course known the world over for her on-screen credits, from “Annie Hall” to “The Godfather,” “Father of the Bride” and so much more. But in Los Angeles, she was also known for her passionate work in trying to preserve the city’s history. Keaton spent nearly two decades on the board of the L.A. Conservancy, and lent her voice to the org in countless campaigns to save some of the city’s historic and culturally significant homes and buildings.

“The more I got to know her, the more I understood where that passion came from,” said former L.A. Conservancy president Linda Dishman, who retired after 31 years with the org in 2023. “A lot of that came from her family and growing up in Los Angeles. Really having a connection to the stories and places that make L.A. the city that it is. She had a very genuine passion for historic preservation, not only for the buildings or the cultural landscapes, but for what they mean to people and what they would mean in the future. She definitely got the relationship with how we’re doing this for future generations.”

Keaton first became involved through her interest in historic homes — one of which, built by famed architect Lloyd Wright, she called her own. Her association with the group started when she was curious about the Spanish house owned by one of the Conservancy board members — but soon she got deeply involved with the org, speaking at one of its benefits and then joining its board.

“She was just charming, and it was great being with her, because we shared a passion for historic places,” Dishman said. “Houses were her first interest, and she bought historic houses and restored them, like the Lloyd Wright. But she very much cared about the whole architectural landscaoem and so the fight that she probably was most engaged with, because it took so long, was the Ambassador Hotel.”

Jimmy Kimmel Rose to the Occasion in His Late-Night Return, Reminding Us Why We Have to Speak Out Against Tyranny

2025-09-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Kimmel never thought he’d be here. But Kimmel has the skill to rise to this moment, at a jarring time in this country’s history as freedoms are under attack and democracy hangs on just by a thread.

On Tuesday’s return of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” we were reminded of that. Kimmel struck the perfect tone, acknowledging the gravity of what had just happened, telling his audience that both sides of the aisle should cherish and celebrate free speech — and then not pulling any punches in joking about what Donald Trump has been up to over the last few days. Political satire has been a late night staple since the dawn of the entire genre, and Kimmel was going to make sure it isn’t going anywhere.

“You had the feeling that this was an important moment,” said one audience member who attended the Tuesday taping. “It felt very cathartic, like, not everything is lost.” It was a good reminder that part of the promise of America has being able to speak without fear of government intimidation.

We all love Jimmy, but he never asked to be drafted to be the protector of the First Amendment and free speech in this nation. He’s a late night talk show host, not an activist. A comedian whose job is to simply poke fun at our nation’s elected leaders.

“This show is not important, what is important is we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” Kimmel said.

But these days, just pointing out our government’s foibles makes you an enemy of the state. Kimmel found that out last week, but he’s not the only one. President Trump is still celebrating the impending disappearance of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” And he promises that Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are next. Trump has the power of the FCC, the DOJ and other agencies ready to do his bidding — and last week, the administration came very close to getting what it wanted: The silence of one of the few prominent voices still poking fun at the madness coming out of Washington.

Let that sink in for a second: Talk show hosts — comedians whose main job is to crack audiences up and help a rotating cast of guests promote their latest projects — are so embedded in the craw of Trump that he’s demanding his agencies find a way to shut them up.

“I just want to say how alarming it is to feel like late night is important,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” writer Louis Virtel said this week on his podcast. “Nobody takes this job thinking, ‘and you know why I decided to make jokes about, whatever, Melania Trump today? To make a difference.” On the one hand, Trump loves to bash the hosts as being low-rated no-talents — yet “he’s the one who is constantly bringing up every day how important these people’s speech is.”

Like many Angelenos, I’m old enough to remember when Kimmel was “Jimmy the Sports Guy” on KROQ’s “Kevin & Bean,” and waiting in line for the annual Christmas cassette that he helped produce. Trust me, “Jimmy the Sports Guy” wasn’t planning on becoming the national lightning rod for free speech — he started off his career by just wanting to be entertaining on the radio.

But Kimmel’s tenacity and talent was always there, even when he was loitering at stations in Phoenix and Los Angeles, waiting for his big break. After he made his way onto “Kevin & Bean” — famously, the morning show hosts had no idea their program director had even hired him — he quickly found success as the sidekick on “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” as comic relief on “Fox Sports Sunday” and then as one-half of “The Man Show” with Adam Corolla.

Read more here.

VARIETY COVER: Kathy Bates, Still Badass: The Icon on ‘Matlock,’ Saying ‘F– You’ to Weight Loss Critics and Why Being an Old Emmy Nominee Is a ‘Badge of Honor’

2025-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

When it comes to describing his onetime co-star Kathy Bates, Sam Rockwell doesn’t hold back. “She’s a badass motherfucker,” he says about his time working with her on Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell.” “It was nothing short of extraordinary. She’s a beast; she’s an animal. She’s an assassin. She’s a baller! Marvel and DC should make her a fucking superhero — or supervillain!”

But as we sit in her “Matlock” dressing room on the Paramount lot, Bates is not quite feeling like a baller. It’s late in the evening after a long day of shooting an episode of the CBS drama’s upcoming second season, and Bates just came off struggling with a tongue twister of a line, which she unraveled with the help of her costar Skye Marshall.

“When I have to do the legalese, sometimes I get kind of turned around,” she says. “And we go so fast — we’re really rehearsing on camera. By the time we’re making soup, it’s like, ’OK, cut! We’re gonna go to the next angle!’”

And yet, Bates doesn’t seem exhausted. When Rockwell’s salty description of her comes up, she brightens. Does Bates feel like a badass motherfucker?

“When I’m around him, I do!” she says. “We’re always texting each other. He’ll write, ’I love you, you fucker!’ And I was watching him in ’Seven Psychopaths,’ because I love that movie so much. I took a screenshot of my TV and sent it to him and said, ’You fucker! I love you too!’

She admits Rockwell could be onto something with that Marvel/DC casting idea: “I’d love to be a superhero who could fly. But be sexy and transform from one thing to another. Maybe a combo platter: A villain who then transforms into a sexy, crazy, perfect woman.”

This is the gregarious, no-bullshit Kathy Bates people keep talking about. Having been a superstar for decades — that 1991 “Misery” Oscar win was nearly 35 years ago, when Bates was already a seasoned stage performer in her 40s — she’s no stranger to transformation.

But at 77, Bates is as close as she’s ever been to her own sexy, crazy, perfect ideal.

For starters, Bates’ career is speeding up, thanks to the tremendous success of “Matlock,” which returns next month for Season 2, as the show’s writers accelerate the face-off at the core of the series. Bates has embraced the challenge of being No. 1 on the call sheet, too, even using her clout to make sure “Matlock” films in Los Angeles, and that its cast and crew are treated properly on set. And then there’s how she’s feeling: better than ever.

Bates calls this the “redemption stage” of her life and career. She’s made it to the other side of some tough times, and now things couldn’t be happier. “I finally feel like I’m who I am,” she says. “I’ve fought my way through the rapids. I feel this is the best time of my life. I’m glad I stuck around for it!”

There’s a new swagger in her step, partly because of her weight loss (she’s dropped around 100 pounds). And she’s got a clean bill of health after surviving multiple bouts of cancer. And then, following some worries about whether her best acting days were behind her, Bates booked the lead on “Matlock.”

Not only is “Matlock” a hit — delivering nearly 16 million viewers across broadcast and streaming last season — but it has led to a new string of honors for Bates (who has two Emmys and a Golden Globe in addition to that Oscar), starting with a Critics Choice Award in January. Now, thanks to the show, Bates is the oldest-ever Emmy nominee in the outstanding drama actress category.

And she’s not bothered that we keep mentioning that age-related historic stat. “I love that,” she says, noting that “this feels totally different” from the success that has come before. “It’s true, first of all, and it’s a badge of honor. It’s just the serendipity of all of it. I’ve never had any of this stuff happen before, where I’ve got five different designers sending dresses!”

Read more here.

L.A. Plays Itself: How Shows Like ‘Nobody Wants This,’ ‘Hacks,’ ‘Shrinking’ and More Are Honoring the City of Angels Right When We Need It Most

2025-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

From its very first beat, “Nobody Wants This” spoke to me. The series opens with a quick montage of Los Angeles sights — palm treelined avenues, Echo Park Lake — as Haim’s “Summer Girl” (with its lyric “L.A. on my mind”) plays. From there, we see stars Kristen Bell and Justine Lupe as they stroll on a Los Feliz side street, just off Vermont Avenue.

“Nobody Wants This” isn’t the only Emmy comedy contender with L.A. on its mind. “Hacks,” “Shrinking,” “The Studio” and even portions of last season’s “Only Murders in the Building” shone a spotlight on the City of Angels. Other series in recent years that have done a great job showcasing the joy of living in Los Angeles include “Platonic,” “Running Point,” “Forever” and “No Good Deed.”

All of these shows pride themselves — justifiably — on heading outdoors and finding some of the more unique and hidden corners of Los Angeles. It’s something I strive to do every year (self-serving plug alert!) with the Great Los Angeles Walk, which I created in 2006 as a way to find fellow Angelenos as passionate as I am for exploring our city on foot. Every year we walk the length of an avenue across Los Angeles, from downtown to the ocean, always discovering new attractions, landmarks, architecture and restaurants along the way. (The 20th annual Great Los Angeles Walk will travel across Wilshire Boulevard on Nov. 22 — come join us and read more about it here!)

Los Angeles comprises 502 square miles, while Los Angeles County is 4,753 square miles — so it’s understandable that even most lifelong Angelenos have only explored a fraction of their own backyard. Part of my goal with the Great Los Angeles Walk is to expose people to a new side of their hometown, and that’s also what shows like “Nobody Wants This” are doing. Creator Erin Foster was born and raised here, but spent most of her life on the West Side — so shooting in places like Eagle Rock (where the character of Noah, played by Adam Brody, lives) gave her a new perspective on the city.

“That’s a part of L.A. that I really haven’t spent a lot of time in,” she says. “And so it was interesting, getting a feel for the neighborhoods. It’s got a real, sweet, small-town feel.”

Read more here.

PBS SoCal Leads L.A. Area Emmys 2025 Winners Tally, While Telemundo’s KVEA Sweeps All Three Station Newscast Awards

2025-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

PBS SoCal (KOCE/KCET) led the 2025 L.A. Area Emmy awards with eight total, but the other big winner of the night was Telemundo’s KVEA-TV, which took home all three station awards for best newscasts — for daily morning (4 a.m. to 11 a.m.), daily daytime (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and daily evening (7 p.m. to 12 a.m.).

The 2025 Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards were held Saturday at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, hosted by Spectrum News 1 host/anchor Kelvin Washington.

Jim Hill was recognized with 2025 Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award, for his five-decades-long career in broadcasting and 45 years as a sportscaster at KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles. The award was presented by former LA Laker star James Worthy.

Bob Bain and Bob Bain Productions produced this year’s event, featuring categories including Live and Breaking News Coverage, Crime and Social Issues, Culture and History, the Arts, Health and Science, Human Interest, Music, Sports, and the Environment.

KVEA and KMEX both landed seven Emmys total on Saturday — a strong dual showing for L.A.’s top two Spanish-language stations. KABC-TV and KTLA-TV followed with three each, while Spectrum News 1 and Spectrum SportsNet LA got two a piece.

Go here for the winners for this year’s Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards.

Remembering How Disneyland Made a Lasting Impact on Us — In the Saddest Way Possible

2025-07-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

As an Air Force brat, my family frequently found itself in Los Angeles as we shipped off to or returned from overseas homes in locations like the Philippines and Hawai’i. Those L.A. stopovers always included a visit to Disneyland, and those trips to the park remain fond family memories. So when I had kids of my own, Disneyland was on that parenting bucket list.

My eldest son Evan’s first trip to Disneyland, however, was memorable for an entirely different (and sad) reason. In November 2006, my parents were in town and Evan was about to turn 3 — the perfect time to take him to the theme park for the first time. And since it was his inaugural visit, we wanted to give him the full experience — starting with the Disneyland Railroad. (Also, he was very much in the peak “choo-choo train” demographic at that moment.)

I grabbed Evan, my wife Maria, my parents and some friends (who brought along their daughter, same age as our son), and just as the park opened, we headed straight to the train. It was a hit (well, except maybe for the dinosaur section — kinda scary for a preschooler, we found out). Then, as we left the Main Street train station to really get the day going, Maria noticed something: The diamond in her wedding ring had fallen out.

Panic. We raced back to the train, which hadn’t left yet, and searched the car. We looked at the grounds around the station. Combed through morsels of sand in that area. Nothing. Engagement ring diamonds may be expensive, but they’re still small — so it could have been anywhere.

I filed a report with Disneyland’s lost and found, knowing that locating the diamond would be virtually impossible. This is also when I called my insurance agency and realized “losing a diamond at Disneyland” was not covered by my policy. I had proposed to Maria with that ring in November 2001; in my head, I tried to find solace in doing the math, amortizing the five years we at least got out of that expense before losing the jewel.

Maria didn’t love my quip, “Does this mean we’re not married anymore?” After an hour of our failed search — and with two kids in tow, desperate to see Mickey and Goofy — we had to cut our losses. Were we going to be miserable all day, or would we put on some mouse ears and watch our son have a blast at Disneyland? We sucked it up, and I’m still amazed at how much we’re smiling in our photos from that day — even though that was definitely the costliest trip we ever took to Disneyland. And I still wonder if someone else is telling the story of the lucky day they found a diamond on the ground. At least for them, that would absolutely make it the Happiest Place on Earth.

Favorite ride: Space Mountain. Not Hyperspace Mountain, I love it when Space Mountain is in all of its 1970s glory, complete with loud jazz fusion soundtrack. It’s what we thought space travel would be like circa 1977, and I still wish it was that way.

Disney tip: The beignets at New Orleans Square always include a seasonal variety — pumpkin spice in October, peppermint in December, etc. Get it. My favorite treat in all the Disneyland park.

Read about other Variety staffers' Disneyland memories here.

New CBS Los Angeles GM on His Ambitious Local Plans, and How KCBS/KCAL’s New AR/VR Studio Is Changing How They Deliver the News

2025-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Nine months after he took the reins at CBS’ KCBS/KCAL duopoly in Los Angeles, Tim Wieland is eager to double down on local. Meeting with reporters on Monday, Wieland said he’s pondering more kinds of in-house local productions beyond news (which already takes up nearly 100 hours of weekly programming between the two stations).

“I am obviously very bullish on local, in the future of local, even amid all of the doom and gloom stories that are out there,” Wieland told reporters during a press event at KCBS/KCAL’s studios on the Radford Studio Center lot. “We will start doing more local programming, not less. So that means the traditional newscast that you see, but also we may in the future be doing more community oriented talk shows, other sort of quasi entertainment-type programming, commercial programming. I think we’ll be doing a greater diversity of programming to serve the community.”

Wieland now serves as regional president and general manager for both CBS Los Angeles and CBS Colorado (KCNC), but relocated from Denver (where he had been with the station since 2001) to Southern California as part of his new, expanded domain.

That means he was a relatively new transplant when the fires that destroyed much of Pacific Palisades and Altadena became one of the biggest local stories in recent memory. “In my career, I have never seen viewership like that on a story, not just in linear TV, but on every platform we have,” he said.

And that has continued with the ongoing immigration raids in Southern California, he added: “Viewership overall for our news is higher than normal viewership, and for readership on our website, higher than normal,” he said. “Social, streaming, it’s up because there’s something happening in our community right now that people want information about.”

Coming out of the L.A. fires, Wieland touted KCBS/KCAL’s “Rebuilding SoCal” initiative: “We went on air and boldly said that we’re going to have a team of reporters dedicated to this topic for the next year and beyond,” he said. “And we put different beats together under ‘Rebuilding SoCal,’ and you see it in our newscast, and we’re not letting up. Let’s face it, local news hasn’t always been great at that. We have a reputation that is well earned of covering a breaking news story or big story in the moment and then moving on… We’re not going to do that. ‘Rebuilding SoCal’ was an initiative driven by the journalists in our newsroom to make sure that we didn’t turn our backs on the community.”

At the event, KCBS/KCAL also spotlighted assignment desk producers Mike Rogers and Mark Liu, who regularly appear on newscasts (via “The Desk”) to give context on breaking news stories. And the duopoly unveiled its new AR/VR technology-driven studio, where it has started showcasing weather forecasts. (Wieland also revealed that KCBS/KCAL’s sports reports will also soon move to the new space.)

Read more here.

VARIETY COVER: Why ‘It’s Always Sunny’ for Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson: A Power Couple Who Juggle Four Hit TV Shows, a Winning Soccer Team and Ryan Reynolds

2025-05-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rob McElhenney was visiting a new West Hollywood hotel recently to speak at a conference, and started snapping photographs of the place on his cellphone. “I’d never been there before, and it was stunning,” he says. “So I took a bunch of pictures because I was like, ’Kaitlin would love this. It’s right up her alley. And wouldn’t it be nice to just go and have a little staycation here, if only for one night?’”

It’s a sweet gesture for a husband to be thinking about planning a quick getaway with his wife of nearly 17 years. And it illustrates the endurance of the relationship behind what may now be the most powerful couple on television.

Days later, McElhenney is recounting this tale while seated in his West L.A. offices. Next to him on a plush couch is Olson (and Ryan Reynolds, in the form of a cardboard cutout, hovering above them), who affirms how they continue to make it work — even with two kids, McElhenney and Reynolds’ growing Wrexham football empire and Olson’s new hit TV show, “High Potential.” “Yeah, we still like each other,” Olson says.

The two first met when he cast her to play Sweet Dee on FX’s comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” back in 2005, and now their teens are old enough to binge it.

McElhenney then launches into a story: “Our 15-year-old was just watching ‘Sunny’ the other night …”

“He’s 14,” Olson reminds him.

“He’s almost 15!” McElhenney responds. “But he was watching ‘Sunny’ Season 1 the other night, and we started watching with him. And we look like little kids! We’re different people — so different from the characters, but also so different from then. We’ve been together for so long and then created this person who’s now watching this version of us. It’s a very surreal experience.”

Those young versions of McElhenney and Olson couldn’t have imagined where they might end up. Twenty years later, they’re quite the stimulus package, having just given a jolt to two businesses — linear TV and a UK football club, both of which desperately needed it. And if “stimulus” and “package” both sound a little dirty, well, I’m sure after 17 seasons of salty “Sunny” humor they can appreciate the double entendre.

“It would be very impressive if just one of them was going on a run, but the fact is that both of them are stringing together a series of real successes,” says “Sunny” co-star and exec producer Charlie Day. “They’re on a tear.” For starters, Olson is a major reason broadcast is enjoying a resurgence this season. ABC’s “High Potential” is a smash hit — one of the biggest shows on TV right now — pumping new blood into network TV circulation after cable and streaming pilfered primetime’s pulse. In the series, based on the French/Belgian format “HPI” and adapted here by Drew Goddard, Olson plays as a single mom with a knack for solving crimes. “Kaitlin is the show,” Goddard says. “She pours herself into every frame, she elevates every person who steps on set. I think the show works because we somehow capture how inspiring it feels to be around her.”

Meanwhile, across the pond, McElhenney and his buddy Ryan Reynolds have taken an also-ran Wrexham football club and turned it into the talk of the U.K. The team’s success rejuvenized its economically depressed local community, as Wrexham AFC has gone on an unprecedented run of back-to-back-to-back English Football League promotions. Last month, the club won a shocker that sent it to the Championship level — now one step away from the vaunted Premier League.

That’s not all for this duo. Olson, too, is a recurring guest star on Max’s “Hacks,” earning two consecutive Emmy nominations for playing the daughter of Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and helping that show secure an outstanding comedy win. (“She’s so talented, so exceptional,” Smart says. “And it’s so overdue, the attention she’s getting now. I loved her from the day I met her.”) Speaking of Emmys, McElhenney has won two for FX’s unscripted series “Welcome to Wrexham,” which chronicles his and Reynolds’ journey after buying the team.

And don’t forget: The long-running “Sunny”— which McElhenney showruns, and where the couple first fell in love — returns in July for its 17th season, already a record duration for a scripted live-action sitcom.

Read more here.