* ESPN’s constant-loop promotion of its 2016 college football programming includes a name-recognition bonus for Tampa. That’s because the national championship game–Alabama vs. an opponent yet to be determined–will be at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 9. And “All roads,” as ESPN has been reminding viewers, “lead to Tampa.” We’ll take it–as long as it’s not some ironic slight to Bay Area mass transit.
* It’s 53 years this month that the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite became America’s first 30-minute nightly newscast. Prior to that, network news was 15 minutes and largely a loss-leader. Over time, the local and network news became a lead-in to network, prime-time programming. Over more time, it is becoming a news dinosaur in an era of cable news, internet updates and cherry-picking and social media sharing.
* When Melania Trump is in the news, it’s probably not for anything nice. It comes with the Trumpster-diving territory. The Daily Mail tabloid of Great Britain–and its website–have now retracted a story that had accused Mrs. Trump of involvement with an escort agency during her modeling years. The retraction was in response to a lawsuit. The Daily Mail said it regretted any “misinterpretation” of the article.
“Misinterpretation”? Isn’t this from the same ethical-spin playbook as a Donald Trump or a Ryan Lochte “apology”?