Grand Rapids Shopping Mall Analysis
- Woodland Mall: Crown jewel with high occupancy and continuous store replacement.
- Rivertown Crossings: Newest, double-decker mall, but losing stores and built on sinking land.
- Rogers Plaza: Described as 'ghetto' with poor quality stores, except for the Secretary of State office.
Rivertown Crossings Security Incident
- A 30-year-old man with Down syndrome, dressed as an elf, was ejected from Rivertown Crossings.
- Security guard accused the man of 'giving Santa competition'.
- Rivertown Crossings issued an apology and promised to work with the security guard.
Personal Struggles and Grand Rapids Critique
- Chuck recounts a history of bullying, difficult relationships, and personal losses.
- Criticism of Grand Rapids as a 'depressing' and 'uptight' city, especially for single individuals.
- Personal negative experience with a Rivertown Crossings security guard while filming during COVID.
Mall Ownership and Redevelopment
- Brookfield, former owner of Rivertown and Grand Traverse Malls, sold off properties.
- Rivertown Crossings was sold to Poag Development, which plans to rebuild the parking lot.
- Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust invested over $100 million into Woodland Mall's redevelopment.
Yes, it's long, but something good happened to me a few weeks ago. John Lennon was only half right. Karma's gonna get you, but it isn't always instant.
Tragic Passing of Rob Reiner and Public Tributes
- Rob Reiner and wife tragically were stabbed to death in Los Angeles.
- Reiner's career highlights: 'All in the Family' and directing iconic films.
- Widespread tributes from entertainers and political figures, excluding Donald Trump.
Donald Trump's Controversial Remarks and Declining Popularity
- Trump's insensitive comments on Rob Reiner's death, attributing it to 'Trump derangement syndrome'.
- Criticism of Trump's character, political actions, and declining approval ratings.
- Trump's recent low-attendance rally and disparaging remarks about immigrants.
The Progressive Legacy of Hendrick Meijer and American Decline
- Hendrick Meijer, a progressive Dutch immigrant, founded the Meijer supermarket chain.
- Meijer's early experiences with worker exploitation influenced his progressive views.
- Comparison of American industrial decline and worker rights to other developed nations.
FDR's Vision for Post-War America and its Unfulfilled Promise
- FDR's post-WWII vision included a 'second bill of rights' for universal healthcare and education.
- The Red Scare and Eisenhower's presidency shifted focus away from progressive ideals.
- Other nations adopted similar progressive policies, leading to their current prosperity.
Immigration, Cultural Diversity, and Misconceptions
- Grand Rapids described as a melting pot with diverse immigrant communities.
- Critique of Donald Trump's rhetoric demonizing immigrants and foreign cultures.
- Personal anecdotes highlighting positive experiences with immigrants from various countries.
May 26th: A Day of Notable Deaths and a Dancer's Story
- May 26th - Chuck's birthday - marks the death anniversaries of several celebrities, including Eddie Albert and Art Linkletter.
- Flick Colby, a British dancer and choreographer, also died on this date.
- Colby's career with 'Pans People' and her later life in America.
Misguided Blame and the Nature of Violence
- Criticism of for Pan's Person Dee Dee Wilde's social media post blaming immigrant culture for a stabbing incident.
- Counter-examples of violence committed by white individuals and heroism by a Muslim individual.
- Donald Trump's rhetoric fostering hatred and division among Americans.
CBS's Disappointing Programming and a Cartoonist's Tribute
- CBS chose a town hall over a 100th birthday celebration for Dick Van Dyke.
- The town hall, hosted by Erica Kirk and Bari Weiss, reportedly lacked major sponsors.
- Cartoonist Clay Jones's tribute to Rob Reiner, celebrating his impact on entertainment.
Family Thanksgiving Tradition and Personal Loss
- Annual 'Greatest Night of the Year' Thanksgiving celebration.
- Cousin's marriage and impending first child.
- Uncle's job loss and subsequent career struggles leading to early death.
Corporate Mergers and Media Industry Impact
- History of Warner Bros. mergers from 1923 to present.
- AOL-Time Warner merger as a financial disaster.
- Current merger talks for Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix or Paramount/Skydance.
Decline of Traditional Media and Local Theaters
- Struggles of the print industry and local movie theaters.
- Hollywood's production of 'bad films' impacting box office and small cinemas.
- Call to support local movie theaters.
CBS News Integrity and Political Influence
- CBS News' perceived decline in integrity since Walter Cronkite's era.
- Hiring of Bari Weiss and town halls with Erica Kirk to appeal to right-wing viewers.
- Departure of CBS Evening News anchors due to internal issues.
Local TV Station Affiliation Changes
- Sale of KXGN Glendive, MT and KYUS Miles City, MT to Montana PBS.
- Complex history of TV station affiliations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
- WEYI Saginaw's upcoming flip from NBC to another network due to Sinclair acquisition.
Thanksgiving Movie Tradition
- Annual viewing of 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles'.
- Celebration of 80s film era lacking modern tech.
- Memorable performances by Steve Martin and John Candy.
Radio Personality Career Transitions
- Tony Gates moved from WLAV to M106.3 in Greenville.
- Tony Gates' move driven by dislike for corporate radio.
- Darren Gibson's positive experience at M106.3.
Controversial Radio Station Ownership
- 1680 and 102.5 owned by Tyrone Bynum.
- Criticism of Tyrone Binom's management and listener disregard.
- Stations frequently off-air, impacting legal obligations.
Health Scare and Hydration Importance
- WOOD-TV's Tom Hillen's seizure at work, leading to hospitalization.
- Personal experience of collapsing due to dehydration.
- Emphasis on staying hydrated for health.
KLT Radio Station in northern Michigan's Evolution
- KLT's historical anti-metal stance under GM Richard Dills.
- Midwestern Broadcasting's acquisition and format changes.
- Introduction of a metal show after 30 years.
Critique of KLT's New Metal Show
- New show plays both common and rare metal tracks.
- Host Finster's improved vocal clarity noted.
- Delayed adoption of metal seen as a missed opportunity.
Grand Rapids Sports Radio Landscape
- Launch of Sports Radio 98.7 replacing a classic hits station.
- New network affiliation with Detroit's 97.1 The Ticket.
- Grand Rapids now has three sports radio stations.
Criticism of Bill Simonson
- Bill Simonson's perceived opportunism and elite connections.
- History of being fired from previous radio jobs.
- Listener dissatisfaction with his content and personality.
Negative Experiences with ABC Warehouse, whom Huge is doing remotes from
- Poor car stereo installation at Mickey Shorr/ABC Warehouse.
- Defective computer purchase with performance issues.
- Incomplete bed delivery and misleading sales practices.
Critique of Current Political Climate
- Thanksgiving weekend reflections on economic hardship and political leadership.
- President's anti-First Amendment actions and attacks on political opponents.
- Concerns about a 'delusional president' and his impact on democracy.
The Tragic Case of Mialah Leak
- 11-year-old Mialah Leak's death by her adoptive mother, Sherry Leak.
- Sherry Leak charged with murder, facing 15 years in prison.
- Mialah's biological mother gave her up, leading to adoption by Sherry Leak.
Socioeconomic Disparities and Parental Responsibility
- Critique of 'white trash' stereotypes and trailer park residents' financial choices.
- Personal anecdotes about family members' poor financial decisions and religious donations.
- Discussion of irresponsible parenting and the challenges faced by children in difficult circumstances.
Abortion, Adoption, and Religious Hypocrisy
- Advocacy for abortion as a valid option, citing scientific views on fetal development.
- Criticism of religious groups promoting adoption over abortion, leading to potential child abuse.
- Promotion of birth control and careful decision-making regarding pregnancy.
In this podcast, King Chuck talks about...
- Donald Trump's re-election attributed to voter dissatisfaction with progressive social issues.
- Criticism of Trump's policies leading to higher grocery prices and job losses.
- Concerns about an impending government shutdown and Trump's lavish lifestyle, including a "roaring 20s" party at Mar-A-Lago, complete with half-naked women.
- The party reminded him of his ex-boss not giving him a raise for ten years, which led him to stop going to his favorite strip club and furthering his depression.
- Dick Cheney died.
- Concerns about Trump's potential for further 'shady deals' and the need for voting.
- Support for leftist policies to address economic inequality and high living costs.
On today's podcast, King Chuck talks about...
- A former family member's lifelong struggle with severe asthma and difficult home life, experiences of discrimination and a traumatic incident at school, series of personal misfortunes, including a car accident, brain damage, and financial hardship.
- This person's family members' struggles with alcoholism and abusive relationships, critique of 'pro-life' stance, highlighting hypocrisy and lack of support for individuals.
- Chuck discusses the divorce of his mother and stepfather, leading to his mother's political shift against Trump.
- He also talks about his personal experience with stagnant wages and job dissatisfaction. He also criticized corporate greed and the impact on the middle class and poor, plus his disappointment with government shutdowns and lack of support for citizens.
- Chuck has a call to Political Action, with an emphasis on the importance of voting in local and national elections, supporting progressive candidates and policies like universal healthcare and community-run grocery stores, like New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
- Lastly, he urges voters to consider the less fortunate and counter conservative ideologies.
In this podcast...
- Former employee Sid Simone is suing northern Michigan CBS affiliate WWTV/WWUP-TV 9&10 for wrongful termination due to racial discrimination.
- Simone was allegedly compared to a black shooter and told northern Michigan residents would dislike her.
- The station faces accusations of racism and tokenism. Cadillac, where 9&10's old studio was, is 98% white.
- Chuck mentioned that 9&10 has a black anchor, Gatini Tinsley, who serves as the station token. NBC affiliate WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi historically censored black individuals and content, leading to license revocation in 1971. Before they lost their license, they hired a black news anchor, but that wasn't enough in the era of the Fairness Doctrine.
- Northern Michigan's history includes minstrel shows as late as the 1960s and residents moving there to avoid black people.
- A personal anecdote describes parents instilling racist views about Detroit residents and black people.
- 9&10 is criticized for being 'Sinclair Jr.' and consolidating media ownership to eliminate competition.
- The station allegedly canceled Howard Stern's Saturday night show for NRA infomercials and also canceled a CBS 9/11 documentary in 2006 for political reasons.
- Issues like poor radio programming, lack of professionalism, and closed businesses reflect a broader
- Chuck recounts personal experiences with racism, including being called slurs due to being different in school.
- Concerns about professionalism in northern Michigan are highlighted by poor service experiences.
Summarizing today's podcast, Chuck...
-Had a sore throat that progressed into a cough, and the measures he took to recover.
-Expressed his intention to discuss Sinclair Broadcasting due to their stance on Jimmy Kimmel's commentary about Charlie Kirk and Trump.
-Shared a story about Sinclair's founder's son, David, and his legal trouble involving a prostitute and community service.
-Explained how the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the abolishment of the fairness doctrine allowed Sinclair to expand and present one-sided news.
-Mentions Sinclair's ownership structure, including Cunningham Broadcasting, and criticizes David Smith for avoiding punishment for actions.
-Discusses a merger attempt and ABC's stance against cherry-picking programming, potentially impacting sports broadcasts.
-Criticizes Trump for focusing on immigrants and transgender people instead of addressing the real issues, such as wealth inequality.
-Expresses frustration with the government shutdown and accuses Trump of lying and favoring the wealthy through tax breaks.
-Shares personal opinions on autism, homemade infant formula, and experiences with bullying, linking them to political views.
-Discusses a Michigan Congressman rumored to have a profile on a fetish site and an ICE raid at a strip club in Texas, linking it to Project 2025.
-Shares personal thoughts on dating, strip clubs, and the Republican party's stance on them, contrasting it with personal preferences.
-Expresses disagreement with anti-abortion views, particularly when held by those who support gun rights and Trump, and urges active political involvement.
(NOTE: This podcast was recorded after 3 p.m. this afternoon. Shortly afterward, ABC announced that they will restore Jimmy Kimmel's show to the schedule Tuesday night. Boycotts work.)
Summarizing today's podcast...
*When Donald Trump was shot last year, Michael Moore wrote an article about the first election he voted in back in 1972. He voted for Shirley Chisholm for the Michigan Democratic primary, but racist Alabama governor George Wallace won the state. Moore put the blame on his assassination attempt.
*Charlie Kirk's funeral was held on Sunday at State Farm Stadium by Phoenix. 70,000 people attended, plus an additional 20,000 who saw the event at the former Glendale Arena next door, which has been seldom-used since they evicted the former Coyotes NHL team. Chuck saw a game there nearly 20 years ago and it was 50-50 Coyote and Red Wing fans.
*The funeral was more of a political rally than an actual funeral with many of Trump's staffers making speeches. There was hardly any praying and nobody hosted.
*Trump made an ass of himself by talking about hating his enemies.
*Erika Kirk praised people for not rioting and going to church instead. To Chuck, it only adds to why he doesn't go to church.
*Trump's policies are hurting the tourism industry.
*Howard Stern - who was attacked by the FCC back in his terrestrial radio days - supported Jimmy Kimmel by canceling his Disney + account. Stern called companies like Disney and others who kneel to Trump "spineless".
*While the economy is crashing and burning, Trump is building a new Rose Garden and in talks to bring a UFC fight to the White House.
*Chuck talked about how Bill Johnson and his American Decency Association screwed over Howard Stern by preying over the less fortunate.
*In all, Chuck tells people to think when it comes to politics. "Vote Blue No Matter Who" is not the way to go. He also says that since the Lions play tonight's Monday Night Football, people should boycott their sponsors. (Of course, everything's moot now that Jimmy Kimmel's back tomorrow.)
Summarizing today's podcast...
*Once again, Chuck gives a brief history of the FCC and how it evolved from working for the people to working for big corporations and the religious right.
*Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show has been suspended by ABC because of comments he made regarding the MAGA people calling Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin a leftist. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr went on a radio show hosted by a Kirk ally stating that he will clamp down on Kimmel and two TV station owners ended up yanking his show. As a result, ABC indefinitely suspended Kimmel.
*Chuck reminded people that the shooter was from an ultra-conservative, gun-toting home and that his family was Mormon. Chuck feels that Mormonism is a cult.
*One of the companies that pulled Kimmel, Sinclair, says that they will not put him back on the air until he donates to both Kirk's widow and his organization, Turning Point USA. Nexstar, meanwhile, is in the middle of a $6.2 billion buyout of TEGNA, and they're trying to make nice with Trump. Besides, they own NewsNation, the cable network formerly known as the national feed of WGN-TV Chicago. It is the current employer of Bill O'Reilly.
*The Kirk family is worth $12 million. They are not broke and Kimmel doesn't owe them anything, especially an apology.
*People are boycotting Disney and ABC. Chuck saw several screenshots on Facebook of people canceling their Disney + subscriptions.
*Trump lied to his followers that he would protect the First Amendment.
*While Kimmel is pulled by ABC, Fox News's Brian Kilmeade is telling viewers that homeless people need to be euthanized. Chuck knows a homeless man and he was a Trump supporter. He also reminds people that there are homeless people who work a normal job, but can't afford a home.
*Here in Michigan, a Republican lawmaker has drafted a bill that would ban all internet porn in the state. The congressman, Josh Shriver is notoriously anti-LGBTQ and racist. Plus, he's from Oxford, the same town where a mass school shooting occurred. Chuck thinks it's sad when a lawmaker would rather protect all people from pornography while kids are being shot at.
*Shriver is allies with former state rep Neil Friske, who was busted for trying to shoot a dancer from Lansing's Deja Vu strip club in his house last year. Friske's father, Richard, fought with the Nazis in WWII and was a congressman himself who was notoriously racist.
*Chuck tips his hat to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is allowing anyone to get a COVID shot against the federal government's wishes.
*Chuck reminds people that people will rebel against those who punish. When KLQ dumped Stern and GRD beefed up its rock, KLQ died a slow, pitiful death. Ditto with Conan O'Brien and how NBC treated him.
*Chuck wonders if Howard Stern will talk about Kimmel on Monday's show. He's been avoiding talking about Trump and even the Charlie Kirk assassination.
*In the end, Chuck reminds those who try to censor freedom of speech that karma wins every time.
Summarizing today's podcast...
*Trump is blaming Wednesday's murder of Charlie Kirk on liberals. But, the suspect in the incident is a Trump supporter.
*Trump has a history of blaming the tragedies that occurred during his presidency on the left and former President Biden.
*Trump's policies are shutting down factories including west Michigan.
*Chances are that Skydance - who recently bought Paramount for $8 billion - will buy Warner Bros. Discovery. Trump's policies are designed to allow for more mergers. Skydance owns CBS and if the WBD deal is approved, they'll now own CNN.
*Trump did a photo op with the New York Yankees on 9/11. MeidasTouch Podcast host Ben Meiselas - who was Colin Kaepernick's lawyer - labeled the Yankees sellouts. Chuck thinks that the Tigers intentionally lost Thursday's game to make Trump happy.
Summarizing today's podcast...
*Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. Chuck talks about how life changed since that day.
*Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated at an event at a university in Utah. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters who are a toddler and an infant.
*Nobody as of the podcast has been arrested. Trump made major cuts to the FBI, which is making things more difficult. Even worse was why Trump fired the Utah head of the FBI.
*Yesterday evening, Trump made a speech blaming liberals for Kirk's death because they labeled him a "Nazi". The truth is, nobody knows who really killed Kirk yet.
*Kirk was notoriously anti-LGBTQ+ because of the same book in the Bible that prohibits the consumption of shrimp, getting a tattoo and having sex with a woman on her period.
*On one of Kirk's last interviews on Fox News Channel, he told Laura Ingraham that liberal women don't want to have sex with men because of their lifestyle.
*Kirk had a happy childhood, which might have led to him being an ultra-conservative. He was one of the stars of the lie-filled propaganda film "2000 Mules" which was recalled after a lawsuit.
*Trump is giving Kirk a hero's treatment by giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom and flying his body back to Arizona on Air Force Two. Chuck is outraged.
*Chuck touched on Trump's birthday card to Jeffery Epstein.
*Chuck thinks he knows who killed Charlie Kirk.
*Kirk's show aired on WMKT 1270 in Charlevoix, which is owned by Trish MacDonald-Garber. Chuck said that the two were made for each other.
*Flags are flying half-mast for Kirk. Chuck said that if he had a flagpole, he would fly it upside down and at full mast.
On this podcast, King Chuck talks about...
*A mass shooting occurred in Minneapolis at a Catholic School yesterday. Two young kids were murdered.
*The shooter was a transgender woman who attended the school. Plus, her mother was a school secretary. It reminded Chuck about a conversation with a co-worker years ago who had a child at 17. Her father was a school janitor, which made her unpopular. She ended up with the wrong guy who impregnated her. Chuck then talked about his former stepcousin, who had few friends himself because his mother was a school secretary. He got Chuck in trouble because of some bad kids he hung out with.
*Chuck agreed with Ben Meiselas of The MeidasTouch Podcast that the shooter's messages on social media should have been flagged. But, they weren't because Trump slashed the FBI and other law enforcement groups and moved the money over to fight immigration.
*Trump has been busy blasting Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker for being fat and alleged mismanagement of the Hyatt Hotel chain. Being unhealthy and running businesses into the ground is what Trump does best.
*Chuck feels that bullying from religious types lead the shooter into being who she was. He points out a member of his family who has cut out most of his family - Chuck included - for not being Catholic. He then tells the story of a Catholic priest who championed gay marriage and was even arrested at the 1968 riots at the Democratic National Convention for throwing a brick. The organization he started now owns Chuck's childhood movie theater in northern Michigan and has done an awesome job running it.
*Canada's prime minister is pledging to continue helping Ukraine while Trump is sucking up to Putin.
*And finally, as reported on earlier this week, legendary alternative rock radio station 89X is back on the air. However, their new slogan is a bit of a slap in the face to their American audience.
In today's bite-sized podcast, King Chuck (along with his trusty dog) talks about...
*Television giant Tegna is being bought out by Nexstar for $6.2 billion. The owner's of both companies are hoping the deal will pass through Trump's FCC.
*If the deal is approved, WZZM-13 and WOOD-TV 8's news departments could merge, creating less choice for local news in west Michigan.
*NBCUniversal - owned by Comcast - is spinning off its cable channels, including MSNBC, which is being renamed MS NOW - My Source for News, Opinion, and World. Chuck thinks it's a stupid name.
*Chuck talks about how he's happy that MSNBC is being sold off, especially how they treated Keith Olbermann and Ed Schultz.
*Chuck thinks that corporate media is why Trump is back in office.
In this podcast, King Chuck talks about...
*The current northern Michigan radio ratings are out, and despite 106 KHQ and Lite 96's towers collapsing, both stations did well.
*KLT won big time while the former #1, WTCM-FM was tied with Big Country 102.9 at #2.
*Chuck talked at length about WTCM Newstalk 580 and Rock 105 and 95.5. This had to have been 580's worst book in ages, especially with their hosts bowing to Trump. Chuck thinks that 580's problems are karma because they should be Traverse City's Detroit Tiger affiliate. But, their general manager, Chris Warren claims that if they took off shows like Mark Levin, they get complaints.
*Chuck goes into a rant about baby boomers and how they ruined his generation.
*Chuck explains why Chris Warren is Ross Biederman's successor at Midwestern Broadcasting and not Ross's own children.
*Rock 105 and 95.5's ratings have slid every book in the past two years. Chuck claims that the station should have paid Smitty a better wage. Allegedly, he makes more money bartending than as a DJ and programmer.
*Chuck thinks that Rock 105 doesn't play enough new rock, plus, some recent #1s on the rock charts never got regular airplay on the station. Yet, they play the new Linkin Park a bit too much.
*Another problem that Rock 105 has is that their jocks - except for Cartman - are all over 50. Two of them are alumni of Detroit's WRIF. Of course, Rock 105's co-owner was a WRIF executive.
*President Trump is giving out $50 million in aid to the recent ice storm in northern Michigan. Chuck is scared that Trish MacDonald-Garber will get some of that money to rebuild her towers. He talked about how her father screwed over his employees, paving the way for her to create a toxic workplace.
*Chuck wonders why The Bear still exists.
*Finally, Chuck presents a conspiracy theory regarding Rock 105's favoritism towards the new Linkin Park. It has to do with a story his uncle told him years ago about how a 1950s R&B singer got Detroit radio stations to play her music. Let's just say that a station programmer was indeed "Touched By An Angel".
On today's podcast, King Chuck talks about...
*Nexstar, the owners of NBC affiliate WOOD-TV 8 in Grand Rapids are in talks of merging with TEGNA, who owns ABC WZZM 13, also in GR. Nexstar also owns ABC station WOTV 41 in Battle Creek.
*Chuck explains why west Michigan has two ABC affiliates. Back in the early 90s, the two stations almost merged. WOTV has never been a success in the ratings.
*If the TEGNA/Nexstar merger happens, Chuck predicts that both WZZM and WOTV will finally merge, but WZZM's news department will be dissolved. As it was, last week, many producers and behind-the-scenes people at WZZM were let go because TEGNA switched over to an automated system.
*Not long ago, a shell company of Nexstar's failed to buy a Detroit TV station because Biden's FCC only would approve the deal if they proved that Nexstar wasn't financially backing them. Chuck thinks that with Trump as president, the FCC will work towards less competition, less voices and fewer jobs.
*Northern Michigan radio personality-turned politician Jack O'Malley is back on the Traverse City airwaves on WCCW 1310, aka "WTCM Gold". Chuck had a friend who knew Jack and he was a very toxic person at work and in real life. Meanwhile, a female jock at WTCM's sister station was fired to help make way for O'Malley's comeback.
*Interlochen Public Radio is suffering a $300,000 shortfall because of Trump's cuts to NPR and PBS.
*In all, Chuck proclaimed that voting conservative only leads to more media that doesn't put people first.
In today's podcast, King Chuck discusses...
*The U.S. version of Britain's The Sun newspaper is reporting that Howard Stern will leave SiriusXM once his contract expires at the end of the year. Chuck reminds people that The Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who also owns Fox News Channel.
*Murdoch's media - namely the New York Post - have had a long history of trashing Stern.
*It is true that SiriusXM is losing subscribers. However, Yahoo reported that Stern only has 125,000 listeners. Chuck claims that the number is way off.
*Stern - who is on vacation until next month - did a surprise broadcast on Wednesday. He made no mention of the rumors, but he did announce that Metallica will have their own channel later this month. It will be on channel 42, displacing "The Sound", which was curated by Canadian rapper Drake.
*Today, longtime Stern fan and Photoshopper extraordinaire Doc Ivan made a post about The Sun's allegations that made perfect sense: the only person one could really trust in all this is Stern himself. He has four months to make an official announcement. At 71, if he retires, he retires.
*There's a fear that if Howard is yanked off SiriusXM, it will be politically motivated. The company is majority-owned by John Malone, a billionaire who is a major supporter of Trump.
*Malone is known for his conservative Christian views. Chuck told the story on how he almost screwed over the rock group Guns 'N Roses and helped made Pat Robertson very, very wealthy.
*Malone's former company, TCI Cable, yanked MTV and Comedy Central from west Michigan cable boxes for being too inappropriate for children.
*Malone is on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery. Chuck thinks that he played a role in Cinemax discontinuing showing softcore flicks late at night.
*Among Malone's assets include F1 Racing and Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster. He used to own the Atlanta Braves baseball team and the former CBS affiliate in Michigan’s western upper peninsula.
*When told that Stern was leaving SiriusXM, President Trump trashed him, claiming that his downfall began when he supported Hillary Clinton in 2016. Trump was a former frequent guest on Stern's show. Chuck pointed out that Trump is in bed with some of the hate groups that clamored to get Stern off the air.
*If Stern's ratings are shrinking, it's due to him no longer having strippers or porn stars on the show. Plus, the fact that he swept Artie Lange under the rug and the fact that he's hardly used his studio since the pandemic have hurt his image. Having guests that don't relate well to his fans like Adam Levine and Scooter Braun (Justin Bieber's manager) have also alienated fans.
*In the end, if Howard retires, Chuck fears that he'll become a recluse like Johnny Carson.
In this podcast, King Chuck talks about...
*Sydney Sweeney is receiving backlash for her advertisement for American Eagle Outfitters. Chuck compares her to an old Carnac the Magnificent joke regarding Johnny Carson's sidekick, Ed McMahon.
*It was revealed that the Euphoria star is a Republican, and because of that, Donald Trump loves her.
*Because of her being Republican, Sweeney was heckled at the premiere of her latest movie. The movie is distributed by the same company that screwed Michael Moore over his movie, "Sicko".
*Chuck gives a lengthy story about a man he once knew who was bullied from his girlfriend by a total loser. The girlfriend married the loser and in the end, she was the one who lost. The woman in the story made him think about Sydney.
*In all, Chuck says that he gets sick hearing about women who make bad decisions, and Sydney is one of them.
*In the end, Chuck revealed that he recorded the podcast in a type of vehicle that Sydney - a classic car lover - loves. He will never allow her near it.
In this podcast, King Chuck discusses...
*The rise and fall of animation legend Max Fleischer and how his union-busting cost him his studio. After Paramount took his studio away from him and renamed it Famous Studios, they gave it to a group of men, including his son-in-law. After the changeover, some good things happened, but others did not.
*Chuck compares World Wrestling Entertainment to Famous Studios because one of the people in charge is the son-in-law. But in the WWE's case, both the in-laws are bowing to Trump.
*That WWE executive, Triple H, is part of Trump's announcement regarding reinstating the Presidential Fitness Test. So was former football player Lawrence Taylor, who raped a 16-year-old girl and is now a registered sex offender.
*Because of Triple H's alliance with Trump, he got booed at WWE's SummerSlam.
*Chuck read a statement from a Grand Rapids radio legend who now owns a gym. She stated that many children have gotten bullied because of the Presidential Fitness Test. Chuck was one of them. Plus, she stated that the test was created to train children into soldiers for war.
*Triple H was also present when Trump announced that his tariffs are coming closer. Chuck says that one person was fired and another quit at his shop and neither position was refilled because sales have been slow.
*Trump has been firing people who give him bad news, such as his Bureau of Labor Statistics person, who told him that his policies are killing jobs. Chuck compares those in his cabinet who kiss up to him to what's going on in North Korea.
*Trump is spending $200 million bulldozing the Rose Garden for a new ballroom at the White House. Meanwhile, America is in the middle of a mental health crisis.
*Chuck compares Trump's actions to that of his former boss, who almost bankrupted his company.
*Ghislaine Maxwell has been put in a lesser jail than the one she was staying at for sex trafficking.
*Finally, Chuck proclaims that the Democrats need to be more progressive to fight Trump's policies.
King Chuck discussed the following:
*Eleven people were stabbed at the Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, Chuck's birthplace. The suspect, Bradford Gille, had mental issues and was homeless. So far, there have been no fatalities.
*Gille had a history of abuse and drug issues. He was even busted for digging up the corpses and having sex with them.
*A former classmate of Gille's made a post on social media explaining that Gille started abusing serious drugs as a teenager living in Pellston, a tiny town near the tip of the lower peninsula. She claimed that a group of friends forced him to breathe in smoke from illegal substances, which led to his mental decline.
*The woman claimed that the last time she saw Gille, he was out of sorts. She claimed that Gille had been in several group homes over the years, several of them closed up due to cuts in government funding.
*The cuts to mental health funding in America started when Ronald Reagan shuttered mental hospitals in the 1980s. President Trump's cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will make things worse.
*Sadly, Walmart played a role in the chaos that ensued at their store. The family that controls them are mega billionaires and support Republican causes. Chuck reminded people that they were against selling music with the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker and Howard Stern's "Private Parts" book. Yet, they sell guns.
*Chuck lauded the men who subdued Gilles, especially Derrick Perry, the black man who pulled a gun on him.
*Northern Michigan has had a history of being racist, especially toward African Americans. Chuck admitted that in all his years attending school in Elk Rapids, only one Black person went to school with him.
*A Traverse City restaurant kicked a famous man out of their establishment in the 1940s for being black. The area had blackface minstrel shows well into the Civil Rights era. Chuck even pointed out that there is a famous family up north with ties to the Nazis.
*Because of good role models like Perry, Chuck hopes that it will help eliminate the stigma regarding black people in northern Michigan.
*Lastly Chuck calls on people to vote for true progressives because our current health care system sure won't be fixed under Trump.
On today's podcast....
*Ozzy Osbourne has died at the age of 76.
*Chuck talks about his modest beginnings and jump into fame as Black Sabbath's lead singer. He also talked about his struggles with drugs and the religious right.
*According to Chuck, his lone regret regarding Ozzy was not seeing him in concert. The closure of northern Michigan's biggest concert venue and lack of performances when he moved to Grand Rapids played a role. However, Chuck said that the best way to honor Ozzy is to support rock music.
*Chuck bashed Hulk Hogan for being a jerk.
*Other notable deaths include Malcolm Jamal Warner and Chuck Mangione.
https://rss.com/podcasts/hero-of-the-day-ozzy-
On this BOTD podcast, Chuck discussed...
*CBS is canceling The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. They claim it's due to financial issues, but Chuck - and others - think it's because of parent company Paramount trying to get approved by Trump for their $8 billion merger with Skydance.
*Chuck talks about the decades of late night TV wars and how Johnny Carson was virtually untouchable. The wars heated when Carson retired and wanted David Letterman to host The Tonight Show, but Jay Leno got the show instead. So, Letterman went to CBS. Chuck also talked about Conan O'Brien getting screwed out of The Tonight Show when Leno's 10 pm show bombed and NBC tried to push him back to 11:35.
*Although Colbert is still #1 in the late night ratings, the networks are feeling the pinch from lower ratings due to streaming. Many of the shows are cutting back on their schedule and in the case of Seth Meyers, his band.
*The networks want more money from their affiliates. This is why ABC is losing their affiliate in Miami.
*Chuck thinks that CBS affiliates will be given the 11:35 time slot back. However, if they put on a new show at that time, it will be creamed in the ratings by Kimmel and Fallon.
*In recent years, the big networks have been purging employees because of their political views. Chuck touched on NBC firing Ed Schultz for supporting Bernie Sanders.
*Greg Gutfeld sucks.
*In the end, Chuck hopes that Colbert will land on his feet like Conan after NBC screwed him over.
In this podcast, King Chuck talks about...
*An article from Pornbiz.com talks about how dangerous the Supreme Court's decision to allow states to force those accessing adult websites to issue identification is.
*The religious right's battle against adult content goes back decades. Chuck talks about people like Charles Keating, puppeteer Ron Brown, and his former youth pastor all being crooks and/or felons whose problems are worse than porn itself.
*The article states that research has been done on the effect of pornography on children and it's inconclusive. Chuck stated that he started looking at hardcore pornography as a young teen and it had zero effect on him.
*A popular northern Michigan church played a negative impact on Chuck's religious life. He also talked about a dead preacher who was also a school bus driver in his school district that got Mad Magazine pulled off school library shelves.
*Even left-leaning churches are troublesome. Chuck talked about a former acquaintance at a church he was a member of who tried to get $500 out of him.
*Chuck makes a big announcement about his personal life. It led to some very traumatic experiences in his life. Because of this, he urges people to stop the stigma regarding people like him and sex workers.
On today's podcast, King Chuck talks about...
*Over 100 people have died from flooding in Texas. Twenty-seven of the victims were from a Christian girls camp.
*President Trump blamed the disaster on former President Biden like he blamed the plane crash in Washington on DEI.
*Television does an accurate job of reporting the weather, but we still need highly skilled government meteorologists. Chuck talked about a post WOOD-TV 8 Grand Rapids Cheif Meteorologist Ellen Bacca made on social media criticizing the government cutting back on weather research.
*The last Democratic governor Texas had has been dead for almost 20 years.
*According to the DOJ and Pam Bondi, the Jeffery Epstein client list does not exist, even though she claimed it was "on her desk" some time ago.
*Trump was telling people he would release the Epstein list when he was president. Instead, he has a bunch of former right-wing propagandist talk radio hosts running the FBI and being his loyalists.
*Trump has tried to sue people for spreading lies about him. Yet, he lied that gas was $1.98 per gallon.
*People like Trump who send innocent people cease and desist orders are beyond guilty. Chuck pointed out people like Bill Cosby and British television presenter Jimmy Savile.
*Finally, Chuck got pissed about Trumpers who get upset at his haters even though he made a 13-year-old cancer patient a special Secret Service agent. He reminded people that Hitler built the Autobahn.
LISTEN NOW!
https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-67m2v-18fe41f
In this podcast...
-Chuck talks about Trump's "kill bill", which will screw over the middle class and below. Ironically, one the day Congress passed it, actor Michael Madson from the movie of the same day passed away.
-Paramount settled their $16 million lawsuit with Trump, having the way for their merger with Skydance. It leads to Chuck talking about a cease and desist order he got from a businessman who runs his company like Trump who lost almost everything.
-Shamed televangelist Jimmy Swaggert died at age 90. Chuck brought up Dr. Phil McGraw's Merit Street Media filing for bankruptcy. They were in cahoots with the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Chuck wonders why people still give to televangelists because of their scandals.
-Rapper Diddy was acquitted of most of his charges.
-Controversial rock musician Ted Nugent brought a gun into the State Capitol of Michigan. Chuck brought up the fact that the crowd went wild at last year's National Cherry Festival in his birthplace of Traverse City when he appeared on stage.
-Chuck talked about how northern Michigan tolerates racism and pedophilia and wondered why the restaurant he worked at in high school made him work with a child molester. He also brought up the sad story about a beloved actor who was booted out of a Traverse City restaurant in the 1950s for being black.
-Finally, Chuck paid tribute to talk radio legend Dave Barber who died ten years ago today at 60.
https://www.podbean.com/ea/pb-y3rfb-18f6fbb
In this podcast...
-Chuck talks about the recent Supreme Court rulings that affect immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and the First Amendment.
-He put the Democratic Party at fault in regarding to the flawed Court because of what they did to Bernie Sanders in 2016.
-Chuck's neighbors are Mexican and he supports them and they support Chuck. The fact that Drumpf calls their people names while he's done worse shows how purely evil he is.
-Chuck calls for the deportation of Melania and Barron Trump.
-On the topic of the Court allowing parents to not allow their children to read LGBTQ+ books, Chuck remembered a girl at his school who didn't stand for the Pledge of Allegiance because she was a Jehovah's Witness.
-Chuck saw on Fox News Channel an interview with a black woman who applauded the Court's ruling. He talked about how on the night Barack Obama won the presidency, many LGBTQ+related issues were voted against because blacks have historically never had a good relationship with gays.
-The Court ruled in favor of the state of Texas over forcing pornography websites to ask for ID. Chuck said that people who want to ban porn tend to be very evil people. He brought up Charles Keating, who produced several anti-porn movies in the 1960s. Yet, he screwed many out of their life savings in the 1980s over the Savings and Loan Scandal.
-Chuck talked about the fact that the movies attacked nudie magazines in the early 1960s, which were very tame comparing to the hardcore stuff he saw in his early teens. Yet, unlike what Keating's films claim, he's never murdered or raped a woman in his life.
-He then talks about the importance the adult entertainment industry has on his life, especially strip clubs. He sings the praises of Muskegon's Odyssey Showgirls. He also talks about the difficulties regarding dating in west Michigan.
-Chuck talks about Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor.
-One of Mamdani's ideas is to create government-run grocery stores in New York City. Some small, rural towns have them and they're very successful. Chuck brought up the recent sale of Grand Rapids-based SpartanNash to C&S (the owners of Piggly Wiggly) for $1.77 billion. He talked about Spartan closing stores and some of their supplied stores also shutting down. He talked about one store that closed all because of a new Walmart.
-Chuck slammed New York governor Kathy Hochul for trashing Mamdani's proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy. She claims that if he becomes mayor, they will all "move to Palm Beach".
-Chuck brought up Jeff Bezos' wedding in Italy. Jeff supported Drumpf in the election, but many celebrities who stumped for Kamala Harris also attended, such as Oprah. Chuck concluded that it further proves how out of touch corporate Democrats are with normal people.
-Chuck slammed his local Congresswoman, Democrat Hillary Scholten for not wanting to impeach Drumpf. Yet, the two Republicans before her called for impeachment.
-In the end, Chuck calls for more progressives to run for office and for the Democrats to stop being too moderate.
On this podcast...
-Chuck slams Drumpf for his pre-emptive strike on Iran.
-Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Drumpf's impeachment.
-Chuck compared Drumpf's attack on Iran to Pearl Harbor. He knows that in situations like these, history will repeat itself.
-He pointed out that Dubya was a horrible human for knowing that the events on 9/11 that killed 3,000 Americans were going to happen, but he kept his mouth shut because he wanted to create the wars that killed over 4,500 more of our people.
-Chuck is angry that Drumpf used bigotry to get elected. He pointed out a bunch of homophobic political cartoons that were created by two cartoonists who work for Townhall. One labeled Harvey Milk a predator and another showed a man dressed as Jesus exposing himself to a group of children.
-Chuck pointed out that Townhall is owned by Salem, an ultra-conservative Christian company that is known for spreading lies and bigotry. Chuck also slammed one of the few independently-owned radio stations in west Michigan for using Townhall as their hourly news supplier.
-Chuck explained that gay men have hit on him in the past. But overall, most aren't predators. Straight men also can be predators, too.
In this podcast...
-Chuck talked about the assassination of a Minnesota Congresswoman and her husband by a MAGA Republican.
-He claims that the Republicans are all about spreading misinformation and screwing up the Federal Communications Commission was the beginning.
-Chuck explains that the FCC once did good things, such as limiting what media outlets could own and forcing TV manufacturers to put on a UHF knob on their sets. The biggie was enacting the Fairness Doctrine, which forced broadcasters to present views and opinions from all sides.
-Chuck brought up Jackson, Mississippi TV station WLBT-TV, which violated the Doctrine by censoring Black people and was stripped of its license.
-Chuck said that however, things started falling apart with the FCC when the Supreme Court ruled that they could fine broadcasters for airing indecent content. He bought up that most members of the Court at the time were Nixon appointees. One of those who voted against the FCC was Thurgood Marshall, who was censored by the WLBT in the 1950s.
-That particular case was brought up by a conservative Catholic father who was listening to a broadcast of George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" routine on a New York radio station in the early 70s with his teenage son.
-Reagan's FCC abolished the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, which paved the way for right-wing talk radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh. Clinton's Telecommunications Act of 1996 only made things worse. Things got even more disastrous with Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction.
-Chuck brought up Air America, which was dumped on iHeartMedia stations after Mitt Romney's firm bought it. They ended up bankrupt.
-Chuck thinks that Drumpf might still consider outlawing pornography because of Project 2025. He thinks that those who have tried to outlaw porn and certain types of music over the years have worse problems in their lives.
-Chuck remembered a story about an old man in Alabama years ago who kidnapped a little boy from his school bus. The man had right wing talk radio blaring non-stop.
-On closing, Chuck tells people to support independent media to know the truth because corporations don't care about you.
On today's short-but-sweet podcast...
-Chuck talked about a post author Stephen King made on Twitter of a video of Drumpf's disastrous $45 million parade this weekend in Washington, DC.
-Only 10,000 people attended Drumpf's parade. Meanwhile, millions attended the No More Kings marches in America.
-A popular 1990s alternative rock star participated in the march in Chuck's hometown of Traverse City, Michigan.
-Drumpf's approval ratings are tanking.
-A pro-Drumpf country and rock festival was held in the town of Hastings, not far from where Chuck lives. 2000s rock has-beens Kid Rock and Nickelback headlined. Chuck talked about how he went from playing house parties in Detroit attended by black people to being an asshole bowing to Drumpf. He also called Nickelback sellouts because two of their hits sounded too similar to each other.
-Afroman also played the festival. Chuck thinks he was high when he agreed to play it.
-Chuck talked about the murder of the Minnesota Congresswoman and the roughhousing of a California Senator. He says that right-wingers don't care about intelligence and they'll stop at nothing to censor the truth.
-Chuck mentioned that people told him that he was a failure. He pointed out that both Walt Disney and Oprah Winfrey had the same comments hurled to them.
-Chuck urges people to vote for the most-progressive candidates in the primaries in 2026 to amp up a blue wave.
