What's next for beleaguered Clippers owner Donald Sterling, now that the NBA has laid out his punishment? Then, should Photoshop be banned from use in ads? Later, when can Dodgers fans expect to watch their team on TV?
Now that the NBA has spoken, what are Donald Sterling’s options?
Adam Silver, the new NBA commissioner, handed down a stiff punishment for Donald Sterling, the billionaire owner of the Clippers who was recorded making racist comments--banning the 80-year-old from having any association with the NBA or the Clippers and forcing him to sell the team.
NBA players and team owners applauded Silver's decision. While Sterling cannot contest the lifetime ban, he could sue the league for forcing a sale, a prospect that could turn potential buyers away.
Those reportedly interested in the L.A. team include real estate developer Rick Caruso, entertainment mogul David Geffen, Magic Johnson, Larry Ellison and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Does it make sense for Sterling to sue? If Sterling agrees to a sale, how would the Clippers be valuated? How much could the team be worth?
Guests:
David Wharton, sports writer at the Los Angeles Times, who co-wrote the story on Sterling’s options after the NBA ban in today’s paper
Warren Zola, Sports business and law expert, Boston College's Carroll School of Management; Executive Editor, The Sports Law Blog.
Should advertisers be banned from unrealistic uses of Photoshop?
It's no secret that advertisers and magazine producers use Photoshop extensively to make their models look thinner, sleeker and blemish free. But should Congress get involved when the use of digitally altered images goes too far? A group of legislators, backed by the Eating Disorder Coalition, says yes.
Legislation was recently introduced into Congress, which calls for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the use of altered images in commercial ads. If passed, the Truth in Advertising Act of 2014, would require the FTC to develop what's called a "regulatory framework" for ads that make significant changes to a model's image through digital retouching such as Photoshop.
Unrealistic images of women in advertising often get blamed for an increase in eating disorders and body image problems among young girls exposed to this type of media.
Supporters argue that glossy magazines and print ads featuring unrealistically thin and beautiful women can cause problems for young girls' self esteem and should be regulated to offer a more realistic image.
The bill introduced to Congress wouldn't ban advertisers from altering an image too much, so would the bill have any impact? Should the FTC be regulating the 'overuse' of Photoshop? Should advertisers be held responsible for promoting an unhealthy body image to young girls?
Guests:
Melissa Wardy, Executive Director of the Brave Girls Alliance, a collaboration of businesses and nonprofits focused on supporting girls' empowerment.
Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, a research and consulting firm specializing in advertising.
Should food workers get mandatory vaccines?
Recent scares about the spread of hepatitis A have resulted in thousands of preventative shots and a debate about how to prevent the spread of disease in food service.
Up to 17,000 people are sickened with hepatitis A every year, according to the CDC. The virus is spread when someone ingests fecal material from someone with the infection -- it’s highly contagious, and although it usually results in a few weeks of illness, it can be fatal.
Hepatitis A is of particular issue in food service, where someone with the illness might spread it rapidly through every piece of food they touch.
The CDC has, until now, not recommended that food workers be vaccinated against hep A because outbreaks are so rare, but the infection pool has changed over the years as children began to receive vaccines for the infection at age one.
The result of changes to the vaccine is an unprotected group of adults in their 20s, 30s, and 40s -- notably an age range likely to work and eat in restaurants.
Many medical specialists argue that mandatory vaccines for food workers would stop outbreaks and is worth the investment. Critics argue that it would violate the rights of employees to mandate a vaccine, and would come at a cost to the restaurant -- the shots cost up to $200 per person.
Should vaccines for contagious, preventable illnesses be mandatory for food workers? Is it a violation of their privacy or rights? How should restaurants prevent the spread of hepatitis A?
Guests:
Dorit Reiss, Professor of Law at University of California Hastings College of Law
Catherine Adams Hutt, consultant to the National Restaurant Association, president of RdR Solutions, a food regulatory consulting firm
Just when can Dodgers fans watch the game on TV?
A month into the baseball season, Dodgers fans that want to watch games on television are still out of luck.
The impasse between Time Warner Cable and DirecTV over SportsNet LA has still not been broken, and the losers in this battle are the roughly 70% of Los Angeles households that have been barred from watching Dodgers games.
SportsNet LA is owned by the Dodgers, but Time Warner Cable is the distributor. DirecTV thinks Time Warner wants too much money for SportsNet LA, and would consider carrying it a la carte. Time Warner rejected the offer.
KPCC's business reporter Ben Bergman has been talking to both DirecTV and Time Warner. Larry checks in with him on the latest development.
Guest:
Ben Bergman, business reporter at KPCC
Los Angeles Kings looking to make hockey history
When the Los Angeles Kings face off against the San Jose Sharks tonight, they’ll be looking to become the fourth team in NHL history to win a best-of-seven series after losing three games.
If the Kings pull off a win at tonight’s 7:00 p.m. game, they’ll move on to face the Anaheim Ducks—who advanced to the second round of the Playoffs after eliminating the Dallas Stars.
The Ducks beat the Kings last time they faced off—earlier this month—clinching the top seed in the Western Conference.
What are the Kings’ chances in the Shark Tank tonight? And what might a Kings-Ducks series look like? We’re joined by Kings’ play-by-play announcer Bob Miller to discuss SoCal’s big week in hockey.
Guest:
Bob Miller, television play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Kings
Would Comcast sale of some cable systems hasten its acquisition of Time Warner?
Cable giant Comcast could take over cable TV and high-speed internet in hundreds of thousands more homes in Southern California and across the country.
In a $19.5 billion deal reached between Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications on Monday, Charter would swap subscribers with Comcast as early as next year.
Charter customers in Comcast-dominated markets, including several Southern California cities, would become Comcast customers if the deal goes through. In return, Charter would take over service in states like Ohio and Indiana.
The swap is part of a plan to ease Comcast’s efforts to acquire Time Warner Inc. By shedding at least three million customers, Comcast hopes to convince the federal government to allow the merger with Time Warner, a $45 billion takeover that has faced criticism.
The swap with Charter will reduce the combined company’s national market share to less than 30 percent, making the deal more attractive to the feds.
What will the impact be on consumers? Is reducing the number of customers this way a fair approach to a big merger? Would a Comcast/Time Warner combination be an unfair cable monopoly in Southern California and beyond?
Guest:
Edmund Lee, Media Reporter for Bloomberg News